Palisadian., 1922-06-03
SATURDAY, JUNE 8, 1922
WAsHINGToN's CROSSING

"Why," inquired Charles H. Ham
mitt in the paper he read at the State
I.arks Convention recently held, ''should
not Washington's Crossing, that made
the Union possible, be made honu-
ment to the heroic deeds and unt1inch-
ing purpose of those who won the Rev
olutionary War, and also to those who
have since gained prominence because
of achievement in either military or
civil life in the development of the
present greatness and exalted int1u-
ence of our countryF
There can be no satisfactory eXpla-
nation. The Battle of Trenton was the
turning point in the Revolutionary
War; the crossing of the Delaware
river On the night preceding that bat
tie was an event to be commemorated; !;
and naturally the memorial should be
at the scene of the crossing. The state
of Pennsylvania has made commenda-
BILE headway in its share of the work,
and the New Jersey legislature has of
ficially indorsed the plan of establish
ing a Washington's Crossing Park.
BY an act passed in 1919 authority
was given to the Board of Conserva-
tion and Development to acquire by
purchase or condemnation $50 acres
''at or near the point where Washing
ton crossed the Delaware river on the
night preceding the Battle of Tren-
ton, which shall include the building
known as the McKonkey ferry mans
house." and to lay out and develop the
property as park, and erect tablet
or monument "and eXpend such
moneys as shall be appropriated by the
legislature from time to time for those
purposes"
Senator Heath last winter succeeded
in inducing the legislature to pass a
joint resolution directing that an ap-
preparation of $4,000 be made to COM
plete prior to 1926 what is known as
the "ten-acre plan," already prepared.
This was to be done at once in prepara-
tion for the celebration of the sesqui-
centennial of the singing of the Dec
laration of Independence. Because of
the many demands made upon the state
for money, the Appropriations Commit
tee failed to include the $4,000 in the
appropriation BILL
Mercer county-the entire state, in
fact-should be interested this year in
electing legislators who are in hearty
sympathy with the plans to develop, as
Mr.. Hammitt says, "a great national
historical park" the national cnarac-
ter to be given to the project by the
erection by the federal government of
a memorial bridge to connect the Penn
sylvania and New Jersey parks. OBJ
viously it will be desirable to elect to
Congress from the"two states members
who are in sympathy with the under
taking.
PENNSYLVANIA has just had celebra
tion in its Washington's Crossing Park
that will revive local interest. What
is most needed at present is co-opera-
tion on the part of the people Of New
Jersey in order to insure next winter
the appropriation required to make
ready at least portion of its part of
the Interstate Park before the sesqui-
centennial celebration in 1926 that will
attract visitors from all sections of the
country.
AS Senator Heath said in his joint
resolution. ''the state of New Jersey
has provided no adequate memorial or
monument of this most significant ac-
ton of the Revolutionary War but for
ten years or more has dallied with the
project" 1t is time to stop dallying
and for the voters to give expression
to their desire that the project be
hastened to completion. The subject
should receive Endorsement in both par
ty platforms and candidates for the
legislature be appropriately pledged
Trenton Times.