Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1915-03-18
WON'T ACCEPT
AMENDED BILL,
SAYS THELEHIGH
Godfrey Willing to Move Canal
Measure if Majority
Il Wants It.
rrnn, . 90 q correspondent.

rror, q sta n Correspondent.
TRENTON, March 1s-If a major
ity Of the Legislators desire action or
me Morris Canal abandonment bill
Speaker Godfrey said last night he
would agree to move the bill. The
speaker saw no good reason for en-
acting the Blk into law II 1t would
rot become effective. The latter
statement was prompted by an adver-
fisernent which appeared in last
nights issue of the Trenton Evening
Times, over the signature of z. B.
Thomas. president of the Lehigh Val
lev Railroad. in which 1t is declared
the I.ehigh Valley Railrc nd would not
accent the abandonment bill as
amended under no consideration. The
particular clause to which the rail
road objects Is the amendment offered
BY Assembfyman Wolverton, OF Cam.
den, which provides for the payment
10 the state of $500 600, which Is con-
siderabiy more than Mr.. Godfrey had
fixed in the original bill.
The Lehigh Valley Railroad. IN its
advertisement, which is addressed to
the "Citizens of New Jersey" an
nounces that even the original bill
was not satisfactory to the railroad
because Of its indefinite character as
TO the amount of cash the railroad
company was to pay the State. In
The next sentence, however, Mr..
Thomas says:
'The railroad company might have
heen able to accept the Godfrey bill
IS reported by the House committee
Il passed. should the commission es-
tablished Hereunder have offered rea-
- = l.
to the sale of the basin property"
The advert 'sement continues to read
thst the railroad company is obliged
TO decline to accede to any proposal
which asks 1t to foregn its claim for
fee title to the Big Basin property,
Of its valid title for sixty years more
to the Little Basin property, and of
It's right to buy from the State OF New
Jersey revisionary interests In the
latter tract.
Mr.. Godfrey said last night he was
guided in fixing the amount the rail-
road should pay the State by the re-
port of competent authorities who
went over the situation He said he
vas forced to increase this amount to
1880 coo by the pressure that was
brought to bear by the legislators
Mr. Wolverton's amendment increas-
ing the figure another $1,000 900 was
out of all proportion, he sad, and was
only made for the purpose of OBJ
structing eg'slation.
The speaker said that during the
debate on the canal bills the legis-
lators had apparently lost sight of
the fact that no Morris Canal aban-
Comment bill could be effective as a
law unless II was acceptable to the
Lehigh Valley Railroad.
the spea ker again charged that the
interests of the East Jersey Water
Company were back Of the opposition
70 his measure, and added:
'There's a reason--a $4,000, GOO rea-
sor-as said in my debate, and you
can doubly underscore that"
Hits at Water Company.
AS a sort of get back" at the East
Jersey for its opposition, Mr.. Godfrey
lad introduced yesterday afternoon an
amendment to House bill 754, which
concerns the sale by the East Jersey
Of certain water rights in Northern
New Jersey to the State. The resolu-
ton reads:
THAT no water plant or water
plants shall be purchased or con-
tract or contracts made for such pur-
chase under the authority of this act
IN any case where the value of the
right to divert water or the added
value of the property as a going con-
eern IL included as part of the total
values as shown by the appraisement
Of the property made on behalf of the
State or the Water Supply Commis-
SION unless a sum equal to the
amount of the value as appraised of
the right to divert water and the
added value OF the plant as a going
concern shall be deducted from such
total appraisement and the purchase
price Of such property shall not ex-
cred such reduced appraisement and
s9leh reduc ton shall not be less than
thirty per centum Of the present ap-
praised price of such property"
Assemblyman Martins bill to con-
aolidate the North Hudson towns
With the exception OF Secaucus was
ably reported yesterday by the
assembly committee on municipal
corporations. The bill was ordered
on second reading.
Assemblyman Martin got the As
sembly committee on railroads and
canals yesterday afternoon to favor
ably report the bill for connecting
railroad IN Jersey City. 1t was
promptly put on second reading.
In the Senate, where Senator Egan
has a duplicate Of the Martin bill the
connecting road proposition for Jer-
sey City was scheduled for action
next Monday night. Egan's connect
ing railroad bill had been reported
Tuesday There Is race on be-
tween Martin and Egan TO have their
bills passed first. There is no doubt
HAT one or the other of the bills will
ha a law within two Waeka