The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-29
UP TO THE BOARD
SOUTH ORANGE PARKWAY
LEFT TO TRUSTEES.
If Officials Vote to Spend $500 for
Drain, County Commission
Will Proceed.

oil trustees at a meeting IN the SOutn Or
ange Village Hall last night to urge tn
board to spend $3.50 for a storm-wate
sewer to drain the parkway, left the whole
responsibility as to whether or not thu
parkway shall be constructed resting oil
the board by asking its member to taxi
action one way or the other on the drair
proposition. The trustees did not vote upor
the question last night.
Harvey l. Underhill. president of thu
South Orange Village Improvement So
ciety, was spokesman for those present
He explained the start of the movement
and the progress up to the present time al
follows:
This route was selected many years ago
by a disinterested committee, who had
only the interests of the village at large
in their minds. 1t has many natural
beauties and Is at present u~nobstructed by
houses. 1t is surrounded by territory
which is rapidly building up, and If the
land is not secured the opportunity now
Offering may not again be available. The
history of every large city is full OF such
instances, and where the city secured the
land the parks have become the play
grounds and recreation space for the peo-
pie. They are regarded as the most valued
possession of the cities; not only have they
increased In value many times their cost,
but any attempts to destroy them have
reused such storms of Indignation as have
speedinly caused q halt. South Orange
faces a condition today where the village
at large is asked to light and police the
parkway. There can be no objection TO
this as the village must now do the same
for the streets which will be incorporated
in the parkway. TIL village is also asked
to build any necessary storm sewers
which may be needed along the line of the
parkway. | W submitted a maj and
the park commission's engineers estimate
of the cost, to E.. r. Halsey, village engi-
neer. who can report on same.
II ig mot aynaafpd fhaf fho villa GO will
escape the expense of storm sewers, by
refusing now to construct them, as later
on such storm sewers must be built; that
Is, presuming that the park commissions
engineer has specified only what is neees-
sary, and such presumption seems only
sensible. and. | understand, is confirmed by
Mr.. Halsey's opinion.
We ask that the village undertake to
construct these storm sewers now. and so
secure for South Orange the construction
of this parkway. Mr.. Sinclair, our former
president, and now a park commissioner,
has written me that unless South Orange
takes favorable action no further steps
will be taken by the Park Commission.
TIL question is one that should be treat
ed In a broad and liberal spirit. The prop
erty owners have been more than liberal,
they ave spent about 10000 in buying
properties which obstructed the ends Of the
parkway. They sought only to beautify
the neighborhood of their homes: this has
been no real estate speculation.
1 ask you to fully consider this question.
and to reach some conclusion with the
Park Commission, which will settle any
points In dispute and give us the park
way.
l contend that this Improvement is the
most important that this village has ever
had except sewerage, and speedy action
should be taken, so that next spring the
parkway may be under construction.
TIL laws on parkways, as now amended,
of a Board of Assessors appointed by the
courts, who will assess the cost upon prop
erty benefited, how far-reaching and
whether the county, as a whole, is bene-
condition was submitted to the property
owners they raised no objection. / contend
that when the property owners show their
willingness to stand this expense for the
as themselves, that thu village should be
willing to pay for the necessary storm
sewers: Upon such expense hinges the
decision of the Park Commission whether
we will have the parkway or not. The
village Is not asked to undertake an I'M
precedented expense. because 1t has con-
structed storm sewers at large expense
elsewhere.
There are almost unanswerable reasons
why the village should aid this project.
Reasons founded on increased annual in
come from new houses to be built and in
creased values of now unstable lands,
increased business by reason of a larger
flow OF travel along the parkway, and
thence through the village to mountain
reservation.
Any expense now incurred, while payable
now, should not be chargeable to one year,
for the parkway now created Is to exist for
all time; its beauties and pleasures go on
and on for a hundred years, and / ven
ture to predict that when our citizens have
enjoyed it for a few years any hand raised
to injure or destroy would find public in
dignation would rise to defend our park
way, which would then be valued as our
choicest ornament. 1 am informed that
the Orange committee on streets and COM
m.ttee OF sewers have reported favorably
on their end of the parkway. This Is in
formation from official sources.
Spencer Miller was the next speaker. He
said that the movement was of long stand
Ing and that a man was attempting to buy
the land from the Washington Life Insur-
ance Company, to divide it up into building
lots for small houses when the citizens
bought the property and were now ready
to give it to the village for the parkway.
Continuing, he said:
The villag would get back its money
many times over through increased rata
bles. 1t would get so per cent. on its
money. Wall Street men here tonight woulo
be glad to make such an Investment. The
Park Commission will spend $40. 900 In the
village and maintain the parkway. In Scot
land road you laid a drain at the expense
Of the village and should lay the one in
Grove road.
Arthur B. Leach. a resident of Scotland
road, said the parkway should be built
and South Orange should not act like East
Orange did In the case of Central avenue.
when they refused to give it up to the
Park Commission.
Mr.. Leach said he believed that $500
could be spent by the village in draining
the parkway for the benefit of all.
Former Village Trustee Walter I. Nc
Coy said he was willing TO have his
property assessed for it, although far
from the parkway.
Sidney Colgate, who lives in Orange,
just over the South Orange line, in Centre
street, said the Orange officials : favored
the parkway.
Bdward Self, another CORNER trustee of
South Orange, wanted to know how the
expense was to be levied. No one could
give this information. Mr.. Underhil said
the Park Commission had no power to
assets, u power belonging to a COM
mission to be appointed by the courts
after the parkway is built.
Mr.. Underhill said the question Of as
sessment should not enter into the subject,
because only those enehted would be as
sessed.
In talking on the question, Village Trus-
tee Walter I. Wallace said among the OBJ
j~ectlons to the scheme was that a road
already exists on Grove road, and If II
was remacadamized would be sufficiently
improved. There is a mortgage on the
land offered us for the park purposes" he
said. Then l don't see any representa-
tives of the Park Commission here"
Village Trustee William T. Baird said
the trustees were not opposed to the park
&c t,,orxr en1olrArr roA,..d IN ha1fow~o