The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1893-12-21

"TIM'' KELLY'S JOKER
He and Joe" Weinthal Have
a Trolley Ordinance
For Hoboken.
IT WILL BEAR WATCHING
Citizens Protest Against Granting
a Franchise to the Ruther-
J ford Company.
IT WILL BEAR WATCHING

bAh Stg 0SdlLISb VII q Qilu1l1S VI d pcJlblOL
made by the Jersey City, Hoboken and
Rutherford Electric Railroad Company, tt
operate on certain of the streets with 6
trolley system. The objectors represented 8
large number of property owners along the
streets which the company is DESTROYS Of
utilizing for. their lines. The council chamber
was filed last night and those interested in
the movement We're standing in the aisles
when Chairman Bewig tapped the hammer.
The Council voted Immediately TO hear
any objections that might be made to allow
the franchise. Several petitions were read
signed by property owners along Second anc
first streets, also from the Board of Educa
ton, which looked after tt Interests Of
scholars attending No. ) Sche ON Second
street, requesting that the com gany's petit
ton be denied. The petitioners stated thai
the streets were too narrow and a trolley
road along the ~thoroughfares would be a
menace to lives, besides obstructing travel.
FIRST STREET TOO NARROW.
w. l.. Condit, a resident of Second street
was the first to talk on the trolley. He said
he had measured First street, where it is pro
posed to run the trolley, and found that ii
averaged 70 feet from curb to curb. With a
car track in the street there would be left
10 feet 6iHches on one side and 10feet 4 Inches
on the other, and with a car on the track
but eight feet and a half would be left. He
mentioned the various schools near First
street, and said the children's lives would be
endangered by the trolley. Traction is YET
in its infancy, he averred, and though all
care is maintained, accidents cannot be
averted. A gentleman who said he repre-
sented Mr.. v. Gallagher said that the
trolley in Hoboken would be an acquisition
that would eventually react upon the town.
The disadvantages outweighed the advan-
tages.
Senator W. D. Daily said he objected to
the trolley because it virtually closed the
highways, and placed them in control of
The corporation. To run a trolley road
through First street would mean to vacate
.he street. Public right was paramount.
No benefit would be derived, and thousands
would be injured in business relations by the
advent of the system.
WOULD HUR HIS BUSINESS.
Max Schilling, a furniture dealer on First
street, asserted that he could not see wherein
the city would gain advantage by the trolley
system. The streets are crowded, more par
ticularly First street, during the busiest DOR
lions of the day, when people are returning
to their homes, and to have electric cars
dash along the streets would place life and
limb in jeopardy. He said he did not favor
granting privileges to any company that So
icited signatures at ten cents a head.
Philip Hexamer, livery man on Hudson
street, near First, could discover, he said,
40 valid reason for giving the franchise. He
styled it a capital-making scheme all through,
and said the public would not be con-
sidered in the operation of the
road. 1t would cut off the only exit
from Hoboken to Paterson. The Paterson
Plank Road would be closed if the trolley
once got IA to it, because it was not wide
enough for teams and electric cars. The
Paterson Plank Road is twenty feet wide.
said Mr.. Hexamer. 1t is the property of the
taxpayers. The Freeholders went beyond
their depths when they granted the company
the use of the road.
Counsellor John c.. Besson was set against
the trolley road ON First street. He termed
it the creation of a voluntary corporation to
obtain the road for their own private use.
He recited the act governing railroads, show
ing that 40 road could be established unless
with the consent Of one-half of the
property-owners along the line. And
would not be compulsory upon the
counsel to grant the privilege. He stated
that all sorts of Establishments were used to
inveigle the unsophisticated into the deal,
which, when presented to men of business
ideas, were resented and denounced. 1t
will be to the detriment of the public to have
the trolley road. Life and limb would be
endangered Even a horse car line through
= First street would jeopardize peoples safety.
If the trolley line were necessary, Mr.. Bes-
son said, it should be run through another
street.
JULIUS Sc~HLATTER'S WIND.
Julius Schlatter, the restaurateur of Hud-
son street, shot remarks at the lawyers, and
said that even if they did not know any
thing about it, he did, and he proposed to
get that trolley road if it was advantageous
to the city. He shook his fist at Councillors
Besson and DAILY and Mr.. Hexamer, and in
timated that they should study up on the
subject.
A PLEA FOR THE COMPANY,
Ex7Judge Abel I. Smith put in a strong
plea for the company. He endeavored to
make it distinct how the city would derive a
large benefit because of the increase of
traffic from the suburban towns. He said
that people who now employ the railroads
and conduct marketing in New York would
land in Hoboken, and on First street, where
the trolley came through. The c~ommunica-
ton from the Heights to the city would be
complete through Hoboksn. The upper.
part of the city would in time be built up.
Every piece of property along the line of the
road would be enhanced in value. Instead
of a 26-cent fare to Hoboken by a round
about way on the steam car, butt cents would
be necessary. As to killing of children. he
said that the speed could be stipulated in the
contract n adhered to. He was surprised
to hear Senator DAILY make an objection to
the trolley road. He recalled that the Sen
ator voted for the passage of the trolley bill.
He insinuated that Counsellor. Besson was
protecting the interests of the N. H. G. R. R.
Co. in e~ndeayoring to defeat the desires of
the other company. but what does Brother
Besson say to the plans of the North Hudson
road to operate on Washington street and
all the other lines in this city with electric
ity? l have an agreement between the
North Hudson road and the Rutherford road,
and assist in securing the permission to Law
the tracks of this company
NO GROUNDS FOR OPPOSITION.
Ex-senator Rudolph 7. Rabe conceded
with Counsellor Smith and said there were
no remarkable grounds for opposition exist
ing. IF every avenue were opened by the
trolley road business would be correspond
ingly increased. *
The matter was referred to the Committee
on Streets and Assessments.
A PRETTY x PAIR.
A resolution was presented by Councilmen
Kelly and Weinthal granting the N. Fl. G.
r. R. Co. privilege to employ electricity on
all the lines in the city on the conditions that
the company bear the expense of repaving
Willow avenue, from Third to Fourteenth
streets, and alter the grade of Washington
street between Eighth and Eleventh streets
within ninety days and pay to the city 5000
in consideration of the privilege within
thirty days after date of notification of the
passage of the resolution. Also that the
company provide better and more prompt
service with a leeway of five minutes during
the hours when traffic is heaviest, and a lee
way of ten minutes between the hours of six
A AT .4o1 -1-o-