Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-19
DISCUSSES future
OF MORRIS CANAL
Sec. StickeI, of Investigation
Committee, Addresses Few
smith Church Mems Club.

At the regular monthly meeting of
the Mems Club. of the Fewsmith
Memorial Church. last night, former
Assemblyman Fred G. Stickel, jr.,
secretary of the Morris Canal inves-
tiEation committee. spoke on the
subject of "The Morris Canal" fol-
lowing which the speaker gave an
opportunity to those present to ask
questions pertaining to the subject
under discussion. Some enlarged
photographs of views along the canal
were displayed which. with the
charts and maps used by the secre-
tary, made the evening one of en-
joyable entertainment and instruc-
ton. The speaker said in part:
1.-THE canal problem and it's solu-
tion Is most important to the city
of Newark. It's proper solution may
furnish the key to the solution of
Newark's traffic problem. remove q
menace to health. an eyesore. and
provide q means for the further de-
velopment of Newark that is most
lmitless."
OF the several theories advanced
for the use of the canal the secre-
tary said that the New jersey Ca
nails and Terminal Protective Assoc
citation demands the retention and
Identification of the canal. using the
canal waters for such eiectri1catlon
The Morris Canal Parkway Asso-
citation suggests the deciding to the
State of the canal from Second river
to the Delaware river as public
park.
Representatives from Paterson OBJ
ject to the abandonment mainly, IL
would seem, because of Its value as q
beautiful adjunct to its proposed TOO
acre park. This objection could prob
ably be met by the cession to the
State of the canal from the Delaware
to the east line of Paterson. instead
of the west line. as at present.
The corporation counsel or jersey
City objects to the ceding to the Lee
high Valley of the basins and sug'
gests the opening of some of jersey
City's streets over the canal.
Representatives Of. the Newarl
Board of Works and Board of Trade
favored the appraisal of canal lands
in each municipality through which
the canal runs and their preferential
sale to the respective municipalities
also the giving to the city a strip Of
the canal at least thirty-three feet In
width, east of the Pennsylvania rail-
road, under the bill retained by the
Lehigh company, provided such city
grant a right to double track troll
ley line, If desired, to a purchaser
of such right of way.
The former suggestion may not be
practical, said the speaker, and the
creation of a transportation district
along the lines of the Passaic Sewer
age Commission would seem a better
plan.
In closing the secretary said, the
people say abandon the canal, take
1t away from the Lehigh Valley rail-
road, but they. do not seem to under
stand that the charter Of the Morris
Canal and Banking Company is 8
contract with the State. and under
that contract the owners of the cana
must only keep 1t full of water sc
that boats can use the canal in order
to retain their charter. No plan fol
the abandonment of the canal there
fore prior to the expiration of the
charter in 1875 can be made without
the consent and approval of the Le-
high Valley. The abandonment. there
fore, of the canal prior to 1875 mus
be as a result of compromise and
agreement between the State and
Lehigh Valley.