The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-08-02
URGED TO Give
LAND FOR CANAL
Governor SiIzer Believes Those
Property Owners VINO Would
Benefit Should Help State.
BOOST BY PUBLIC HEARINGS
See Crisis For Trolley In New Wage
strugele--Growth Of Notorious and
Rising Power Of Industry May
Affect Legislation.

Trenton. Accepting a suggestion Of
Governor Silzer, the State Board OF
Commerce and Navigation will hold
public hearings in September to ac-
quaint property owners along the
route Of the proposed New Jersey
Ship Canal with the advantages Of
the Translate waterway.
The governor believes that property
owners along the proposed route
might be induced to deed the, right
of-way to the state In anticipation Of
ultimate benefits Of the nearby
waterway. The federal government
stands ready to cooperate with New
jersey, providing the state furnishes
the rightof-way for the canal. An
appropriation of $1,o00,000 must be
made by New Jersey, as an evidence
of good faith. before the government
will take action.
Mayor Donne1ly Of Trenton was In
strumental in having the last legisla-
ture divert the s875,000 from settle
ment of the Morris Canal problem to
the purposes Of the ship canal. The
governor feels this warrants definite
action by the state in the project.
"If the canal is all that its projec-
tors believe it to be- said Governor
Silver there ought to be a very sub
stantial increase in the value of prop
erty along the line of the canal. If
this be true, then those most bene-
flied should give their aid.
Where a small part OF a mans
property is being taken and the re-
mainder largely benefited, he should
donate the land to the public. Where
land that has little value is taken, O
like course should be pursued. Where
the property taken seriously damages
that which remains, some equitable
compensation ought to be made.
''If the property owners along the
line Of the canal will heartily CO.
operate, this project may soon be
brought to realization. If, on the
other hand, they do not, and insist
upon excessive prices for land, then
they must take their choice of having
the state take the land by condemna-
ton, and either assessing them for
the benefit of their land or denying
them access to the canal and railroad
facilities, except at certain fixed points
distant from their own property. It
might be well to point out that If the
property owners take selfish view
of the matter, the state is not likely
to lend it's aid as rapidly as it would
If there is a proper spirit OF COOP
Grafton.
Public Service Problem
What's going to happen when the
jitneymen and the notorious owners
pool their strength and match 1t
against that of the Public Service Cor
poration in the halls of legislation?
The impending struggle between the
employees and officials of the Public
Service Railway, with prospects OF a
strike in case the company fails to
meet the demands for pay increases
and better conditions of employment,
serves to emphasize the situation de-
veloped from the keen competition OF
the two means of transportation, and
there is every indication of a serious
crisis in the problem.
The Supreme Court has just decid-
ed, in an opinion handed down by
Justice Katzenbach, in case from
Camden county, that the Public Serv-
ice is entitled to the protection OF
the law against notorious competition
which may impair its right to earn a
sufficient return upon its investment,
but the State Utility Commission con-
tinues to grant privileges for opera
ton Of bus routes in direct and costly
competition with the long established
steam roads.
AS these lines of modern traffic con-
tinue to multiply under regularly au-
thorized grants, the power of the
owners increases with rapid strides
and there is every possibility of a
show of strength sooner or later. In
Camden the proposal has been made
to form a combination of the several
lines into one working system, which
may be the forerunner of state
wide and farreaching scheme to tie
the whole system into one combina-
ton of tremendous power and infu-
ence.
1t was possible for the Public Serv-
ice interests to prevent for a time. a
movement by the jitneymen in 1921
which would have meant competition
so disastrous as to spell wreck when
it controlled legislation now applied
to the situation.
That was passage Of tne law giving
the State Utility Commission direc-
ton and control of the operation OF jit-
news and NOTORIOUS lines, with the
stipulation that no new franchise for
a bus line should be granted in con-
fict with an existing trolley line "giy-
ing adequate service"-that is, that
no bus should be opera ed over liue
paralleling trolley road. The theory
of that regulation was that the trolley
line. having been granted a franchise
bv the state and having invested It's
capital in tracks. equipment and rolling
stock, was entitled to the protection
of the laws OF the state to keep that