Perth Amboy evening news., 1903-08-19
Heated Discussion of Subject in
Council Chamber MANY
Take Part.
PASSED FIRST READING.
Vice President of the Central Jersey Trac-
tion Company Present to Explain Mat
ters-Citizens Ask Many Questions
Claim is Made that the Company Asks
too Much.

The adjourned meeting of the South
Amboy council was held last night
and the granting of franchise to the
Central Jersey Traction Company was
fully discussed. Mr.. LeGee, vice
president of the traction company,
explained to the citizens gathered
what the company wanted. He stated
that the new route proposed by the
company would avoid the grade cross
ing which he understood was not
wanted by the borough. He said
they had made arrangements with
the Raritan River Railroad to go
under their tracks, over private
property bought by the company. or
to be bought, down Gordon street to
Broadway to connect with the tracks
already laid of the NJ and S. traction
company, and that was all they want
ed of the borough, and he would like
to get the thing through as soon as
possible.
The meeting was an open one and
Mr.. Heston, of Mechanicsville, said
he thought the only way for the
trolley to go was around by the ceme-
terry, down Bordentown avenue and
up Stevens avenue to Mechanicsville.
Mr.. Wilson said he thought the troll
ley company had no intention of 60
ing through Stevens avenue in the
first place. He wanted to know if
the company had the consent of the
people on Broadway. Mr.. LeGree said
they had, as far as Augusta street,
but the company would not run on
Stevens avenue. 1t was not a quest
ion of what they could do, but what
the borough would do. They had
been asking for franchise for nine
months and had not got it yet. In
reply Mr.. Wilson said it seemed to
him that the company came to town
with threat to go around and skip
the borough entirely, not caring for
the people of South Amboy. Mr.. Le-
Gree then said
eff we do not get the franchise
from the borough, we have made a
contract to get to the Central station
without it. "
Mr.. James Collins then took the
floor and said that the other company
was very anxious to come to town and
the only thing they were sorry for
was that they did not ask the borough
to lay the rails for them They had
all they wanted but that, and
this company was only throwing a
big bluff about going around the
town. They wanted to get to the
seashore and the only way they could
do it was to go through the borough.
The trolley, he declared, was wanted
up Ward avenue and around the
Heights and through Stevens avenue.
Mr.. Kerr said that if the company
had gone about it in the right way,
they could have been in the town in
twenty eight days and ne would not
NOt6 lOI bll6 now lLahNlll6O bllCy
asked for. He wanted the company
to go past the cemetery and over the
rest of the streets asked for.
Mr.. Compton asked Mr.. LeGree how
much it would cost to go the way the
borough wanted them to. Mr.. LeGree
said it would cost about thirty thous-
and dollars mile.
Mr.. Buckalew favored the cemetery
road. He thought it would build up
the upper part of Amboy. Council
man Hoffman moved that the fran
chise be taken up for the first read
ing This was carried and it was
passed Oh that reading. The council
will meet as a committee of the
whole August Goth and will have
representative of the company present
to explain any necessary points.
The meeting last night, was one of
the wa1mest ever held in South Am
boy.