Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-03-19
CANAL BILL On
S|LZER' s DESK
Governor Expected to Sign
important Water Measure i.
in Few Days

Governor Silzer is expected to at
tach his signature to AS embly Bill
No. $40, providing funds for the pur-
chase of a right of way for the New
Jersey Ship Canal from Creesequake
Creek to the Delaware river, which
successfully passed both louses af-
ter hard fight upon the part OF the
Middlesex county delegation last
week. Although the governor has
he will sign the bill it is learned
from. authentic sources that he will
attach his signature to the bill.
How Bill Was Passed
just when the measure seemed
doomed to certain defeat by reason
of various strong influences working
against it, Senator Morgan T. Lar
son of Middlesex, Friday -fternoon
succeeded in bringing out of the
federal relations committee, Assem-
bly, Bill No. $40, introduced by As
semblyman Hoffman. and waged a
successful fight to pass the measure
IN the senate. In spite of vigorous
opposition Senator Larson, after
making strong plea for the bill,
known as the New Jersey ship canal
measure" mustered his forces and
passed it with thirteen votes in th-
affirmative and three in opposition.
The passage of this bill, according
to Mayor Donnelly, of Trentan, ore
of the most ardent waterway advo-
Gates of the Atlantic seaboard.' -
marks the turning of a new page
in the commercial and industrial
history of New Jersey" The mea-
sure, introduced by the Middlesex
assemblyman on February 5, met
with stern opposition. 1t provided
Tor the appropriation to the state
board of commerce and navigation
OF the money to be received from
the Lehigh Valley Railroad Com
pany through the abandonment of
the Morris canal for the purchase
OF rights of way across the state for
the New Jersey ship canal, one of
the most important links in the great
Atlantic intra-costal waterway sys-
tenn now either under survey or un-
der construction. Since it's introduce
tion the Middlesex delegation has
been working untiringly to bring
about the passage of this legislation.
one of the most important bills be-
fore the 1928 legislature.
On March Assemblyman Hoff-
man supported by his Middlesex
colleagues succeeded in passing the
measure through the House of AS
sembly by a vote OF 40 to z. At
that time it became apparent that
the chief objection would come
from the northern counties through
which the abandoned Morris canal
runs. The MiddleseX assemblyman
amended bill on third reading to
overcome some objections to H..
This necessitated the bill being sent
to the state printer for the print
ing of the amended measure. and
certain delay, Intentional or other
wise kept the bill from the hands
of the supervisor of bills until
Tuesday of this week. On that date
it went to the senate where Senator
Larson has been using all the STRAIT
egy and political sagacity at his
command to insure it's passage.
A jolt was handed the oropon-
ents of the bill when Senator Wall
worth of Camden, president OF the
sante, referred the bill to the un-
friendly federal relations commit
tee, headed by Senator Emmerson
Richards. of Atlantic. Thursday
night in the senate Senator Larson
openly charged Senator Richards
with smothering the bill. and as
chairman OF the committee on
printed bills. declared that Rich
No 1 would be kept in that COM
mittee until the Atlantic senator
saw at to report out the canal bill.
That was after Senator Richards
when Assemblyman Hoffman. de-
manded from him the reason for
not reporting the bill. declared
because I want to sit on It,"
Pressure was brought to bear by
Senator Larson all day Friday to
force cut the bill, and the propo-
nents of the measure used every bit
of political influence conceivable to
sway the Atlantic senator, with very
lGonti9uso on RaEe -