Perth Amboy evening news., 1924-06-17
CITY MUST act
IN SHIP CANI|
NAT TER Soon
Perrine, Who Has Clay I1 : :
erty, Wants Route Cham
Near Old Bridge
AFFECTS CITY WATERs1
IT Route Is Changed scoI1
nell Authorized to Purchase
Right of Way Property
AFFECTS CITY WATERsn

TRENTON. June 17.-The 4r'
actual step looking to the con1fru1z
tion OF the New Jersey shin canal
from Raritan Bay to the De1au~ ~E1
was taken here yesterday, wIaen ~
State Board of Commerce ana I7~51z
cation authorized James a. osEoz<
nell, of New Brunswick, real
purchasing agent, to acquire -
erty along the right OF WY
secure options upon such p1ouS1 ~ II
For the purposes of appra1cn7 r -
route will probably be divide r.
three or four sections. with = eor1
petent real estate appraiser Is 4 r F
prove prices asked by owners 1509
the right of way. A number 81 fif7 =
searchers viii also be employed +
order to safeguard the states riel| A
to the property after Il is acquired ]
together with surveyors ana oth1
technical men. 4
The question of acquiring the Ian
necessary for the canal caused c6i
siderable discussion among the cou| 4
merce and navigation board n1eui
oers. Under the law. the board hal
charge of the state end of the canal
construction
The fund received from the I -
high Valley Railroad comparav Il,
connection with the Morris canal
abandonment will be used in the ae-
quisition of the right of way for the
ship canal The total sum amounts
TO SS75.000, which is being paid ~
the railroad company in yearly In
stallments of sl75,000 a year. To-
gether with the interest on the
money, the total fund viii be swe1le<3
TO close to $1,0O0,0 600. In order to
safeguard their interests, the board
asked for the advice of the ATTORNEY
generals Office as to whether they
had legal right to use the fund from
the Morris canal. Assistant Atfor-
ney General Joseph A Lanigan at
tended the board meeting ana con-
strued an act of 1923 and one of
1924 10 authorize the Commerce.
board to use the Morris canal nonax.
A peculiar situation has arisen
from the two successive acts. The
1928 act gives the Morris canal
money to the commerce and navirs-
ton board for use in acquiring
right of way for the deep canal
across the state. The act OF 199f
gives the money to the department.
of conservation and deue1epnaenz
with the proviso that no money ap4
propr.ated in the 1928 act should be
disturbed. As the 1928 act elves
the whole amount to the Commerce
Board. it is claimed that the depart
ment of conservation and develop
ment has nothing to gain from the
act passed in it's favor.
The attorney general also declared
that the money could be used for ex
penses contingent to the acquisition
of the right of way. such as s,.r-
.veyors and searchers fees. Tn 10
date there is s350.000 of the total
fund available.
Former Attorney General Robert
McCarter appeared at the board
meeting in the interest of Henry G.
Perrine. who owns clay pits between
Morgan and Old Bridge directly ia
the path of the proposed ship cana /.
Mr.. McCarter, on behalf Of hts
client. asked that the route Of The
canal be moved about fve-eirhfhx
of mile TO the southeast. 50 fhat
1t would not cut through Perrfne'0
clay pits. The pits would Be -
stroyed If the canal cut throu<h Il
them, it was said. Mr. McCarfcr
also referred to the fact that ~ fob
lowing the route as at present hid
out, the canal would cut through the
Perth Amboy wafer works 81
The board asked Perrine to subrd1f
report covering his proposition Tor
the moving of the proposed line o<
the canal.