The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1901-05-21
PLANK ROAD PLAN
Counsel Griffin Has Pre-
pared a New Form
Of Agreement.
COMPANY WANTS TICKETS
Some Think This Will Ac-
knowledge the Trolley
Peoples Ownership.

eopi0 ownership.
draft of proposed agreement to be
signed by representatives of ESSEX and
Hudson counties and the North Jersey
street Railway Company, to bring about
the reopening of the Plank Road. has
been prepared by County Counsel Grifan
or Hudson, and submitted to County
Counsel Mum, of Essex, for his consider
! alton. The instrument begins with a re-
cftal of the decision of the Court of Errors
and Appeals nullifying the Newark Plank
ROAD Companys charter and of the two
acts bearing upon the Plank Road matter
adopted by the last Legislature
For the most part the rest of the draft
follows the language of the form of agree
ment drawn by Mr.. Mum, adopted in the
form of resolution by the Essex Free
holders on April Is last Some changes
have been made, however, in the phrase
ology of one or two of the clauses. nar-
ticularly in the wording of the section de-
signed to reserve to the parties to the
contract all legal and other rights which
phey now enjoy pending a permanent
settlement of the whole question,
AS has been stated before, the form of
agreement binds the trolley company to
maintain that section of the road between
the Passaic and Hackensack Rivers for
one year, and stipulates that the company
shall also make repairs to and operate
the bridges In connection with the opera
ton of the bridge, however it is stipu-
lated that the company shall keep an ac-
curate account of the expenditures con-
nected with the operation of the Passaic
| bridge and charge the same against the
two counties. Instead of demanding cash
reimbursement for its outlay however.
the agreement provides that the company
snall receive credit for the amount as an
onset against future claims held against
| the company by ''the county which NAV
! ultimately be charged with the duty of
maintaining the BRIDGE
This clause has been interpreted to mean
that the company's outlay for the bridge
during the term of the temporary agree
ment shah be taken into consideration
and made good in the final settlement of
| the question of ownership and control.
The wording of the clause so that the
burden will fall upon "the county which
may ultimately control the bridge is be-
lieved to have been adopted in the hope
that the next Legislature would put the
expense and control of the Passaic bridge
| wholly on Essex county and by that
| means Hudson county would escape re-
| sponsibility for any share of the expense
| incurred on that bridge during the tenn
porary agreement
| AS to the Hackensack bridge, the agree
ment seems to make it clear that the
trolley company is to pay the bills for
| ope7Son and charge the amounts SO
paid to Hudson county, leaving Essex free
! from any obligation as far as that bridge
| is concerned.
| Judging by the attitude of the Essex Of
! ficials it is not feared by the other par
| ties to the negotiations that there will
be any serious hitch over the form of the
/ agreement as it relates to the maintenance
| of the bridges, but the change in the
| phraseology of the other clause from the
clear, concise language of Mr.. Mum S
proposition to language that may be capa-
BILE of more than one construction will
not it is thought, be accepted by the
| Essex Freeholders.
| In addition to the draft prepared by Mr..
| Griffin the latter is said to have forward
| ed to Mr.. Mum proposition made by the
| trolley company officials in the form of a
proposed amendment to the agreement.
The trolley people are said to have become
| imbued with an idea that they should
| not take any chances of putting them
selves in the position of surrendering con-
| troll of the Plank Road, and their sugges-
! ton is that the two counties should agree
| to permit the company to maintain the
highway in manner which would virtu-
ally leave it in the paradoxical status of
a free toll road.
If permitted, the trolley company would
! have the agreement amended, so that the
| driver of every vehicle crossing the road
would be compelled to accept a ticket.
| similar to a toll ticket, from an employe
| of the company at one point, and surren-
| der it to another employe at another
point. The theory of this would be to
make every driver virtually acknowledge
| the company's ownership of the road
| Mr.. Griffin would not say what he
thought of the company's latest PROPOSE
| tion, but he evidently did not think we'll
| of the agreement as the clause was for
wardeu to Mr.. Mum as apart from the
| agreement, with a request that he give it
| consideration and inform the Hudson
] county counsel of his conclusions AS
| soon as Mr. Griffin hears definitely from
| the Essex officials the Hudson Freehold
ers will it is expected, be called together
| to ratify the agreement.
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