The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-03-10

SRd9 - ~ ~ 10 ~
when a Board of Freeholders does u
the Public Welfare Committee Of East
orange | protest against this Dill. ! also
protest against 1T as a property owner
along a county road and as q citizen"
pays for Park asked
.sTh taxpayers
isn't it the Board of F~reeholders who
The Freeholders do keep a few yards
in the middle of the road in repair, but
the people pay for it,"
Yes, and 1t is the people of the county
Mr.. RRo oi. i'' '"0Ss % '"e ass"us' sA-a
Percy Jackson of Belleville made a
people want the trolley, out they think
It safer to permit the act to remain as
1t is a protector of popular interests
George r. Howe, President Of the Street
Protective Association of Essex county,
and a member of the East Orange Public
Welfare, Committee, said that he lived
property was reduced in value there a
few years G because of the efforts
made to secure trolley franchises. 1t
was on account of this agitation that the
property owners succeeded in securing
the passage of the law of 1894. The people
of the townships feel that the Legisla-
ture has no right to take their powers
from them. In New York, he said, a con-
stituticnal amendment was secured on
Urls SUBJECT because OF Inc n III
street railway matters.
George A; Murphy, Of the Town Coun-
Gil of Montclair, said that his town was
o oo f fpp0s assa t. the b trol asyyd;. + IT,, is al aIyia age
united in opposition to the bill because
It threatens to take away from the town
its rights. The bill is unfair to property
owners because it provides that the con-
sent of a majority Of the property own
ers of al. the roads shall be necessary,
road over the mountains being worth in
fnitely less than ten feet in Montclair.
He said that the people of Montclair
wanted to retain the right to control the
question of trolley lines in the township
and they want to retain the privilege OF
obliging the company to give the own
ship a comprehensive system Of benefit
to the people: The right to run the troll
ley through Mcntclair, he said, is worth
at least 100000, and the passage of this
joying me advantage OF a valuable as
IF children are to be killed by trolleys
on this road. they will be our chil1ren;
# carriages are to. be smashed, they will
be our carriages he said. This is a
question of home rule strictly, and we
rights
Joseph 7. Mum, counsel for the Essex
Board of Freeholders said that Bloomfield
avenue cost the count for right of way
and construction s9.7 as4. and for main
%tenance since. $145. rs. The county had
also to pay for uneoilected assessments.
= III tNC1iAJ~EAtE Il -lIe dNStu f1Et
cost fer maintenance an average of
$3.50 per year. The burden of maintain
ing, county roads falls upon the county
at large through the Board Of Freehold
ers. IN Essex county, he said, Newark
has fifteen F~reeholders. while the town.
ships, who pay only twenty-five per cent.
ers. They pay twenty-five per cent. of
TIE taxes, he said. but have fifty per
cent, Of control. He held that county
authority. n the body which has the
burden of protecting county roads should
have the right Of giving that protection
roads MAJ he used. The bill, he. said,
gave Freeholders only rights to which
iect are lust. Mr.. Mum volunteered the
statement that Essex Freeholders had
held no meeting since the Introduction of
Then may I ask" INTERRUPTED Mr..
Thompson. was this bill approved by
the board before it was introdnced?',
TT was not. The board had nothing
DO you appear as counsel for the
board?"
For. the Park Board?"
4 counsel for East orange?'
No, | sneak for myself"
Has any Freeholder obiected?" asked
Director MCGOWAN OF the Essex Board
OF .4{ ETessGh9 qb a'S wao lives in Bloomfield.
Mum.
Freeholder Condit of the Caldwell dis
trict Of Essex, made a speech favoring
the bill and upholding the right of Free
holders to. have exclusive control of
county roads.
Ex-Jndge johnson OF Essex spoke for
the bill. particularly in the interest of
Caldwell and Verona. who want the trol-
ley to come up from Newark through
Montclafr. He said the $40. n0e people of
Essex county wanted the bill. and Mont
elair only represented one-thirtieth of
tnGt. MT: Johnson drew a vivid picture
CT majority rule, went into the blue
emnyrean to show the .smallness of Mont
clair. and painted a picture by which he
intended to show that the people OF Es-
sex county are fairly bowling for the
passage of the bill.
"knd now" said Mr.. johnson, ST am
reas{y to answer all questions"
The opponents of the bill immediately
started to have some fun with the speak
err One wanted to know when he would
stop speaking. That nettled him and he
think a weeks talking would place any
toner. 41S
This handful of Montclair men even
ADMIT that a majority of the people there
want this BILL said Mr.. johnson.
.Ihey don't came from a voice.
IN. Know you, Charley Johnson
der. "Thev did say it,
MI. johnson answered several o,es-
tons in a similar and for a few
SECONDS 1t locked as though the hea sine
would break I'D in a row.
Arthur Sanford Of Newark told tne
committee that he appeared before them
N hshalf Of Newark. He spoke in favor