The Monmouth inquirer., 1925-05-14

| ness at k4l6 nCtSA IL
This will be separate from the High
way Commission information sought
and will deal principally with the
handling Of the States half of the in
! terstate cost Of the tunnel. However,
there is an Intervening of operations
between the Tunnel Commission and
| the Highway Commission due to the
connection of the tunnel with Route !
OF the State Highway System. That
route will begin at the Jersey avenue
plaza of the tunnel at Twelfth and
Fourteenth streets, Jersey City.
The Tunnel Commission is not in
volved in the litigation pending with
the Erie Railroad. The company Is
| fighting to keep strip of land thirty
feet wide on the south side OF Twelfth
street, in the two blocks between Mon.
mouth and Provost streets.
Fear Of Extended Delay
The State made offers for the land
needed, in and near Twelfth street
Jersey City, saying that IL the offers
were not accepted on April 10 con-
demnation proceedings would be
started The condemnation commits
sioners have now been appointed and
the Erie has applied for an injunction
against the commission, and has also
taken out a writ of certiorari to re-
view the highway boards action lead
ing up to the condemnation proceed
ings.
The investigation committee has
heard, Senator Bright said, that It'll
cation now promised over the aequisi-
ton of land would prevent the open
ing of the highway for perhaps years,
and that it feels that since the State
has appropriated $20,000,000 for the
project the money ought not to be
tied up for all that time. The com
mittee therefore feels justified in act
ing to protect this State money.
Mr.. McEnroe said the New Jersey
payroll of the commission is $4,000
month. McEnroe was requested to
produce the payroll for the last two
years. There are eight New Jersey
and SIX New York commissioners, the
witness said.
nG 0ldLuLG 1CQuI L1lot c@lLnO0SA
the joint commissions meet separate
ly their actions must be substantially
the same. The chief engineer is sub
ject to jurisdiction of both commits
sions. The commissioners of both
States are unsalaried but are reim-
bursed for actual expenses.
Politics in Tunnel Work.
Joint Offices are maintained in the
Woolworth Building, New York City.
Expenses of the New Jersey commits
sioners have been $4,000 since incep
ton of the work, McEnroe testified.
Political maneuvering of the New
Jersey commission was inquired into
by Senator Simpson He elected the
information that before the incum-
bency Of Attorney General Edward
L. Katzenbach, Democrat, Of Trenton.
a deputy attorney general acted as
counsel to the commission.
McEnroe testified that New Jersey
had spent $750,OOO for the purchase
of property in New York City for the
tunnel work The sum of $156,000
has been spent by Jersey for purchase
of tunnel property in this State.
The proposed ventilation system,
McEnroe testified, has been expert
mented with to the theoretical and
practical satisfaction of the commits
sions, the witness said.
st comes out all right to the salts
faction of the commission on a
model" McEnroe said in answer to
question from Senator Simpson.
Stokes Tribute to Dill
Edward c. Stokes, chairman of the
State Republican Committee, and
president of the Mechanics National
Bank of Trenton where the State
keeps heavy deposits, was called be-
fore the investigating committee to
give information about the States
funds. These were mentioned in tes-
timony by State Comptroller Newton
A. K. Bugby, Colonel Harry B. Salter.
assistant to Mr.. Bugbee, and Motor
Vehicle Commissioner William L.
Dill
Stokes voluntary paid tribute to
the "probity and accuracy of Motor
Commissioner Dill. The committee,
through Senator Simpson, of Hudson,
declared it was not questioning Dilrs
handling Of $27 100000 in the last few
years, but wanted to know the system
followed by Dill in checking up such
enormous sums.
Senator Simpson has devoted con-
siderable time to the activities of Conn
missioner Dill. also Democrat.
The committee asked Sto,-es to pro-
duce at later hearing the account Of
the Motor Department for the State
fiscal year from July 1, 1928, to June
80, 1924, to show what sums were
turned over to the State Treasury and
what checks were drawn for the main
tenance of the State House Motor
Bureau and the 55 agencies in various
cities.
Mr.. Stokes said his bank, the Me-
chanics' National. is use das a clearing
house by the Motor Department.