The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-11-30
A CONVINCING Speech.
Allan McDermott's Address
for Rapid Transit
to the Hill.
BENEFITS And PROFITS FOR THE CITY.
The Right Of Way Purchased and
the City Guaranteed a Ten
Per Cent. Dividend for
the Franchise.

Chamber was filled last evening and
many were standing against the wall
when President Allen called the Board
of Aldermen to order. Those public
spirited residents along Jewett avenue
who do not want an elevated railroad to
run in front of their property until they
have been compensated to the full meas
ure of their demands were out in force
and occupied the front seats.
All the City Fathers were present ex-
cept aldermen Donnelly, Van Horn and
Schemmerhorn. A set of resolutions was
received from the Board of Trade endors-
ing the elevated road and stating the be-
lief of the Board that such road would
Heights and greatly add to the general
prosperity of the city. The resolutions
called upon the Aldermen to pass the
ordinance for the road without delay and
also to fix limits within which no build
ing, either in whole or in part of frame,
shall be erected; also to designate the
thickness of outside and partition walls.
and to compel owners of tenements and
other large buildings to provide fire es-
capes for their tenants.
The resolutions were referred to the
Committee on Law and Ordinances.
Inc special COmIulUpe0 WHICH WIS dp-
pointed to consider the communication
of Thomas Chamberlain and others re-
questing the Board to have Hunts
butcher shop at Newark and Railroad
avenues removed as an obstruction re-
ported that the matter was beyond its
Jurisdiction and asked to be- relieved
from further consideration of the subject.
The report was accepted.
The Committee on Baths and Armories
were authorized to expend $l25 for
furniture for the Fourth Regiment
Armory.
THE DISCUSSION BEGUN.
The privilege of the floor was then
granted to those who had anything to
say for or against the ordinance granting
the Central Transit Company the right to
build an elevated railroad through the
city.
first to accept the invitation. In response
to question of President Allen, Mr..
Vredenburgh said that he did not own
property along Jewett avenue, but that
he represented property owners on that
avenue. He said that most of the owners
he represented lived on JeWett avenue,
between Summit and Communipaw ave-
nues 'sIn this part are the homes of the
signers of this petition" he continued,
and this road will drive them from their
homes There is no necessity for road
ION the Hill. A number of the people who
der misunderstanding and now want to
sign the petition against the road. The
signers to the petition against the road
represent about 2,400 feet.
1.-THE opponents to the road all want an
elevated road TO the Hill,'' Mr.. Vreden-
burgh argued, ssbut they do not want it
in the shape contemplated in the or
dinance. Ii the company will build an
elevated road to the brow of the Hill, then
run a surface road to the west side, where
it slopes downward again, they will all
favor the scheme. But if in the opinion
of the Board it cannot be surface road,
it should pass through the centre OF the
block All the land is owned by few
persons and the company could buy it
cheap If it must be built in the street in
front of the objectors' homes, it is in the
discretion of the Aldermen to see that the
property owners are paid for the damages
done to them"
Mr. Vredenburgh then proceeded to
show that this new company was more
favored than any other in the State, and
claimed that under recent act granting
elevated railroads the right to use cable,
electricity or other motive power, the
new company could run steam motors on
their structure, Notwithstanding the fact
that the ordinance explicitly states that
no steam shall be used.
QUESTIONING MR.. vREDENBERGH.
Aldermen O'Neill and Jordan could not
understand that and questioned Mr.. Vre-
denburgh very closely on the point, but
the lawyer stuck to his claim. He also
said that the act under which it was pro-
posed to build the road took away from
the property owners the right to a court
and jury for the settlement of the dam
ages done them, and placed that matter
in the hands of three men whose action
action was final.
The property owners. he declared, did
not think they were unreasonable when
bod tbo opd IN. MOI onff
in the matter until they have been COM
pensated for the damage it would do
them He maintained that the ordinance
was indefinite and that the Aldermen
should not pass it until the company had
decided positively the manner of struc-
ture it proposed to erect, and the kind of
motive power it proposed to use.
DIR. FORMAN TO THE FRONT.
DIR. Forman followed Mr.. Vredenburg
and in the main echoed his objections.
He denied that the owners wanted exces-
sive damages. He made several state
ments about what the road was going to
do and President Allen asked him if he
had read the ordinance.
The doctor admitted that he had not
read it all and the admission ruined
whatever effect his objection may have
had against the road.
MR.. M'DERMoTr's SPEECH.
After Peter Veyrasset, M. d. Moody
and an individual named Knoeller, who
can never let an opportunity to say some-
thing get away from him, had spoken,
Allan McDernlott took the floor. He said
in substance
II appear here as counsel for the COM
pany. The last time appeared before
YOU it was as property owner asking
you to grant an ordinance for an elevated
road.
"Mr. Vredenburg has announced the
withdrawal of several from the petition
for the road. 1t is not fair to argue from
that that those who have signed the petit
tion do not want the road. 1t is not fair
to use those Withdrawals as an argument
against the road.
1--WE meet the Withdrawals they have
presented with the addition to our petit
tion of Elizabeth Jewetu, owner of 1.175
feet along the route and the entire Jewett
family may be said to be in favor of the
road
.sIt was Mr.. Vredenburg's idea to i'm
press your Board with the belief
that the road is to run a steam railroad.
That error is due to the fact that he read
the act hurriedly under which he claims
such thing is possible. Let me read the
act to you.n
Mr.. McDermott read the act and
claimed that the words "other power
referred to the means whereby the cable
should be operated and not the cars,
And no other construction can be
placed upon il, = he added emphatically.
sit is wen known" he continued. ''and