The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-05-31

IAN Wllllam3, CDFuelluS carney. Oaul6l
f. Murphy. William Barr, S. D Ste war
James Waters, William CALVIN, James
Begins, Philip Begins andC 9. E. Dodge.
Mr.. w. A. Corcorau, who acted ~ sec
rotary of the meeting, read letters fpOnl
G. j. Cronin and JACOB Pine expressing
sympathy with the movement. AS chair
man OF the committee Appreciated to walt
best methods for stightlug Tue railroad
company, MIR. CaseS off srsd the follow
Ing communications
SUBJECT REVIEWED.
JERSEY Cry, N. r., May 20, 1893.
Citizens association for the EtevatioH or the
Erie Tracks.
GENTLEMEN:-The effort made at the instance
of your association to relieve the city from
dangerous grade crossings was On effort on the
parG of the Board of Street and Water Uonlmls-
sioners to agree with the railroad company. II
the company was not willing TO agree, II was
only necessary to say SO in order to defeat that
plan of correcting the evil. The company, it is
evident, determined from the first not to agree,
but to break the force of the deserved puolic
censure made a pretence OF consideration and
went through the form Of preparing plans for
The elevation OF their TRACES. AT frat, you will
remember, the agents of the company denied
that it was practicable to elevate the tracks at
all, SO as 10 clear Inc streets. This shallow pre-
tencs being exposed by simply showing the
people of the railroad, it was announced
that the company could prepare plans and esti-
mates aud snomit them 70 the boart. Nosplan
lus been submitted In any SUCH form tnat 1t eau
be examined, but q number OF Stimate with
very scanty details have bsen submitted basel
on soine unknown plaa, and the total estimate
is that the elevation would cost about S4,0JlD0J.
This extravaganza estimate wnich can impose o II
no one who has observed the many recent OPP =
~erations of the same character 10 this and otpsr
States, is put forth as the best excuse that ca N
be devised for niainta Mug a dangerous pualic
nuisance in jersey
THE RESPONSIBLE oBJEcroR.
1t amounts TO this, chat the N. Y. =. E. q w.
R. r Co, declare that they propose to do 10th
ing, either now or in the future, to save life on
the grade crossings OF their railroad in Jersey
City, out that on the contrary they expect to XIII
more men, women aud children each year as
the traffic increases on both railroad and streets.
and justify it on the theory that no one is killed
unless careless. .apd that the company has a
right to kill careless people crossing their
tracks. This makes the issue sharp and clear,
whether the. . is any remedy whereby the
company can be forced to abandon their hu-
name design.
RAILROAD COMMISSION NEEDED.
There can be no doubt that our State is very
lax in its provisions for controlling railroad aud
States a State Board of Railroad Commissioners
is given power to deal with the subject and
compel such changes as public safety requires.
But VIII lie We have no such Board, we are not
altogether without remedies. the efficacy Of
which depends entirely upon the spirit aid
disposition of the Courts and other officials
who are called upon to apply them and upon
the pubic sentiment.
REMEDIES AT HAND.
First-We have the Board OF street and Water
Commits ,ioners. BY section II OF the act of
1891, establishing this board, they have power
to regulate and control by ordinances the run
ming OF locomotives aud cars across Tie streets
and the crossing of streets at grade or other
wise by railroad tracks, and to prescribe PEN
altles for violating these ordinance. The exer-
else of these powers is under the supervision OF
the courts, and it is impossiple to say IN advances
how far the power might extend. IL would
seem that a very liberal exercise ought to
be sustained in view Of the fact that the coln-
-A--- - I@-tr e oNA Fn[a-0n nn a \ ~
veniences. In our Judgment under this power
ordinances should be passed aud rigidIy to-
forced restricting speed or trains, preventing
obstruction by switching or drilling across The
street. or by leaving trains standing on the
crossings. The number of tracks perhaps may
be to some extent rest icted aud 1t may very
likely be found on Investigation that many
| tracks have been laid without lawful authority
which the Board may remove. No doubt such
regulations might TO some extent hamper the
operation of the road az its present elevation,
but the right of the public II. use the streets is
alreadp hampered and that right Is as high as
that Of the company to use its ~rallroai.
THE GRAND JURY SHOULD ACT.
The second rdmedy lies in the action of the
Grand Juries. If from term to term successive
Grand Juries would indlct the company Tor main
tainlng the nuisance of these crossings the
abuse would be reformed. 1t must be remem-
bered that the state has never. given the COM
pany a right to destroy the highway. They
must use the crossing ,agg IN n = sa 81 cnnnsa,sn as u, 10
by the public. When the use by the company
goes beyond this limitit is without legal excuse
and is al indictabie nuisapce.s II the Sheriff OF
the county will draw upright und capable Grand
and Petit juries Indie tments and convictions viii
follow on uue efforts Of the citizens aud prose
cutting attorney which Will put IN the hands OF
! t he Court powers which If exercised will make it
unprodtable for the company to continue The
nuisance
Tne third remedy is by q suit in Chancery,
| which the Street aud Water commissioners can
direct the City COUNSEL aud Attorney to bring.
requiring the removal OF tracks laid in such
number us to obstruct the streets and r~sstrain-
ing The excessive and improper use of lawful
tracks. This remedy has, been found efectual
in Newark, and should certainly be tried here,
| and could be begun at once.
The fourth reinedyTs to be found in the ac-
tioiia of the Lsg stature, and pow that several
large railroad corporations have raised, or are
raising their own tracks above the straets, and
| have mot their former interest to maintain grade
crossings, it may be found practlcabie 70 pro-
do away with grade crossings. Whatever lem-
edyis adopted must take thu form OF an att ack
4 upon the n. Y, E. q w. II. II. Co, the
effort TO agree having beens related by them
residents and are at small pains 10 disgAise their
| contempt for our citizens. Appeals toslnem Tor
/ considerationfor the lives or the people living
in the tenenients along the Erie rraclss met oniy
with brutal indifference. Thus. when IL Was
| shown by the reportsto the confpsay that over
| ninety people had been killed or injured ON the
Erie crossings during the last six years, there
ply was thar these peopie were at careless
been killed or Injured IN the Erie yard. To q
lcompauy accustomed to take SO tittlt care of its
employees, IL seems reasonaplo that the . itizens
should object to amoderate slaughter. but It is
10 be hoped that a siifferent view may reformed
amo ne the public officers 70 whom you have the
ri ght to look sor projections The only resource