Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-02-24
GODFREY ANSWERS
GOVERNORS NOTE
ON CANAL BILLS
Says Fielder Doesn't Know
Enough About Them to War
rant His Interference.
cRITlcISES HIS LEGAL
AND BUSINESS ABILITY
PERSONALLY a Very Delightful
Gentleman" Says House
Speaker.
From a stan Correspondent.

TRENTON, Feb. 24.-Speaker Carl
ton Godfrey, of the House of Assem-
bly,, this afternoon made a formal
written reply to Governor Fielder's
special message 10 the Legislature
yesterday in which Mr.. Godfrey's
bills for the abandonment of the
Norris canal were vigorously criti-
cised.
Speaker Godfrey refers to the Gov
ernor's attack as ill-considered, and
remarks that the Governor 'is an
attorney of very little legal or bust
ness experience" MIR. Godfrey also
comments on Governor Fielder's re-
cent application in court for a fee of
$25 for case in which he was inter-
ested. Mr.. Godfrey thinks it strange
that the Governor should assume
that he knows more of the subject
of canal abandonment than do the
members of the investigating COM
mittee which spent three years on
the study of the subject, q majority
of whom were appointed by the Gov
ernor himself, Mr. Godfrey points
out.
His statement is as follows:
Having been honored by my as
sociates with the responsible position
of speaker of the House 1t is more
important that my time be given to
the duties of that office than in pre-
pairing a reply to the ill-considered
attack upon the Republican party of
this State, contained in the message
upon the subject of the abandonment
of the Morris canal, which message
was received by the Legislature yes
terday
1T seems strange that the Gov
ernor, who is an attorney of very little
legal or business experience, though
personally a very delightful gentle
man. should assume that he knows
so much more of the subject of
canal abandonment than do the
lernbsrs of the Morris canal investi-
cation committee, who have spent
three years in the study of the sub
iect, and a majority of whom were
sppointed by himself, or his able
predecessor in office.
"The sixty minutes which the gov
ernor gave of his valuable time at
one public hearing probably gave
kirR the information upon which he
attempts to reverse the recommends
tions of the leading experts in Amer
1Cd. WHOSE arc WOIlu
wide, men upon whose advice the
government of the United States has
expended millions of dollars and
whose services in this matter were
freely given for the benefit of the
people of New Jersey.
I'VE appreciate, however. the hour
of time (which the governor gave to
the subject, because it was no doubt
difficult for him to spare 1t from his
private law practice. as evidenced by
his recent application in open court
for a fee of s25 for his services In
case then pending in the Court of
Chancery. The governor probably
expends less of his time in the direct
service of the State than does the
average member of the Legislature,
who receives the splendid salary of
5000. The object of his message, how
ever, is to deliver solar plexus (as
quoted by one of his closest friends)
to the settlement of the canal aban-
donment. which settlement Is so uni
Versally desired by the people of our
State,
1T is probably unnecessary for me
to say that the work of the Morris
canal investigation COMMITTEES, WAS,
and continues to be, absolutely nom
PARTISAN