Palisadian., 1925-08-28
SILzER RIPS STUFFINC OUT OF the
WHITNEY PROPOSAL FOR TR|-PARTE
CONFERENCE OF THREE GOVERNORS
Tangle Over Camden Bridge Tolls Caused by political
Manipulation or Worse" Says New Jersey Governor
Telling Whitney He Should Have Known Better Than
Propose Meetng-Not Common Sense to Expect Re-
suits.

Trenton, N. j., Aug. 24.-In an ex-
change of correspondence made pub
lie here today Senator Arthur Whit
ney of Morris county, Republican can
didate for governor, proposed, and
Governor Silzer rejected, a confer
ence of the governors of New York,
New Jersey and Pennsylvania to dis
cuss means of breaking the deadlock
between New Jersey and Pennsylva-
mia over the question of collecting
tolls on the Delaware river bridge
between Camden and Philadelphia.
"As member of the New Jersey
senate" wrote Senator Whitney, 81
am writing you to urge upon you the
necessity of calling an immediate
conference with the governor of
Pennsylvania and the governor of
New York to thrash out, if possible,
this unfortunate dispute over the
question of collecting tolls on the
Delaware bridge.
Pennsylvania, having by law de-
creed the bridge be free, has tied the
hands of the Pennsylvania commits
sion, and in my opinion negotiations
between the commissions would
therefore be of no avail. 1t is a mat
ter in which the sovereign states
should deal directly with one another
81 have publicly declared my posi-
tion on the question of tolls. l am
opposed to the abandonment of toll
levies, for the retirement of the
bridge and tunnel bonds. These
bond issues were approved by the
people of New Jersey with the ex-
press understanding, as stated in the
law, that the revenues derived from
the Delaware bridge and Hudson tun-
mel were to be used to retire the
bonds and pay the interest on them.
l am opposed to any attempt to aban-
don these tolls, which would be a
breach of faith and would place the
burden on the taxpayer"
SiIzer BIames Politicians
In his reply Governor Silzer said:
II quite agree with you that this is
an unfortunate dispute. l would go
even further and say that it is an un-
savory mess-the natural result of
ripper legislation and political manip-
ulation. l have never yet seen po-
litical interference with large state
enterprises produce any other result.
The taxpayers always have to suffer
and pay the cost of political manipu-
lation.
Having been a member of the SEN
Of hot oil fhic 1QOic1atinn
and having voted for it., you should be
familiar with all its ramifications. l
fear, however, that you have forgot
ten the laws for which you voted, be-
cause your plan seems to be very i'm
practical.
"If | thought such conference
would accomplish anything l would
call it at once, but l am sure that it
would not. In addition to this, |
would not want to go through futile
performance, or one which would
make the state laughing stock.
"You say that 1 should call in Gov
ernor Smith for conference. If you
will look at Chapter 76 of the Laws
of 1920, which were enacted while
you were a member of the senate,
you will find the agreement made be-
tween New York and New Jersey
commissions ratified by the two
states and also ratified by the Fed
eral Congress.
"This is compact between the
states which cannot be changed with
out the consent of the parties.
From this you will see that provi-
sion has been made by that agree
ment between the states of New
York and New Jersey for the pay
ment of the cost of construction of
the tunnel in twenty years out OF the
tolls.
"By further reading of this act you
will also find that there is monthly
division between the two states OF
the tolls received from the tunnel.
From all of this it must be OBJ
vious that we have definite, liked
and clear agreement with New York
as to what shall be done, that New
York would not be interested in any
such conference as you suggest, that
New York does not care how we pay
for the bridge and does not care what
dispute we may be in with Pennsyl-
vania arising from political manipu-
lation and carelessness.
"T'his being so, | am not going to
nut the state of New Jersey in the
humiliating position of asking for
conference with the governor of New
York on this subject.
Equally Futile in Pennsylvania
$50 far as conference with the
governor of Pennsylvania is concern
ed, it seems to be equally futile and
fruitless.
Through the carelessness of the
(Ripper) appointed Bridge Commits
sion and of the legislature, which was
also responsible for this unfortunate
dispute, we have apparently put our
selves into an awkward position.
"The state of Pennsylvania, taking
advantage of this negligence ana
Continued on page