New-York tribune., 1903-03-06
TROLLEY BILLS RUSHED.
TO BENEFTT COMPANIES
.Jersey Senator Got Them Passed IN
Exceptionally Quick Time.

Of the General Traction Act and the Connec-
ton Herewith ef One Michael I. Barrett
About the only discreditable thing with jWhich
the North Jersey Street Railway Company has
not been charged Is illegal existence. NO one
would venture to dispute the legality OF the acts
under which the company Is incorporated Tor
thew ara duly printed, stamped with the seal OF
Renuineness in the "GeneralN Public Laws
passed by the legislature OF New-Jersey in 1893.
Many persons however, have declared, and de-
clare STILL that the act under which the North
Jersey Street Railway Company has it's being,
together with other acts most distinctly appro-
pirate to the condition in which the Newark
streetcar systems then were "railroaded'
through a corrupt legislature by interests lobby
ing for the trolley interests. To bring out these
declara tions they recall how three important
acta, giving street railway or traction" COM
pa1les practically unlimited power, were intro
duced into che New-Jrrsey Senate by Michael
r Barrett. Senator from Essex County. strong
friend Of the trolley interests, and, after being
rushed through both houses with unparalleled
speed, were signed by Governor Leon Albeit
an extremely close personal friend OF Senator
Barrett, within a week Of their introduction.
They recall how, the day after Governor Abb
bett signed this bill, the Consolidated Traction
Company, the immediate predecessor of the
present company, and it's principal subsidiary
company was formed; how. under the powers
conferred them by this legislation, these two
companies were able to unite into one corpora
tion transferring to the new company all their
franchises and privileges; how, under one OF
these acts, the Consolidated Traction Company
was able to receive from a corrupt board OF
street and water commissioners the blanket
ordinance" giving 1t power to honeycomb New
ark with it's tracks, occupying almost every
street in the city. to the exclusion Of any other
company, in spite Of the protests OF property
owners
The history Of street railroads in Newark IN
dissolubly connected with the political-hnanc4al
control Of city and State. has been one or ao-
sorption and consolidation. With each consoIi-
dation has come a transfer of stock WIN
manipulation of securities. and resultant in
lection If water" which accounts for the
virtual bankruptcy Of the present system Inc
Newark Passenger Railway. q consolidation or
the Essex Passenger Railway Company and the
Hudson and Bergen Street Railway Company,
was leased in July, 1893. to the NeW-Jersey
Traction Company holding" concern. which
owned no tracks, in accordance with bill in
troduced by Senator Barrett on March g. 1903.
and approved by the Governor on March :. au-
thorizng street railway companies. or companies
owning railroads operated street railways, to
lease their property and franchises to any other
street railway, and to authorize the 1essees to
provide for the financial and other mana cement
Of the property and franchises so leased" and
amended to take in horse railways, with further
amendment giving permission to electric
motors or grip cables. In accordance with this
same bill and other contemporaneous trolley
legislat ton the Consolidated Traction Company
leased the New-Jersey Traction Company on
January 2, 1894 There exchange Of
stock and bonds. 100 shares Of the par value of
S100 NJ he RI
panv. the subsidiary company of the New-Jer-
sey Traction Company, for Sc, 500 bonds Of the
Consolidated Traction Company.
In April 1893. under the power given by the
Traction act" the Consolidated Traction Com
pany applied to the Board OF Works for per
mission to lay tracks throughout Newark.
specifying routes and fling maps Of these routes
with the Secretary Of State. Although It de-
manded practically every street Of Importance
in the city. the Board Of Works granted the de-
mand, passing what is now known as the
omnibus ordinance" on June % over the
Mayors veto. Among the streets granted were
High, Spruce, Chestnut. Fifth-ave. and the
upper end of summer-ave. The property own
ers along High-st. and Spruce-st. protested
vigorously but to purpose The trolley COM
panv, under the State law and the city ordt-
nance, held the right TO use those streets. The
Board of Works for 1893 entirely Democratic.
y,
Trier, who was afterward concerned in a most
fragrant and notorious trolley" scheme; Thomas
Harlan. F. Albert Hahn ard Samuel Klotz.
The next year, under Mayor Lebkuecher, the
Board was: Harrison Van Duyne, president;
Abram Jorolenon. Daniel T. Campbell. Fred
erick Kuhn and Francis NJ. Ttchenor. the out
cry of the people stirred up this board which
began to coerce the traction company. serving
it with notices to mend it's ways and instituting
legal action against 1t. Finally the authority
conferred by the omnibus ordinance" was re-
voked. Of this President Van Duyne said in
his report on January 3, 1885,
This whole community as we'll as the present
members OF the Board Of Works have read
with great satisfaction the recent decision OF
the Supreme Court, declaring illegal an ord-
nance of the former board granting franchises"
over many miles OF streets besides those al
ready occupied, to the traction company, not
property representing almost the entire front
age protested against such granting When We
consider that most of the streets of the city
are opened and improved wholly at the expense
would seem little less than robbery to grant
these franchises against their protests think,
iH the public good require. that the privilege of
laying tracks and operating an electric road in
some of our streets should be given, the issue
of bonds and stocks by the company gaining
such privilege would be limited to the amount
of actual outlay and not include a so-called
franchise" value which does not belong to it
and for which not cent Is paid. If q law was
passed preventing stock watering. at least in
an cases where grants to use public streets and
highways were given. the intention to pay divi-
6ends on such watered stock at the expense of
labor employed would cease, and the general
public receive better accommodations.
-9-
cANFIELD LIKELY TO RETURN.
John DeIahunty yesterday partly confirmed a
port that Richard Garfield was coming back to