The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-06-10
The Connecting Railway and the
City.

cases as buat Ol tue NdIiOudA oOCAo
and Connecting Railways attempt to
gain permission to vacate Railroad
avenue west of Fremont street. and
it is not always easy to say just what
the ends of justice and the public
good call for. In this case, the first
inclination is to see an injury to the
public in the vacation of the street;
but perhaps a little consideration will
suggest that the injury is really to a
small number of property holders
while there may be an enormous
resulting gain to the whole city.
The scheme of the National Docks,
junction and Connecting Railroad is
to bring to tide water along the shore
of the Bay all the freight despatched
for shipment by sea over the trunk
lines having termini in Hudson
County. 1t proposes to concentrate
along the southern shore of Jersey
City, the traffic of the West Shore,
Western, and, we believe, the Susque-
hanna roads. 1t proposes to erect
huge warehouses and depots to
shelter the commodities brought
there. 1t proposes to construct docks
and wharves, and to bring together a
great fleet of sea going vessels whose
incoming cargoes it will ship all over
the country by the lines we have
named, while it will freight them for
foreign ports with the produce of the
interior carried to tide water by the
same cars.
1t is needless to say that there is a
project by which the municipality
may profit to an almost fabulous ex-
tent. Our commerce may come to
rival or exceed that of New York.
Thousands may be added to our pop
ulation and millions to our wealth.
The road itself will pay more and
. more taxes, whether assessed directly
in the future or filtered as 10Y
4 through the State Board. DOUBTLESS
the capitalists behind the road have no
/ philanthropic purposes. We are will
ling TO believe that they do not care a
rap for Jersey City. They simply
want to roll UP wealth for themselves.
But such is the nature of the case
hat they cannot advance their own
interests without benefitting the pub
ic. As they prosper, SO must the
Eity gain, and we believe the propo-
ition cannot be disputed.
But if this is the case. it is certainly
be duty of the city officials to grant
le company every reasonable facility
pr developing its system. Lesser
lis must even be incurred for the
eater good, and private interests
lst, TO some extent, give way for
sake of the general veal. The
npany has, at vast expense and
bubble, secured, through the courts,
E right to pass over or under the
1psylvania Railroad tracks at a
1T west of Fremont street. The
kineeringS difficulties of passing
er the Pennsylvania embankment
insuperable.. The Connecting
tad should be elevated to such a
ade there that it could not make
junction with the roads north of
Pennsylvania line, with which it
Essential it should connect. No
BILE grade could be made to get it
to their level.
rain, if it attempted to pass be-
h the Pennsylvania line At such
JADE as to pass under the street
likewise, it would be too low to
ect with that part of its own line
b crosses Grand and Montgo merry
at an elevation, and it
have difficulty in climb
to the level of the
lines in the upper part Of the
v again. There remains the
alive of crossing at the street
nd this is what it proposes to
do this, it seeks to have Rail-
nue vacated, arguing that if
It's to make a level crossing of
ne, while it is still open as a
IRE, a death trap will be the
pared with which the Erie
safe and healthy.
us, in view of all tn g cir
the company should be
\liefit asks. but at the
ennot but endorse the
" Mayor Wanser in
plutions which have
ed permitting the
treet. On general
AN be no doubt
pr is right in
Pill public discus
Oh matters. 1t
ut Of the people
in the present
publicity would
ITS of the COM
fy the public.
ever great the
t of such a
gard should
ghts. public
puId be SO