The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1897-11-30
COUNTY OWNERSHIP
Citizens Committee Of Union
to Report on a Plan for
a New Trolley Line.
FROM ELIZABETH TO PLAINFlELD
Meeting Tonight TO Discuss The
Question-Gost and Adj
yantages.

On Tuesday night, says the Newark sun
day "Call," an important meeting of the
citizens of Union county will be held in the
Court House in Elizabeth to hear the re-
port OF the Citizens Committee appointed
on September 30 to Investigate the FEAST
bilty of the county constructing and
maintaining a trolley line between Eliza
beth and Plainfield. This subject is i'm
p%ortant, not only to all the citizens of
Union county, but is being watched with
more than passing interest all over the
State. The proposed experiment in Union
county is the first of its kind in this State
and its success or failure means a great
deal of other counties where a similar
condition of affairs prevails. The pro-
posed experiment is not altogether that
of municipal or county ownership of troll
ley lines, but it tends in that direction.
To understand the situation better the fol-
lowing little bit of history will be given-
Within the last few years Union county
has constructed a splendid telford road
between Elizabeth and Plainfield. The
building of the road, laying of sewer, wa
ter and gas mains cost in the GLIB
hood of three-quarters of a million dol
lars. OF course the property owners and
citizens in general had to pay directly or
Indirectly for these improvements. The
road is one of the finest in the State and
passes through a growing and flourish
ing section. Astute capitalists looked over
this road with envious eyes and said one
unto the other: what a fine road. for a
trolley line and big dividends" In the
curse of time a company applied for a
franchise to run trolley cars over the
road. Thereupon the people who had
paid for the road set up a wall OF distress;
5ThnU did nnt want Their hal11f1TII TOd0
despoiled and protested
against the vandal trolley. On sober sec
ond thoughts they realized that the troll
ley was a necessity, but they did not rel
isl it in the form of a calamity. Whlie
the good citizens were wondering how to
extricate themselves out OF this diem
ma County Counsel Frank Bergen got an
idea. He impaired it to Freeholder Will
lam H. Swain of Summit, n the latter
gave a whoop of joy. The Freebooter,
cussed at meetings of the board. declared
his unalterable opposition to giving away
franchises. County Counse Bergen's idea
TONS. County Counsel BergenS idea
was and is that "a double track street
railroad should be Quilt from here to
PIainfie1d in the middle of the county
road; but it should be built by the county
ten years-to the person or corporation
that will furnish the rolling stock
agree to terms most favorable to the pub
lie, so that by increasing the rent from
time to time the public will get the bene-
fit of the increase in the value of. the rail-
road that is certain to accrue. <.Besfdes
fixing the amount of rent, the lease should
contain other provisions that will secure
satisfactory public service"
This idea caught the popular fancy, II
it was discussed for three months in pub
lie and private. A public meeting of citi-
zens was held in the Court House on Sep
tember 80. The vital question was dis
cussed in all its details. At this meeting
a committee of representative citizens
from different parts of the county was
appointed ito investigate the subject n
report when its abors were completed.
This committee has gone over the ground
thoroughly and deliberately, and will
make its report at the meeting on Tues
day night.
The report will be substantially as fol-
lows:-That a roadway 100 feet wide be
constructed by the county from Elizabeth
to Plainfield. The present twenty-six foot
wide macadam road is not to be inter-
fered with in any a The road IS sim
ply to be made wider, and in the middle
of this broad roadway is to be construct
ed a double track electric road. For this
purpose eighteen feet will be given to the
trolley line. The trolley poles are to be
in the centre of the road, a single pole
with extended arms to serve the purpose
of supporting the trolley wires for the
cars going in opposite direction. The
space between the tracks is to be sodded
and kept in condition pleasing to the eye;
The present maeadam road will
remain intact, but twelve feet of it
nearest the curb will be given up to a
bicycle path. Drivers of vehicles will not
be permitted to halt at the curb, but
will have to stand outside the twelve
foot path. The trolley line will occupy
eighteen feet in the middle of the road,
and on the other side will be a dirt road
or speedway.
The committee has figured out the cost
of this improvement, and find that while
it comes high in round numbers, it will
really cost the taxpayers less in the end
than if they sacrificed their road to a
trolley company, as Essex county has
done. The estimated cost of the improve
ment is
Twelve miles of double track and
overhead work, less than......... 100000
Removal of buildings ............... 10000
Right OF way 53,UV0
Cycle path. twelve feet wide...... $4,000
Ten per cent. for contingencies. This
viii. bring the total cost to about 1890, 900.
1t is estimated that rental received from
the trolley company would in a short time
pay for all this, and in the course of
time Union county would nav a source
of revenue from this investment. All
this will be explained at the meeting on
Tuesday night. Maps of the proposed
roadway have been made, and these will
be displayed on a screen by means of
a stereopticon Mr.. Bergen has drawn a
new bill to cover this plan, which will
hn introd,1ced at the coming session of