Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-08
Several Petitions
One Way Or
Another.
LAWYERS ARGUE
Many Citizens Favor Landing al
Fayette Street While Others
Favor Washington Street Site
and Others Oppose Any New
Ferry Whatever Mater
May Go Over to Next
Years Council.

For fully two hours last night the
Board of Aldermen listened to pub
lie discussion of the application for
thirty-iive year lease of the property
at the foot of Fayette street, which
has been presented by the Perth Am
boy and Staten Island Ferry Co.
The meeting was scheduled to
start at $3.50 O'Clock, but it was near
ly o'clock when the aldermen took
their seats. Mayor-elect Bollschwei-.
Ter sat next to Alderman-at-Larg
Pfeiffer. The council chamber was
packed
AS soon as the meeting was OPEN
ed remonstrance was filed against
the lease being granted, and a num-
Der of petitions were received favor
ing Washington street as the proper
site for the terminal Two petitions
were also presented by citizens who
favored Fayette street for the landing
place.
At times during the meeting short
spaces of silence elapsed, and Mayor
Pfeiffer was obliged to remind the
ttuQlGnNC llIdL Ht Woulu llhE W NEAR
from the citizens and taxpayers.
Those who spoke during the hear
ing were James S. Wight, represent
ing seventyzfive signers of a remon-
STRANGE against the granting of lease
to the new ferry company; Joseph e.
Stricken, who presented two petitions,
one for the ferry at the foot Of Fay
OF esor I. n
prominent merchants on State and
smith streets, and the other for the
granting of a lease to the new com
pany on easy terms; Leo Goldberger,
who acted as attorney for the citizens
OF North Amboy, and presented two
petitions asking for a ferry at the
foot of Washington street; former
Mayor James Growney. who said
few words in favor of granting the
lease for a ferry at Washington
street; Hugh Reilly, who favored the
foot of Fayette street for a landing,
and said that the lease should be
granted; Assemblyman Frank Crow
ther, who spoke in favor of Wash
ington street as a terminal A. A.
Mussigfibrodt, also in favor of Wash
ington street; Judge Adrian Lyon,
who made strenuous appeal for the
S. |. r. T. company and remonstrat-
ed, as the counsel, against the new
company George s. Silzer, counsel
for the Perth Amboy & Staten Island
Ferry Company, was the last
speaker and In his address gave a
summary of the points presented by
the other speakers for the ferry. Mr..
Silzer pleaded for the granting of the
lease. Officers of the company were
present, but did not speak, leaving
their case in Lawyer Silzer's hands.
Opinion OF Acting Mayor PfeifYer.
In my opinion the ferry question
will not be decided by the present
council, as the matter must be thresh-
ed out considerably, and, in all prob
ability If the lease is granted. it will
be by the next board of aldermen.
said Acting Mayor Pfeiffer in speak
ing about the application. I'VE only
meet once more before the new year.
and I do no think we will take any
official action at our next meeting.''
concluded Mr. Pfeiffer. The mayor
seemed favorably impressed by last
nights hearing, but says he has learn
ed that there is considerable differ
ence in the legal opinions as to whe-
ther the council has a right to grant
the lease, because, of a law passed last
spring, the features of which were
set forth by Lawyer James S. Wight,
at the hearing last night.
Great Interest i'm the Matter.
Acting Mayor Pfeiffer, after the.au-
dience of about $50 people had be-
come quiet, arose and stated that the
hearing had been called to obtain the
public sentiment on the ferry ques-
tion, and that he would like to hear
from any taxpayer or any one inter
ested in the matter After waiting a
few minutes for some one to speak,
Mr.. Pfeiffer again announced that
the hearing was public and that he
would like to hear from some one.
Everybody seemed to be waiting
for some one else to start the ball
rolling, and, after tedious wait of
almost ten minutes, Lawyer James S.
Wight said he would like to hear the
skeleton form of lease read, provid-
ing IL was not too lengthy.
Acting Mayor Pfeiffer requested