The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-08-26
TRACTION GRAB.
Rapid Transit Companies
Protests Against a
Deadly Monopoly.
PRIVATE AND, PUBLIC WRONG
Honest Competitors Killed and the
Public at the Cdnselldated's
Mercy.
AN IRREPEALABLE CONTRACT
How the Law Which Authorizes
the Robbery Was Passed Last
Session.
Prominent LaWers Show How the
City Might Be Saved.
THOSE STRATEGIC ROUTES
Monopolistic Bal Faith on the
Face of the Ordinance Vetoed
by Mayor Simpson.
Prominent Lawers Show How the
City Might Be Saved.
THOSE STRATEGIC ROUTES
Monopolistic BAD Faith on the
Face of the Ordinance Vetoed
- by Mayor Simpson.

The petition OF the Jersey City r apii
Transit Company is clea- and pointed
aud sets forth in unmist akable languag,
the injustice that will be worked If thu
Street aud Water Commissioners pass th'
Consolidated Traction Company's ordi-
nance over Acting Mayor Simpson's veto
The petition Is as folloys:-
CLEAR STATEMENT OF FACTS
"Eon. Peter +. WanSer, Mayor OF Jer
sey City, and Hon. ReuLen Simpson
'oIRs- the Jersey City kapid Transit
Cor:pany respectfully demonstrates
sGainsE the approval of the ordiualc,
recently passed by the Board OF Stree
and Wsier Commissioners OF Jersey City
granting 20 the Corselidatea Trac tion
Company, location Of iss tracks in Ger
tain streets in Jersey C.ty.
''rhs Jsesey City Rapid Transit Com
papy was srxaaizsd in Novem Der. 1891,
raiiwsT. To be operated By electricity.
froas the Central ferry at Comm unipaN.
rhrcaRa JeneAtou avsuus, and Fair
mentI afeuae 10 the junction Of Summit
avssGs aaa Jswstr nvsuae. and thsnes
branching DostheTly through Summit
avenue 10 Acsdemy stress and Tonueie
aveaas 20 Gus Marson Station, aud south
eriy through Crescent. ommunipaw,
Jscksoa asd Bsvgen avenues to Green
vile.
The required deposit of 81, ,oo0 per mile
was fortnwitu made to the Secretary of
the State os New Jersey, and remains on
deposit TO this day.
Immediately upon the fling of its
charter. this company proceeded to pro-
cure the consent OF the owners of a
majority OF the property along the line
of each OF said street through which the
nd nj G0fh
built. This company soon ascertalned
that there was no possi Bile method of
reaching he Central ferry at Communi.
paw, through the public streets OF Jersey
City, because it is claimed that Johnston
avenue does not extend further east than
Jersey avenue. The consent of the
Central Railroad of New Jersey was
necessary to the success of the project Of
this company, and that could NOT be
obtsined for "a surface rail-
road Moreover surface
railroad could not ne operated in Johns
ton avenue with safety TO the public
across the tracks OF the main line of the
Lehign Valley Railroad.
In order to obviate these difficulties.
an arrangement was made with the Gem
tral Elevated Transit Company whereby
This company was TO connect its lines
with north and south upon the Hill with
the elevated railroad OF said last men,
TONED railroad. and at the same time,
abandon as unnecessary its ronte east of
Summit avenue.
when these arrangement mad been
made and the consent of majority of
the property owners along the
various lines obJained after great
labor and argument VITA each Individual
property owner, this company made Its
application in due course to the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners for a
location of ils route. After these con-
sents had been obtained. your petitioners
learned that the Consolidated Traction
Company had procured the passage of an
act By tie Legislature of the State OF
New Jersey for Its especial benefit, dis
peusing with the necessity OF obtaining
consents for the construction Of its road,
and had filed number of routes with the
Secretary of State, covering various streets
In Jersey City, aud among others, every
street Tor which this company had filed
lis route; That it was the evident intsn
Lion OF the Consolidated Traction Com
pany, as the purchaser OF the Jersey City
and Bergen Railroad, TO prevent the con-
structIon OF tne road OF this company. or
ofany rival company within the limits of
Jersey City.
I'm due course, this company presented
Its application TO the Board of Street aud
Water Commissioner, aud WAS the first
company to accede to TIE demlnds made
bv His Honor. the Mayor. that it
snoutu pay, py way ul partial
compensation for its franchises,
per cent. OF its gross receipts. Every
reasonable demand by way of amend
ment asked for or suggested by either
the Board of Street aud Wafer Commis-
sioDers or His Honor the Mayor was
Hccsded to by this company. as will
appear from the ordinances from it's pas
sage now pending before the Board of
Street and Water Commissioners. but
" hich said last mentioned Board has re-
fused to takeup and consider up To the
Present time.
''Ail OF the'e amendments had been
passed upon and considered by the Board
of Street and Water Commissioner be-
fore the Introduction of ths ordinance Of
the Cons olidatad Traction Company.
which does not contain proper safeguards
for the conservation of the in
terests Of the city. This company
was compelled by the Board Of
Street and Water Commissioners
Of Jersey City to consent, and did con !
sent, 10 the passage Of the Consolidated
Traction Company In so far as the same
did not conflict with the route necessary
for Its construction, as can be seen from
a copy of the ordinance now pending be-
fore the Board of Streer and Water Com
missioners.
Your attention is particularly called to
the concessions made by this company
npon certain streets where joint use
Of track for the accommodation of The
travelling public ~ conceded TO the Con-
paDy does not ask for monopoly OF
transit III any portion OK Jersey City, but
only Tor n chance TO compete
This cempany respectfully y submits thar
the only method which will afford rapid
transit to to that portion OK Jersey City
kuowu as Bergen, IL by means OF tile
routes proposed BY this Company In con-
uection with the Elevated Road of the