The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-06-15
Big DOCK SCHEME.
The Dispute Between Hobo
ken's Improvement Com
pany and Council.
ARGUMENTS In SECRET SESSION.
The Company Offers to Buy Its
Own Property from the City
and Then Backs Down.

The HObOken Council met last night as
q Committee of the Whole to argue the
matter of the water front question with
Colonel Stevens, of the Hoboken Land and
Improvement Company, Counsellor John
c. Besson and Corporation Attorney
Minturn.
Business was commenced at about
quarter to nine O'Clock, when the doors
were closed and the meeting proceeded.
The results of the meeting were kept very
quiet, and none of the newspapers were
supposed to receive any information.
The object of the meeting was to arrive
at some amicable arrangement with the
Hoboken Land and improvement Com
pany over the question of water front
opposite Hudson Square Park, which has
been the bone of contention between the
two corporations for the last three
months.
The opening and improving of River
street to connect River street at
Fourth street and the River walk at
Fifth street in order to get roadway
right along the water front as far as the
Fourteenth street ferry, was the start of
the project in the company's mind. 1t
nhu Dten the luea VI tHe cOHlpdHy Ior
many years, but as long as the council al
lowed the block they were helpless in the
matter For some time they have had
offers from New York shipping firms to
transfer their docks to Hoboken if the
means for the carriage of freight were i'm
proved.
WHAT THE COMPANY WANTS
''The object is" said one of the en-
ployees of the company whois in position
.. %,,sl 1.-Two xytn
tracks from the Weehawken depot of the
Erie Railroad along the shore front to en-
courage shipping and warehouses. None
of the shore 'front.'" he added, Twill now
be leased or sold unless for docks. The
large stores known as Campbells stores
are owned by the Hoboken Land and
Improvement Company, and were built
would be considerable increased ship
ping trade and that the company would
have monopoly.
In a recentcase tried before the Supreme
Court, the ownership of the river front
was contested. 1t was some days the
principal feature of the Court. and 1t was
decided in favor of the Hoboken Land
and Improvement Company.
BACK DOWN.
Despite the fact that they are the own
ers of the water front the company about
Council that in exchange for the privilege
of filling in the front opposite Hudson
Square Park, and being allowed to build
q roadway across the filled in portion
connecting River street and River walk,
they would give the city three valuable
sites for the erection OF school house,
sub police station and a fire engine house.
The matter was referred to a committee
of three, and when they had considered
the matter thoroughly and were about
to accept the company backed
In explanation it was said that the first
offer was made by Colonel Stevens, ON his
own responsibility, but that at a subse-
quent meeting of the directors of the COM
pany it was decided to withdraw their
offer In the withdrawal they said that
they would be glad to sell the city any
thing at moderate prices, but they did not
care to give away the sites. 1t is gener-
ally conceded that the demand of the
Council for public dock, as well as the
sites, was the cause of the backing down,
and that affairs might have been settled
long ago had it not been for that.
ARGUING THE CASE.
For some time the matter stood Just in
that position, and the meeting last night
was to argue the case thoroughly
Counsellor Besson said that it was
hardly likely that the company would pay
an excessive sum for an amicable taking
over of what was already their own
property.
"ff we go to the Riparian Commits
sioners, /" he said, 1--WE can fill in that spot
on the payment of the nominal sum of 81,
as In the recent lawsuit it was held by the
Court that the water front belonged to
the company, but was given to the city
for public use, but if the city before
twenty years wanted to use it for any
other purpose, the company would close
ON il"
ANOTHER PROPOSAL.
The committee also decided not to tear
down the houses of Oceana and Excelsior
Hose Companies, at the corner of Sixth
and Washington streets, for some time,
or until houses are built
Colonel Stevens then made another pro-
posal He offered to give the city 800 feet
of the water front If it would allow the
road to be built across it. "Of course
there will be no building sites given in
with it," he said, ''but you can build as
many public docks as you want"
1t Is said that the committee will report
favorably on the matter at the next meet
ing Of the Council.
The thrilling aouelette, ''Forelcarned," ("
by Charles Dioight Wtlldrd, qeiu be COM