Perth Amboy evening news., 1906-12-07
SOUTH aMB0Y.

borough changes the same or some
six, eight OF ten months?"
The Common Sense View.
Mayor: II suppose in a common
sense view 1t should be made at the
time Of the laying Of the track"
Mr.. Coan: unfortunately the COM
mon sense view has not always been
taken by the companies"
Mr.. Wilson: II would suggest we
Sasept this gentleman's common sense
view and let him suggest what should
be interiined to protect the city and
put it in"
Mr.. Coan: Unfortunately | have
not the power to place any amend
ments before the council"
Mr.. Wilson: THE gentleman is
careful enough to criticise it and
careful enough to analyze it."
Mr.. Coan: Il will reply by saying
If the gentleman gave me permission
to draw the ordinance | would draw
one"
Mr.. Wilson,: THE mayor will OBJ
serve this is in response to my invlsl-
ton. In order to dispose of that OBJ
Election now | desire to say II you
wish to put any time in there we are
perfectly willing to have it inserted.
Mr.. Coan: II would further sug-
gest not only the time limit should be
placed in there, but 1t also should be
provided that the company shall bear
the cost of changing il. and further
than that If the company fail in h
stipulated time to do the work the
council should do 1t at the expense OF
the company. The propositions are
all reasonable ones. / am sure h
gentlemen of the council agree to
that.
Restriction 13. Now why should
not that restriction also cover the
doing of any work authorized or per-
mitted by the council, even though
1t be done by an individual. Suppose
one of our citizens desire to have a
house moved, is there any reason
blocks and pay the company for cut
ting their wires? The streets belong
to the people.
Not Inimical to the Company.
Il want to say at this time lest it
might appear that l am inimical to
this company, such is not the fact,
but | first desire myself and other
people of this town should be pro-
tected, and / appear here not only for
myself but to look IL for some of
my clients interests. Section Is pro-
vides the company shall lay walks,
lay flag stones, crosswalks between
tracks and two feet outside thereof,
etc. There is nothing in that restric-
ton making 1t the duty of the com
pany to maintain those crosswalks
and give to the borough the right,
upon their failure to do SO, after due
and timely notice. 1t seems to me a
proper regard for the safety and in
terest of the borough would demand
that.
Il know these are all matters
which cannot be thought of in a short
time. 1t is a perfectly easy matter
to take up an ordinance drafted and
find fault with it, but it is another
matter to sit down and draft a new
ordinance. | am sure if the gentle
men of the council had some time to
consider these matters there are
many other objections than these l
have mentioned that would be
brought forward, that is part of my
idea in coming here tonight; hat is
the reason | appeared before your
body last Tuesday evening and asked
for the laying over of the passage of
the ordinance for some time. Re-
striction 16 says 1t shall macadam
the road between rails, etc. 1t is a
matter of common experience that
traction companies particularly have
a habit of showing in crushed stone
ballast under their tracks and raising
them above the grade of the street,
Would it not be we'll to so arrange
that the grade of the tracks must al
ways conform to the grade OF the
street as adopted by the mayor and
council?" .
Mr.. Wilson: "In another section 1t
provides for that, Mr. Coan."
Time Too Short to Find All.
Mr.. Coan: ~ do not mea to say
| found all the flaws, the time at my
disposal was much too short. Sec
ton II on its face looks like a pretty
good thing for the borough, but when
you come to, analyze 1T, it seems to
me it grants a practical monopoly.
This section refers to the granting
OF right 10 n Otner company W lay
tracks we same route provided they
are at least twelve feet apart, etc,
Now, gentlemen, l do not know
whether it is on the side of the street,
/ have seen the map, but do not recall
whether it is on the side of the street,
or centre of the street, but If the
tracks of the Jersey Central Company
are to be laid, / say it don't matter
whether on the side or in the centre,
if you are going to give another COM
pany the right to lay tracks on the
same street or streets on which the
tracks of the Jersey Central are laid
and you are going to make the con-
ditlons precedent to the laying of
these tracks that their centre line
shall be twelve feet from the centre
line of the Jersey Central tracks, you