Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1903-09-09
FREEHOLDERS DISCUSS
/ APPROACH TO NEW
RARITAN RIVER BRIDGE.
Statement Made BY Mayor Seaman That The Bridge not Complete
hos Attracted Much AtentAn--Eveone Interested What
i The Outcome Moy be.Woodbridge Greek Bridge Courts
Ooinon on Control of ofApproaches

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the freeholders had control over the
actual approach, as far as the material
of which it was built was concerned,
but the township had control of the
territory on which the approach stood
In this opinion Vice Chancellor
Stevens does not give the freeholders
absolute control over the approaches
even though built at the county's ex.
pense.
In talking with a freeholder on the
subject, an Evening News representa-
tive was told that had the freeholders
known before they built the approach
es to the Woodbridge creek bridge
that they could not control them, they
would never have built them, leaving
their construction to the governing
body in whose jurisdiction they are.
The freeholder said they had learned
their lesson from the Woodbridge
creek affair and the county board was
rot inclined to build something for
other people. The freeholder said the
county board was not inclined to pay
for the construction of anything which
they could not control and therefore
they baked at the Raritan river
bridge as soon as high water mark
was reached. The freeholders referred
to the hearings when the Raritan
Traction Company wanted a franchise
on the approach to the new bridge. 1t
was referred to as Sheridan street and
he said, the city then claimed it had
a right to grant a franchise to the
waters edge as that was city territory.
1t did SO and the franchise is held by
the trolley company. If the city can
grant the franchise to the water s
edge then it should build the approach
to the waters edge, the freeholder
argued.
According to the opinion of Vice
Chancellor Stevens in the Woodbridge
creek matter, no franchise can be
granted on that part of a bridge which
extends over land, If it is built by the
county, without the joint consent Of
the freeholders and the governing
body which controls the land. In the
event of the freeholders continuing
tne bridge over land, 1t is pointed out
that, according to the vice chancellor s
opinion, just as far inland as the
county builds, the franchise granted
to the Raritan Traction Company is
useless, for the consent of the free
holders to cross the structure which
they build must also be obtained.
In discussing the matter, however,
one of the freeholders said the board
would begin out in the stream and
saw off the plling toward the north
shore so as to bring the landing of the
bridge on the north shore directly at
high water mark before they would
build over Perth Amboy territory and
divide the control with the city of
Perth Amboy. This would force the
city to bring Sheridan street through
the marsh and cross the Central rail-
road branch at grade.
Exactly what the outcome will be
remains to be seen. The freeholders
seemed quite determined tnat they
would not build Perth Amboy's side
and, Judging from Mayor Seaman s
remarks, the city will not build part
of the bridge for the county. Mean
time the work is not commenced and
the bridge over the stream is nearly
completed.