The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-04-07
TROLLEY ON GROVE ST.
North Hudson Company Will
Grant Transfers to Hoboken
Lines Anderson S Kick.

The Street and Water Commissioners
met this morning. The Commissioners
few days ago had a conference with the
North Hudson County Railroad officials
in relation to the ordinance authorizing
the change of motive power on the Grove
street line from horses to electricity. The
company has already made many conces-
sions One more demand of the Commis-
sionerse was that the company transfer
passengers over all its lines for one fare.
That the company consented was DEM
onstrated today when the following
amendment to the pending ordinance was
offered:-'"That said company shall grant
transfers for immediate use in making
transfers from and to its Grove street
lines at Henderson street and Willow
avenue, Hoboken, to the elevated road
and to and from its lines in Ferry street
and all the connecting lines operated Dy
it for one fare
All the members of the Board favorathe
amendment and it will become parS Of
Counsellor Joseph Anderson, who for
some unexplained reason is taking lively
interest in the subject, appeared before
the Board today and filed the following
protest.
April 6. 1898.
To the Honorable the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners of Jersey City. !.
Gentlemen-In the press of our. city OF
last evening it is stated that your honor-
able Board intends to grant franchise to
the North Hudson County Railway Com
pany allowing them to construct troll
lev line on Grove street in this city, and
that you do not intend to insist on the
payment of any money, but that you do
demand two alleged concessions. These
eons<ssions are that the company pd is gepase ave
inches on each side of them, and that the
franchise contains stipulation that pas
sengers shall be transferred on its lines
for single five-cent fare. Further, that
a bond of $4,000 will be furnished by the
company as a guarantee of good faith.
Do not be cajoled or misled. These are
The fourth section of its franchise,
granted ito the North Hudson County
Railway Company in 1894, paragraph two,
provides as follows
said company shall pave with Belgian
blocks, not exceeding forty-two to the
square yard, or, If required by the city,
with such other pavement as the city may
place from time to time in such streets,
and keep in good repair all that part of
the carriageway of the street in. which
their tracks shall be laid, lying between
the outer rail of their tracks or track,
and ito the extent of eighteen inches be-
yond said outer rail on each track: paw
ing and all repairs shall be laid with
BY Chapter 14o of the Laws of 1882, it is
unlawful for a railway company to charge
more than a fare of five cents on its lines.
The law being specific on these alleged
concessions the proposed bond offers no
additional security and is not worth the
paper it is written on.
The principle of compensation to cities
for franchises granted is so well estab-
lished that even in Jersey City corpora
tions have not the audacity to ask for
equivalent and the concessions stated
are merely an attempt to get something
for nothing, and are cheat and fraud.
Our citizens know you to be men of
business, who have made a success in all
your private businesses. and know that
you can distinguish the difference between
franchise which is proposed to be grant
ed, and will expect you to guard the city $
The franchise for the grant of the troll
ley line on Grove street should not be
granted unless some compensation in
money is to be annually paid to the city
and then only for limited period of
Very respectfully,
JOSEPH ANDERSON.
s'The promise of the company" said
he, to give the city bond for the faith
ful performance of its agreements, is not
worth the paper it is written on. The
bond would have no value either. The
franchise the company now enjoys makes
it compulsory to pave. between the tracks
and Is inches outside. What the city
wants is ample compensation for the
privilege that the company asks. Too
many Valuable franchises have been given
away already. 1t is the duty of this
Board to demand a certain percentage of
the receipts of the road. The company
can well afford to compensate the city,"
Patrick Connolly, an owner of real es-
tate on Grove street, urged the Board to
pass the ordinance as amended. I'VE
are tired of the old horse railroad, he
said I'VE want the trolley line. If we
are going to fight with the company for
some small compensation we will wait all
our lives. The Introduction of the troll
ley system on Grove street will benefit
us, increase the value of property and
improve business. Every man who owns
property on Grove street, north of New
ark avenue wants to see electricity sub
stltuted for horse power
John F. Madden, James Burns, Timo-
thv Murray. William Williams and Chas.
Hill all owners Of property on Grove
street asked the Board to pass the ordi-
nance Action may be taken next Mon
day.