The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-09
NO GROVE STREET TROLLEY
Mayor Hoos' Veto Sustained
by the Street and
Water Board.
Mr.. EDWARDS. DISPELS BUGABOos
He Shows That the North
Hudson Now Pays the
City $e,9ee.41
in Taxes.
Mr.. EDWARDS. DISPELS BUGABOOs

MdyOI f1OOS VETO OIL the GTON6 SlI6et
trolley ordinance was sustained by
Messrs. Heintze and Boltwood of the
Street and Water Board yesterday. The
ordinance was consequently knocked out.
but not before there was some plain talk,
William D.. Edwards. counsel for the
company, was given the privilege of the
floor. He was addressing the Board. he
said not because he hoped to gain any
votes for the ordinance. but because he
considered it his duty to have a clear
statement of facts go IN record. The
North Hudson County Railroad last year.
according to counsel, paid the city in
taxes IS. 999. Al. of which s1.629.60 was paid
on account OF trackage upon which a vail
uation of 1864, 0o0 had been placed The
gross receipts of the company annually
from its Jersey City lines, are about $780,
600, the total receipts in county reaching,
1927. 900. Upon the receipts of its lines
in Jersey City, the company is therefore
today paying to the city a percentage of
more than four and one-half. No other
railroad company, declared Mr.. Edwards,
pays anything like such a sum to the city
even for greater privileges than those en-
joyed by the North Hudson County. The
other railroads counsel cited pay h
they have to pay to the State.
The North Hudson County, Mr.. Ed
wards continued, had not for many years
been able to pay a single dollar to its
stockholders, and consequently the Of
fcfals feel that they could not consistent
ly pledge themselves to greater experdi-
ture by agreeing TO pay for the privilege
of changing their motive power, on the
short line to Grove street, particularly as
the change was being made at the re-
quest of property owners along the line
of the Improvement, and business men
who contend that the operation of a quick
line between the two cities, will improve
business in both.
AS the change was being made for the
accommodation of the public, and the
company would possibly gain some bene-
fit. Mr.. Edwards made a further offer to
the city. It was that the company would
nav taxes on the whole cost of the cleo
trical equipment. which it was estimated
would reach s15,G00. In this offer, in adj
dition to the many other things the com
pany had pledged itself to do, Mr.. Ed
wards said he considered that the COM
pany had made an exceedingly generous
offer to the city and one which should
be accepted. The company had previous
" offered to adopt a transfer system un-
der which one might travel from one end
of the county to the other for five cents
and also to pave between its tracks and
eighteen inches outside.
Commissioners Smith said hat the sub
ject was under consideration when he
became a member of the Board. He had
interested himself in the movement to
change the motive. power on the Grove
street line and had been assured. he
said, that a majority of the business men
of this city today want the, trolley sys-
tenn operated on Grove street.
The wishes of our business community
should have some weight" said the Com
missioner. When I. came into the
Board some of the members who are
now so vigorously opposing this ordi-
nance were ready and willing to vote for
it. 1 would like to know what has caus-
ed such a change of heart. 1t is certainly
a strange state of affairs, but perhaps
the gentlemen will explain to us later.
The public of Jersey City would be
benefited by the proposed change of mo-
tive power and I firmly believe it would
also cause many of our merchants to
prosper. The general benefit our city
would derive by the passage of this or
dinance would be far more than the lit
tie tax some people wish to impose. l
believe in trying to benefit the greatest
number always, and we would be doing
that by allowing this change of power
/ would, of course. like to see the COM
pany pay the city something, but the
city occupies the very unfortunate posi-
ton of being unable to compel the COM
pany to change its motive power and at
the same time pay for making the
a This being the case. and we all
wanting the Improvement, it became our
duty as city officials to get that improve
ment on the best terms that present
themselves. The public would today vote
to allow the change of motive power
without compensation, I believe"
Commissioner Boltwood declared rather
dramatically tina for good and sufficient
reason he would vote to sustain the
Mayor. What his reason for pursuing
such a course was he did not state. The
Commissioner does not like the rumors
that for the same reasons advanced by
ordinance. Commissioner Heintze said
that for the same reasons advanced by
Mr.. Boltwood, which were good and
sufficient" he would vote to sustain
Mayor Hoos in his veto. The votes OF
Commissioners Heintze and Boltwood to
sustain the Mayor Killed the olulHdljce,
but Commissioner Nolan took occasion 10
say that he not only favored the ordi-
nance because of the change to more
modern power. but because il would be a
vast Improvement and accommodation to
the public. By adopting a transfer sys-
tenn suggested by this Board, the COM
pany was offering a fair equivalent for
the privilege it was asking.
President Hauck favored passing the
ordinance over the Mayors veto, and so
voted. He called attention TO the amount
of taxes the company pays to the city,
and insisted that it was deserving of lib
eral consideration.
1.-THE company has agreed to everything
within reason, said the President. 1T
will not pay on its gross receipts because
1t cannot afford to do So"
Argument was of no avail. Heintze
and Boltwood supported the veto and il
became effective, Notwithstanding that
the votes of Hauck, Smith and Nolan
were recorded against it. It requires four
votes TO override a veto.