Palisadian., 1925-09-04
new JERSEY COMMISSION DECIDES
THAT WORK SHALL STOP ON CAMDEN
BRIDGE UNLESS PA. AGREES TO TOLLS
Resume of Entire Situation From N Y Paper Gives Clear
Idea of Controversy Date for Busy Folks Who
Have Not Followed the Details Printed Biggest
Sensation in State for Many Years.

New Jersey bullying the Keystone
State in the Camden-Philadelp
bridge controversy is figment OF
Governor Pinchots Imagination. The
bridge is not yet completed. The
Pennsylvania legislature decreed that
so far as Pennsylvanians are Goa
cerned it sss1 IS a free bridge. Penn
syfvania must pay it's share of the
cost, but the method is not that pro-
vided for in the New Jersey act au-
thorizing cooperation with Pennsyl-
yania in the building of the bridge.
It directed that bonds should be
issued, interest and principal to be
met by the collection of tolls. AS the
bridge would cross navigable waters,
the sanction Of Congress had to be
obtained. Senator Edge of New Jer-
sey on January S, 1921, introduced the
enabling bill, and in six weeks it be-
came law by the signature Of Presi-
dent Wilson. In the original draft
section 2 authorized an agreement be-
tween Pennsylvania and New Jersey
@'for regulating the (bridge) traffic
and policing the same, and for fixing
and collecting tolls and charges for
the use of such bridge" This section
was stricken out because, so said Sec
retary of War Baker, the consent of
Congress to construction was broad
enough to embrace any lawful agree
ment between the states which may
be necessary to effect the purposes
of the grant"
New Jersey cannot afford free
bridge. Moreover, the statute under
which it proceeded required that tolls
should be levied. The New Jersey
Interstate Bridge and Tunnel Commits
sion is directed "to enter into agree
ments with Pennsylvania or it's con-
fnted agency to provide for the
fixing of tolls" The New Jersey In
terstate Bridge and Tunnel Commits
sion has asked Governor Pinchot to
cali meeting of the Delaware River
Bridge Commission to devise some
means of collecting tolls. He refused.
81 am convinced, "he said, that the
bridge should be free, and therefore
am hearty agreement with the
declaration of the Pennsylvania legis-
islature." The commission then urged
the governor to call a special session
of the legislature. The communica-
ton was rather brusque. It drew
from Governor Pinchot the retort:
"Your attempt to bully the State of
Pennsylvania is a serious mistake.
Our people are for free bridge, and
so am l."
On Saturday Governor Silzer took
up the gage for New Jersey. He did
not mince words in stating his policy.
''We are not at the mercy of Pennsyl-
vania in any sense of the word" he
declared, because we can stop the
building of the bridge and we can
also apply to the Secretary of War
to have tolls fixed for our share of
the cost" He had in mind the Fed
eral act of 1906, which provided:
If tolls shall be charged for the
transit over any bridge constructed
under the provisions Of this act,
such tolls shall be reasonable
and just, and the Secretary of War
may at any time, and from time to
time, prescribe the reasonable rates
of toll for such transit over such
bridge.
Governor Silzer directed the COM
mission ''to award no further con-
tracts for the completion of the bridge
until tolls are established" Work to
the amount of S2,022,S00 remains to
be done. "You should Immediately
request the Pennsylvania Commits
sion," said the governor, ito Join
you in application to the Secretary of
War under the Federal act of 1906.
requesting him to approve sched-
ule of tolls
New Jersey is committed to tolls
and cannot forego them. Pennsyl-
vania and it's governor protest that
the bridge shall be free, but it would
puzzle Philadelphia lawyer to tell
how Pennsylvanians crossing the
bridge at Camden could get by the
New Jersey collector without paying.
Governor Pinchot may have influence
enough to induce the legislature to
repeal the Free Bridge law and pro-
vide for tolls agreement with New
Jersey. There is possibly another
way out. When the completed bridge
becomes subject to Federal regulation,
the government might decide to i'm
pose tolls and under the direction of
Congress divide the revenue between
the two states.-New York Times.
By a vote of six to one the New
Jersey Interstate Bridge and Tunnel
Commission, at their meeting on Tues
day night voted to oppose the expendi-
ture of any more money on the Cam
den bridge until the right to collect
tolls is recognized.
Contracts already awarded will OF
course have to be completed.
Those who voted to stop work
were Commissioners Boettger, Boyle,
Noyes, Sinclair, Barlow and Suplee.
Commissioner Ferris of Camden
county voted in the negative and
Commissioner Hates of Camden coun-
ty was absent.