Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-19

The abandonment Of the Morris
canal and the establishment Of a high
powered municipal railroad on the
bed Of the canal was the consensus
Of opinion Of those attending the
monthly meeting Of the conference
On interurban improvements Of New
ark and adjacent municipalities yes
terday. To carry out its ideas. the
conference viii work hand-in-h hand
with the Morris Canal Abandonment
Commission in framing a bill which
viii be presented 10 the Legislature
at the coming session.
About thirty members Of the CON
ference attended yesterdays session
at the City Hall and every one spoke
IN favor Of abandoning the canal The
committee appointed at the last meet
ing rendered its report The COM
mittee declares that the Morris canal,
in its present stage. is obsolete, that
its operation is too expensive and
that to reconstruct the canal on any
lines which would make it economical I
is so expensive on account Of the
height to which II ascends IN cross
ing the State, that any attem44 70
continue II as means Of water
transportation is out Of the ques-
ton.
So large is the scope Of work TO be
accomplished by the canal abandon
ment committee that 1t was decided
to enlarge the committee from three
to seven members. At the present
time the members are Charles r.
kocher town counsel Of Bloomfield:
eaaafr \ Z
Belleyille and Nutley, and Morris r
Sherrerd, chief engineer of Newark.
The committee will be enlarged by
the naming of a member of the Board
Of Trade, Board of Works, Pubic
Service Railroad Corporation and tire
Lehigh Valley Railroad Company.
Phases of Bill Explained.
Fred G. stickeL secretary of the
Canal Abandonment Commission, ex-
planned every phase Of the bill as
KILLED" last year and told what the
commission would do in the coming
session.
Some say we are not an official
body any more" said Mr.. StickeL
An appropriation was given Us and
l contend that we are. The canal
must be abandoned and / am sure.
with the help of the Board of Trade
. and the Interurban Conference, we
/ can have the bill passed this year"
He declared that the Lehigh Valley
railroad had certain rights in the
canal that could not be overlooked.
The State cannot compel it to con-
cede in some cases, but it is expected
to overcome that difficulty by com
promising. said Mr.. Stickel
James NJ. Reilly, secretary Of the
4 . ID Il
complished on the bill last year. He
stated that the six miles of the canal
running through Newark was a nui-
sance and a menace to business He
said that the canal might as we'll be
abandoned for water transportation
but the bed of the canal could be used
for other purposes.
Newark at the present time needs
more railway facilities said Mr..
Reilly.
1.-The bed of the canal is the remedy.
Let the city purchase the property,
after the canal is abandoned. and
have a high-powered railway owned
and controlled by the city.
1T seems to me that the territory
adjoining Newark needs more rail-
way facilities. Let them buy the bed
of the canal In their respective terri
tory and have their own municipa
railroad .
Mr. Reilly stated that there were
many provisions in the bill as drafted
last year that the Board of Trade op-
posed.
THE Board Of Trade will do all in
It's power to have the hill nassed II il
will benefit Newark and adjacent ter
ritory. but will vigorously onpose any
provision. or provisions. detrimental
TO the city" said Mr.. Reilly IN con-
clusion.
Commissioner GilIen's Views.
Board of Works Commissioner
Charles P. Gillen also spoke on the
subject of abandoning the canal. He
said that the canal in Newark ran
through the most valuable parcels of
real estate and was drawback to
business and transportation facili-
ties
1.-The canal is a thing of the past
in Newark" Mr.. Gillen said. Let it
be abandoned and have the civ of
Newark have its own railway lines