Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-02-08
MUCH OBJECTION
TO CANAL BILLS
CONTINUED from First Psxe.)

! ntEn Natey TdliIoSluI troSSt0 VI Sh'
canal company.
"iThe grant to the railroad company
was for the maintenance of a cana
from Phi'lipsburg to the Hudson
river. and not to run a railroad" Mr.
Carey continued. I'VE say the cana
has been abandoned for all practfca
purposes, the commission admits this
abandonment, but from a legal view
point 1t has not been abandoned. In
1924. whether the railroad stops using
the canal or not, the State can take
this property by paying the value OF
the property on the canal. This IL
only nine years off. The State viii
not pay for its value as a railroad OF
a trolley line, and the railroad admits
that the value of the canal today Is
nil"
Mr.. Carey said the abandonment OF
the canal originated in the publicity
department of the Lehigh Valley rail-
road, Mr.. Carey contended that the
canal has been at financial loss to
the railroad since 1889.
The two basins in Jersey City, val
ued by the Godfrey commission at
$500 900, according to Mr.. Carey, are
worth at least s1O,o00.000. The COM
mission also estimated that 66 per
cent. of the value of the canal was In
Jersey City, but Mr.. Carey believes
that 90 per cent. of the value OF the
canal is located in Jersey CITY.
Urges Ono warrants Proceedings.
Continuing, Mr.. Carey said: Let
Jersey City go about this as a busi-
ness proposition. Start quo warranto
proceedings SO that We can condemn
this reversionary right. If We let the
I.ehigh Valley have the basins In Jer-
sey City what becomes OF the water
right? The only water rights the Le-
high Valley or Morris and Essex
Banking Company own are those ap-
nurtenances to the canal itself. I'm
less the title still remains in the
banking company no one will receive
81 enc rom the water right that
under the bills the commission claims
would accrue to the state"
Former Judge Carey then went on
to say that the bills provide that the
State can sell to Newark or Paterson
the canal properties within the limits
of these cities. "If the bills go
through and Newark does not want
to buy the commission is going to sell
the canal property in Newark to the
Public Service Corporation" he said,
ConceIinng the propos. tion to make
a boulevard of the canal MIR. Carey
lAOu6HI llllS w as a hi NeAhAAs
He said that the bills provided that
the State is to receive s1,0oo,000 from
the Lehigh Valley for taking over the
canal, and this is all the funds the
would have at its dis
posal. He described. at great length,
how impossible it would be to build
the elaborate system of poulevards
outlined In the report OF the commits
sion.
AS soon as Mr.. Carey sat down, AS
Barradale asked Carlton
Godfrey, speaker of the House and
chairman OF the committee that drew
the canal bills, If he wanted to make
a reply. Before Mr., Godfrey could
say anything, Vice Chancellor Vivian
NJ. Lewis said
"Mr, Carey has said the Lehigh VAL
ley has offered $1,00o,00O, That is not
so. All that has been offered Ia
$500, 900, and no moro than that will be
offered"
Speaker Godfrey was angry when he
arose to defend the bills.
These bills" he said were not
prepared for the Lehigh Valley Rail-
road Company. They were prepared
thought they were right. They are
intended to benefit the entire State. |
| stened to Judge Carey very atten-
lively, and believe he represents the
Lehigh Valley railroad. / have told
members of the commission and
newspaper men that / expected to
hear arguments on behalf of munich
palities and organizations that would
in reality be arguments for the
Lehigh Valley"
Mr.. Godfrey then went on to say
that If the proposed quo warranto
proceedings were started the bank
Ing company would go out of bust
ness, but the basins and other prop
erty would go to the railroad conn
pany. He said he had consulted
twenty-five or thirty lawyers on
that particular point, and that they
al agree with him. He said, further,
that he had asked a hundred or more
times for an appraisement of the
property by interested people of Jer-
sey City, but had never received a
reply from any official of Jersey City,
Under quo warranto proceedings
the Lehigh Valley will retain the
water supply and the basns," Mr..
Godfrey continued. Jersey City gets
nothing, the State gets nothing and
the railroad company is relieved of
an annual LOGS of about $3.50 900, which
thew snend to ma 'ntain the canal.
William B. Gourlay. of Paterson
spoke for the residents of the Green.
wood Lake section. He said Green
wood Lakes interest was to see that
the lake wasn't emptied, and he
spoke in favor of the boulevard and
public park scheme. He said Green
wood Lake would make an ideal spot
for public park. A like sentiment
was voiced by Mr.. Pitney and Mr.
Maxim, both property owners in the
Lake Hopatcong section. They
favored the abandonment of She
canal, but wanted to make sure thai
Lake Hopatcongs water level would
be protected.
Marcus A. Beeman, of Jersey City
secretary of the New Jersey Stat.
Chamber of Commerce, handed the
committee the State chambers In.
dorsement of the bills. The resolution
was as follows:
The executive committee of tn,
State chamber unanimously approve.
In general House bills No So, 81 an(
55, popularity known as the Morris
canal abandonment bills. It believe
that the State chamber and local or
ganizations con insure adequat
treatment of Jersey City and othe
uluiiCiPdHties py u commission, ant
that any desirable notifications cal
be effected as the proposed Morri
Canal Commission has an opportu
nifty TO treat the situation. The com
| mittee realizes that progress can b
only made by an immediate settle
| ment, and feels confident that publ
opinion can be relied upon TO secur
! Justice and equity for ell partie
| concerned"
Mayor Sadler, OF Bloomfield, pre-
sented resolution indorsing tn
! abandonment bills, 1t was signe
/ by the members OF the Bloomflel
, Common Council and favored tn
bills "a they now stand.
German Airship Shot Down
| ~