Perth Amboy evening news., 1914-10-17
BRITISH CRUISER SUNK BY GERMAN SUBMARINE
IN
1915 WILL FIGHT
FOR SHIP CANAL

The 1915 legislature will take ac-
tion in furthering the proposed ca
nal across the state, according to
the belief of Congressman Thomas
j. Scully and Mayor Frederick w.
Donnelly, of Trenton, who declares
the canal must come"
Congressman Scully said before
the government would agree to fl
nance the project of digging the ca
nal the state must first acquire the
right of way for the waterway. Mr..
Scully said that he introduced a
measure in the house calling for a
$40, 100000 appropriation for the
work, and allowing for the expendi-
ture of 100000 Immediately for
preliminary work. Mr.. Scully said
that the measure was turned down
because New Jersey had not fulfill
ed her part of the propositions He
believed that the project would be
financed by congress If the state sets
about and purchases the right of
way. TITS bound to come" said
the congressman, "and believe that
the next New Jersey legislature will
act upon the matter of gaining the
right of way
He said the army engineers had
surveyed the route and reported fa-
vorably to congress on the PROPOSE
tion in 1912, and that now 1t is up
to the state to fulfill it's part of the
contract before congress appropri-
ates money for construction of the
waterway. He declared that the
state should purchase between 500
and 900 feet of land on either side
of the canal for terminal purposes,
and derive annual incomes from the
railroad connections on this land in
the vicinity of the canal, which the
state would control He said that by
having 500 to 1000 feet on each
side Of the canal 1t would give the
state area to construct a fine boule-
ward from the head to the mouth of
the waterway.
He spoke of the defeat of the
measure proposed by Congressman
Scully in the house, because New Jer-
sey had not fulfilled its part of the
contract. He said that the state on
ly has to acquire the right of way,
whereas the government Is to dig the
canal, construct three drawbridges,
fifteen highway bridges, equip an
electric plant for lighting the canal
and for operating the bridges Con
tinuing: "The state could issue
bonds to buy the right of way; could
make annual appropriations so that
the burden would not seem so heavy;
could divert the bank stock tax,
which amounts to $350,000 annually
to this proposition instead of dis
tributing 1t to the counties, as well
as diverting other taxes for the pur-
pose" He estimated the states part
of constructing the canal would cost
five or six hundred thousand dollars.
Mayor Frederick w. Donnelly, of
Trenton, who was president of the
New Jersey Ship Canal Commission,
created in 1911, and which was legis-
lated out of existence by the last
legislature, was sure that the next
law making body of the state would
act favorably on the proposition. He
thought that public sentiment had
been rolling up for the canal so that
the legislators will be unable to
avoid acting on the proposition.
Mayor Donnelly said that the &C
ton for a canal across the state was
agttated fifty years ago Dut only re-
ceived concrete form when the At
lantic Deeper Waterways Association
was organized eight years ago, which
organization has been boosting the
construction of the canal since Its
inception. "The whole seaboard
he continued, sis aroused. The cam
paign of education has been com
pleted and now the real battle-ground
lies in New Jersey" He thought
that by New Jersey marking time on
the project 1t was Withholding the
elimination of the intracostal canal
project, which is to connect FLORIDA
with Maine by an inside water
route. The mayor said that the leg
islature of 1911 pledged to buy the
right Of way for the canal if the gov
ernment would finance the digging OF
same.