The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1913-10-21
FIELDER AND THE
MORRIS CANAL
Democratic Candidate For Gov
ernOr introduced LagIsIa-
tIOn Favorable to L.
high Valley R. R.
INDUSTRIOUS GRAB INTENDED

The most audacious bill for the ag
grandizement of railroad corporation
and its affiliated interests that ever APP
peared in the New Jersey legislature
was introduced at the session of 1911
by Senator James F. Fielder of Hud-
son county. The bill was introduced
In the senate by Fielder on Feb. 81 and
was numbered senate 141 on the calen-
dar. 1t contained "joker'' of monu-
mental proportions.
The bill was described as IAN act to
repeal the charter of the Morris Canal
and Banking company and to provide
for the disposal of the property Of said
company The object of the bill was
to rob the people of the state of the
immense equity In the Morris canal
and give the property outright to the
Lshigh Valley Railroad company. the
canal lessee, which has destroyed navi-
CATION on the canal for the purpose Of
monopoly control Of anthracite coal
and for getting possession OF the canal
terminal at Jersey City.
The history of the Morris canal since
its lease by corrupt legislature 70 the
Lehigh Valley Railroad company is a
story Of crime against the state. The
Lehigh Valley Is a foreign corporation.
Prior to 1872 it did not have a rail in
New Jersey and had no access to tide
water at the Hudson The Morris ca
nal was then a prosperous waterway
and was building up manufacturing
places In Warren, Morris, Passaic, Es-
sex and Hudson counties and was a
valuable feeder, especially in coal, for
the cities and towns through which it
passed. Coal sold in these cities for
less than 81 per ton.
Having secured control of the canal,
the railroad company bought up some
small roads in New Jersey, connected
them and built span across the New
ark meadows. thus getting to t1dewater.
1t Illegally got possession Of the valua-
BILE canal terminal at Jersey City and
in defiance of the canal charter con-
verted 1t into a railroad terminal.
Then the company proceeded to wreck
the canal for transportation, and the
traffic was entirely destroyed.
Beginning of the "orab."
Ten years ago the Lehigh Valley and
Tho 70 ~ To,.Sor We FOR oaponanu haron
lobby work in the legislature to get
the canal charter repealed and obtain
ali the enormously valuable assets of
the canal. By secret arrangements,
since disclosed, the water rights Of
the canal were sold by the canal les
sees to the East Jersey Water com
pany, to be delivered If the legislature
should pass canal abandonment bill
BY this deal the East Jerseys water
monopoly would have been made Sc
cure, and the municipalities in North
Jersey would be at its mercy. The OBJ
Ject was to give the Lehigh Valley the
1900 feet of water front on the Hud-
son, worth many millions, and sell the
400 miles of canal right OF way for
railroad and traction purposes
Bills were introduced at several SEES
sions of the legislature and after strug-
giles were defeated The interests be-
hind these bills were too hoggish. The
people were not awake to the enormity
of the grab. but the design to seize the
water supply excited apprehension
and the bills were lost, legislators not
daring to vote for them.
At one session the assembly passed
bill, and 1t was on the point Of being
railroaded through the house when
charges of bribery were made The
senate in a panic then refused to take
up the tainted bin, and the legislature
adjourned, leaving it Enacted on.
In 1911 the Lehigh Valley company
lawyers changed their plans. They
gave up the idea of getting possession
of the water rights OF the Morris ca
nal for the East Jersey Water com
pany and aimed to secure ownership of
the canal bed and the water front at
Jersey City. The CANA bed from Phil
tpsburg to the Hudson, JOG miles, is
worth millions. The canal right of
way between Jersey City and Newark
is alone worth FIVE millions. The 1900
feet of water front on the Hudson is
estimated to be worth more than twen-
u millions.
Fielder In the Game.
1t was Senator james F. Fielder OF
Hudson county who in 1911 introduced
the bill to give to this foreign corpora.
ton all this enormous property wealth.
and he took charge of the bill and
urged it upon the legislature, while
powerful lobby assembled at Trenton
TO put 1t through.
Hudson county has a very large in
terest in the canal Jersey City hai
demanded the water front for its use
and manufacturers have asked that
the canal bed, no longer In use for ca
nal purposes, be utilized for the inter
ests of manufacture. Senator Fielder
representing Hudson county, intro
duced and pushed bill intended to
give the entire property to foreign
corporation. one Of the members OF
aha coal combine. which had wrecked