The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-12-11
THE | ROAD ORDINANCE
1t Must Lay Over Till the
Next Meeting Of the
Aldermen.
AMENDMENTS MADE LAST NIGHT.
Bonds Raised to $5O,OO0---A Big
Lobby Heard the Debate.

An unusually large LOBBY OF cltlzens ab-
tended the meeting of the Board of Al
dermen last evening and attentiyely
watched the proceedings. The benches
nearest the rails were occupied by the
residents along Jewett avenue, who were
there to protest, by their presence, if no
other means, against the passage of the
ordinance granting the Central Transit
Company permission to erect an elevated
railroad from the Central ferry to West
Side avenue.
Their presence evidently "hoodooed"
the ordinance for Alderman Jewkes, who
represents them in the Board. succeeded
in getting trivial amendment tackled OF
to it which under the rules laid it over
until the next meeting two weeks hence.
When resolutions were in order Alder
man O'Neill sent up one from the Com
mittee on Streets, recommending that the
Board pass the elevated railroad ordi-
nance. 1t was signed by himself alone.
Aldermen Prigge and Connolly, his col
leagues on the committee, for some rea-
son which did not appear, withheld their
signatures Alderman Jewkes wanted to
know why the other members had not
signed the report, but President Allen
proceeded to take the vote on the ac-
ceptance of the report without taking
any notice of Mr.. JeWkeS' request Tor
enlightenment.
Before the vote was taken, however,
Mr. O'Neill went to the presidents desk
and held q consultation with Mr. Allen,
which led Alderman O'Rourke to remark
that the committees report did not grant
the ordinance but simply recommended
it's passage. Both the president and
Alderman O'Neill corroborated this
statement, and then the latter, in order
that the report might come up in a proper
manner, as he said, moved that it be ac-
cepted. Mr.. Allen said that if there was
no objection it would take that course,
and the matter was disposed of until
mi scellaneous business was reached.
THE RAILROAD ORDINANCE.
Then Mr.. O'Neill moved that the ele-
vated railroad ordinance be taken from
the table.
has preamble which sets forth the ad-
vantages which the city will derive from
the elevated railroad.
Section ! grants permission to construct
and operate the road with two tracks and
the necessary turn-outs, switches, ETC.,
over this route:-
Commencing at or near the Ferry
House of the Central Railroad of New
Jersey at Communipaw, on the Hudson
River; thence over private property to
the easterly end of Johnston avenue;
thence westerly over and along Johnston
avenue to and across Grand street to the
easterly end of Oswego street; thence
westerly over and along Oswego street to
the westerly end thereof; thence westerly
across private property, crossing Cornell
son avenue, Clinton place and Summit
avenue to the easterly end of Jewett
avenue; thence westerly over and along
Jewett avenue to and across West Side
x-ytt f1a, rr17f+ 70.
all intermediate streets and avenues.
In section 2 the manner in which the
road shall be constructed is set forth.
The supporting posts and superstructures
must be of steel resting upon foundations
of brick, concrete or stone. The posts are
to be 30 feet apart longitudinally and
there is to be o space of ID feet between
the surface of the street and the under
side of the lowest girder of the road. On
.Jewett avenue the track must be over the
carriage way.
Section provides for stations and
section four requires the road to replace
sewers, water pipes, ETC., disturbed by
them in building the road
Section 5 declares that the support
ing posts at street crossings must not
unnecessarily interfere with ordinary
travel.
Section allows the company to re-
move all distractions to the construction
manner as to afford the least damage to
the adjoining property.
Section provides that the cars
shall be propelled by cable, and that
steam locomotives shall be used in no
case.
The fare is fixed at not more than five
ceuts either way by section 8, and by sec
tion 9 the company is required to COM
mence work within one year of the final
passage of the ordinance. The company
is required to pay all municipal taxes on
its property by section 10, and to the city
ten per cent of its earnings after the in
terest on it's bonded debt, six per cent.
dividend on it's paid up capital and it's
taxes are paid.
Section IL prohibits the company from
storing cars on its tracks west of the
National Docks railroad and Section 12
requires it TO give bonds in the sum of
$4,000 to faithfully carry out the pro-
visions of the charter.
A QUESTION OF BONDS.
Alderman Jewkes began the trouble
by declaring that $4,000 bonds were al
together insufficient to insure faithful
carrying out of such gigantic enter
prize and he wanted the ordinance
amended so as to fix the bonds at 100000.
Alderman O'Rourke opposed the
amendment, saying that when the North
Hudson County railroad came to the
Board for permission to erect an elevated
railroad, $4,000 was thought to be suffici-
ent. The amendment would only delay
the passage of the ordinance, and also
the work Of the road He did not see
what difference the amount of the bond
would make for if any one was damaged
he had his remedy in the Courts.
Alderman Jordon was of the opinion
that the amendment was a good one. He
had the word of Allen McDermott that
the property owners who were damaged
would be compensated, but still he liked
the amendment and would support it.
He complimented the company upon its
offer to pay the city for the franchise and
said that it was the first company he had
ever known to do so. He thought the
bond ought to be increased, however, and
moved that it be made $4,000.
Alderman O'Rourke explained that the
bond was only to secure to the city a
faithful performance of the contract by
the company and not to compensate prop
erty owners.
MR.. JEwKEs is FAITHFUL.
Alderman Jewkes would not be con-
yinced A large number of his constitu-
ents were i'll the lobby and he wanted
them to see his fidelity to their Inter-
ests So he said he would vote for the
ordinance If it was amended. 1t was full
of dangers for the Jewett avenue property
owners and he wanted them protected.
Alderman O'Rourke tried to show the
statesman from the Fifth that the j Jewett
avenue gentlemen had their rem
edy in the courts, but he would
not be persuaded. He however
accepted Alderman Jordan's amendment
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