The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-06-08
BO97LBRS SNUDBED.
Merchants Association Will
Not Help to Destroy the
Boulevard-Proteetive
Resolution Passed.

The Merchants Protective Association
dealt a severe blow to the Hudson
County Boulevard Association last night.
A committee of three from the Bouie-
ward Association waited upon the Mer-
chants TO seek their cooperation in the
attempt TO destroy the Boulevard as a
pleasure drive. They not only found
that not one Of the merchants, who are
the representative business men of Hud-
son county and also the heaviest truck
ers, is in sympathy with them, but they
were also forced to listen to a number
of speakers who, in unmeasured terms,
denounced the movement the were
there to ~agitate.
The committee consisted of President
Freund of the Bottlers' Association, Sec
rotary KUehlke, who is also a bother,
and a Mr.. Ludwig. When they sent in
word that. they desired an audience,
James Banks moved a suspension of the
rules to give, them an opportunity to
state their case. He alluded to them as
"a committee from the Boilers Associa-
ton, or the Boulevard Destroyers' AS
ISOLATION, as it is generally called" His
motion was carried and he was appoint
ed a committee of one to escort the gem
tlemen into the meeting room. The mem
bers of the committee filed in with SOL
emn tread, headed by President Freund,
and were given chairs in the centre of
the room, facing President Anderson.
After a short period of silence, during
which the merchants had ample time to
size up the visiting committee, President
Anderson said:-'Gentlemen, the privi-
lege of the floor has been granted you
as a committee from the Bottlers' Asso-
citation. We will be pleased to hear
what you nave to say"
w are not a committee from the
Bottlers' Association" replied President
Freund; I'VE are a committee from the
Hudson County Boulevard Association.
Things are SO twisted that people don't
know how we stand. We are an asso-
citation similar to your own, and we con-
slider that our interests are identical.
We realize that the Boulevard, or Coun-
ty Road, was the result of the vote of
a majority of the people and we claim
that we should have, along with the
pleasure drivers, an equal chance. At
the time the road was built there was
nothing said about It being reserved for
pleasure driving. For a year we were
allowed to. drive on it unmolested,
then we were told that we must keep
our trucks off altogether. OF course we
couldn't stand that, so we appealed to
the Board of Freeholders, and they de-
cided to let us drive our business wag-
ons on the road we had paid for, be-
tween the hours of nine and three
o'clock. We do not want to find fault
with the wheelmen, but we do not be-
lieve in their having any more privi-
leges than we enjoy
Mr.. Ludwig next spoke as follows
L am not a bother nor am 1 inter
ested in any kind of beer. I simply want
the privilege of delivering orders along
the Boulevard without molestation. The
Boulevard is the only good road We
have, running north and south through
the county, and l don't think it is fair
to exclude the business men from it.
We have come up here tonight to hear
the views of you business men. We are
Il all IN the same Xxx
President Anderson of the Merchants
Associarion:-"Is the object OF your as
ISOLATION to secure the free and unre-
stricted right to drive on the Boule-
vard?"
President Freund of the Bottlers' AS
sociation:-"We claim that it is against
the polls. to restrict traffic on the Boule-
yard. We claim that it is class legisla-
ton and therefore Illegal"
James Banks secured the floor and said:
This agitation that has been going on
for some time is oneNthat affects US all.
First it affects US as business men. The
restriction of the Boulevard causes me
as nuch and trouble as any
business, I don't want. to be selfish
enough to say that it shall not be-. We
all know that for years we were de-
went out for a drive we had to go out
OF the city to strike good roads. We
were forced to go to Brooklyn or New
l Vnrir ri nr.ne H. -
Oranges. We all know how much it
cost to build this road for pleasure, and
how, before we had it people We're driv-
now, Just as soon as a man got money
enough to get away he left, seldom to
return, and how our city was stigmatiz-
cater to. The man who has money to
spend among the business men is GER
with them. When you drive them away
you drive away the better part of the
citizens. We now have as good a road
way as any in the country, and the ques-
that road in a suitable condition. This
question comes up without considering
road for heavy trucking and for light
driving. The authorities lave done
more for the teamsters than they could
than | would grant. l would be an ex-
tremist and would not allow anything
like a business wagon on the Boulevard
at all. When we get to New York they
do not allow US t.. do heavy trucking
on the Riverside Drive. There is not a
city in the world that has a fine drive
that does not protect it. The first
clamoT, as Mr.. Freund says, was to keep
the heavy trucks off altogether. That
would have been the much better plan.
If the will of the people was consulted
In the matter you can rest assured that
the popular vote would cut us all off
and reserve the road for pleasure and for
nothing else. If you argue that way
you are killed at once. There are enough
bicycllsts alone to keep us off; there
are enough taxpayers who pay for it
to outnumber us. 1t is only through the
concessions granted US by the officials
4 tfat@swe are permitted to use sthezsroaa
for business purposes at all. That this
matter may be brought before US in an
intelligent manner so that we can de-
bate it, I offer this resolution, which I
believe expresses the sentiments of this
Resolved, That we instruct the Sec
rotary to write to the Board of Freehold
ers, urging them to stand fast by the
ordinance as it now stands in relation
to the Boulevard, and to by no means
extend the hours for business traffic
Longer than the present ordinance calls
for"
Mr.. Bruns:-"I oppose the passing Of
the resolution as no request has yet
been made TO the Board of Freeholders
to extend the time"
President Anderson:-'I took it for
granted that the association represented
here tonight had taken this step before
going any further. Has such a request
President Freund of the Bottlers AS
SOPia tfou. -"NO b11f4 thp rrpnf1onran dooc