The sun., 1915-07-21
CANALS AGAIN TO Be
AN ISSUE IN JERSEY
Abandonment Plans Already
Being Discussed at Tren-
ton and Elsewhere.
RAILROADS A BIG FACTOR

TRENTON. ". j.. July 2o.-Canal
abandonment will figure prominently
before the next Legislature. 1t is not
often that in midsummer popular is
sue cuts much OF figure, but canal
abandonment is being discussed now.
six months before the session will open,
both here and In Jersey City.
The Trenton end is purely local and
has To do with the abandonment, for
transportation purposes. of what is
popularity known as "the feeder of the
Delaware and Raritan Canal. II runs
from the Delaware River, Just above
Lambertville, to Coalport. in the east
erly section of Trenton. and supplies
the water for the locks between this
city and Bordentown. where the canal.
which begins In tho Raritan River at
New Brunswick. emptes into the Della
ware.
originally intended merely as a
feeder" the 1Ambertville Trenton
branch has been used by boats carrying
coal from the Lehigh region In Pennsyl-
vania to Trenton. New Brunswick, Am
boy and New York. The boats were
the Lehigh canal to point In Pennsyl-
vanla opposite to Lambertville, then
ferried across the river to the feeder"
and thence TO Trenton.
Crosses Many streets.
This city is bisected by the feeder"
which crosses about a dozen of the prin-
cipal streets, at each of which Is a
turn bridge operated by a bridge tender,
who in some instances acts as crossing
fagman on the Belvidere division of
the Pennsylvania Railroad. which fol-
lows the feeder BERN bank to Lam
bertville. There is considerable inter-
ference with traffic and Trenton would
be glad TO get rid of the stream--at
least of the navigation.
OF late years there has been little
traffic through the feeder" The rail-
roads are able to carry coal more quickly
and nearly as cheaply as the caral
boats. Conditions are much the same
as ON the Morris Canal. which runs from
Phillpsburg. on the Delaware, to New
ark and Jersey City.
Last winter an act was passed au-
thorlzing abandonment of navigation on
the feeder" assurances having been
given by Mayor Donnelly Of Trenton
and railroad officials that the three or
four business interests that depend par
tally or wholly on the feeder" would
be taken care OF. Now there is a hitch.
since some Of the interests have made
absurd and extortionate demands.
The railroad company is financially
interested In having abandonment take
place. as it can then get rid of the NOV
able bridges, save the wages of tenders.
use "A part of the feeder bank for
double tracking the Belvidere divisio
reduce the grades and make other i'm
provements In its line. The dispute has
reached the point where threats are be-
ing made that II pledges made are
broken an effort will be made to induce
the next Legislature to repeal the aban-
donment act.
Differ as TO Terms.
The Jersey City end OF the canal
abandonment agitation has to do. of
course, with the Morris Canal. There
Is almost unanimous agreement that the
canal should be abandoned, but wide
differences as To terms--as there have
been for the last twenty years As In
the case of the Pennsylvania Railroad
Company with the Trenton feeder" the
Lthigh Valley Railroad Company is
anxious to be rid OF the Morris Canal,
which costs many thousands OF dollars
annually for maintenance and yields
little II amy revenue.
There are indications that Speaker
Godfrey will again offer his canal aban-
donment bill in the next Legislature 1t
is said to he satisfactory ~ the Lehigh
Valley company.
To prepare for the opposition the Jer-
sey city Chamber OF Commerce and the
city Commission have started confer
enccs, the first Of which took place last
Friday evening, when 1t was decided to
stand pat and abta!n all concessions pos
sible for the development of the port OF
Jersey city.
In past years canal abandonment
plans have been held back until the leg
islative session opened-sometimes until
Il was nearly ready to end. The inter-
est displayed In the subject at this time
offers "a promise that the problem may
be satisfactorily solved next winter
without saddling the State with a heavy
burden in the way of increased fixed
charges or giving away money or prop
erty that belongs to all OF the people.