The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-01-06

IW & Enk6fflOu Erwin Utdl Wao
about in the Board of FL
1t is not a nice story. 1t does
place the parties to the deal in a
favorable light before the public.
The worst of it is, it is true; tina" is
to say, every fundamental fact in it
is true. THE NEWS has known the
story since the day after the deal was
consulpnated.
Congressman Fielder jubilated a
good deal the evening Mr.. Brlnkerhoff
was appointed. The story started
from the boasts which he gave utter
auce to that night. Bit by bit, the
whole narrative has been pieced to-
gether by those who have means OF
getting at the facts.
It must be really charming for the
members of that white -robed aggre-
CATION of reforlners, the Union League
Club. to have one of their number
generally suspected of dickering away
a city office as an inducement to a
Congressman of opposite politics to
secure him favors in a tariff bill. "
tends to show what the ante-election
professions of Republican politicians
amount to.
We admit the Democratic side is
not much better off in this deal. 1t
is not pleasant to have Gentleman
George accused of winning an office
for Brother-in-Law Billy by threaten
ing to bolt the Democratic Congress
sional caucus.
- 1t is a nasty mess, and if the gentle
men involved in it have any of
decency, a number of designations
will be written in the next twenty
four hours.
Mr.. Bruggemann's Veto and Its Re-
suits.
On the surface, Director Brugge-
mann's points against the single span
bridge over the Pennsylvania Rail-
road cut at the line of the County
Boulevard appear to be we'll taken.
Certainly if it is to cost $50, 900 o
than a bridge with intermediate abut-
ments. it is a pretty expensive vanity
for an overtaxed community to in
duIge in. AS we understand it, the
railroad is DESTROYS Of having the cut
crossed by one clear span, because
piers or pillars of any sort are an OBJ
struction to the location of its tracks
at will. The company claims that it
is willing to compensate for the addi-
tional cost of the single span by donat-
ing to the county the necessary land
for the approaches, and to give free
permission to cross the tracks, which
otherwise should be secured by con-
demnation proceedings.
Mr.. Bruggemann makes the counter
claim that these concessions have a
very small cash value. nothing TO
compare with the $4,000 extra ex-
pense of the single span. So far as
the value Of the approaches goes, he
is unquestionabiy right. The example
be cites is a very good one, where he
shows that a good house and twelve
lots in the neighborhood were re-
Gently sold for about SO, 500. If the
needed approaches represent 50, 900 in
value. that is certainly a wild outside
limit.
The question comes In over the
privilege of crossing without con-
demnafion. The ownership Of a loca-
ton on the surface of the globe car
ries with it the right of occupation
and enjoyment from the centre of the
earth out into the limits of the solar
system, if not of ilimitable space. 1t
is true the Pennsylvania Railway has
no sort of use for the @rial realms
through which this bridge is to pass.
It will have head room enough
for ten freight RI piled
on top of each other But the
law will not take account of that. 1t
owns the airy space above its road
bed, and nobody can cross 1T with
any sort of structure unless for a
public purpose Under the right of
eminent domain, and then the i'll
tdQcf luuSU pay ouCA *daLA0SCS o. bAO
courts may see ft to direct. For the
location of. piers or pillars oh its land,
besides, the Railway Is in a position to
exact heavy damages, and by claim
ing that they constitute a dangerous
obstruction it might escape for years
being compelled by the courts to per-
NIT their erection.
The possible litigation in the premi-
ses might easily form a parallel to the
extraordinary Junction Docks and
Connecting Railroad suit which has
been waged in the courts for now
more than five years. This is the cas-
of another railroad which has at
tempted to cross the line of the Penn
sylvania against the win OF that cor
poratioh. There is not the slightest
doubt OF the high public utility OF
such crossing. The Pennsylvania
Aroad has been awarded IN enor-
nous sum for damages. Every
sourt from the local branch