The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-12-04
PARK BOARD LOSES
MUST PAY TAXES ON LAND
IN WEST ORANGE.
Supreme Court Upholds Towns Right to
Assess South Mountain Reser-
walton.

Considerable interest has been mani
tested in the decision of the New Jersey
Supreme Court sustaining the action Of
the West Orange Town Council In levying
taxes upon the property Of the Essex
County Park Commission in the town.
The County Board of Equal ion
threw out the assessment when appealed
to. and then the assessment was placed
pack or the tax books by the town. The
matter was reviewed by the Supreme
Court on a writ of certiorari. The tax on
the park property was about $500. The
decision was announced at a meeting of
the West Orange Council last night by
Town C0unse Simeon II. Robinson.
The action of the Council in assessing
the park property will cause some relief
to the citizens of tie town in their tax
bills. The town is the location of a con-
siderable section of the South Mountain
reservation. which extends along the
mountain ridge. Orange has a reservoir
there on which It pays taxes. If the de-
cision of the Supreme Court is not upset
on appeal to the Court of Errors and APP
peals other municipalities IN which the
county parks are located will likely take
advantage of the opportunity to make as
A warm discussion occurred on trolley
service. following the motion of Council
man .Heichel to grant the Public Service
permission to lay a switch near the Erie
depot and one at the terminal. so that
new one-end cars intended to be placed on
the line might turn. It brought Council
man Cannon to his feet In a hurry to say
West Orange should get a written recon-
mendation from the corporation that all
cars entering. the town should pass
through to the terminal and snow he
leyeled in the roadway cast there by
sweepers. The spectators showed approval
of these remarks by stamping their feet.
Councilman Stevens believed the other
lines outside of Main street should be better
cared for. He declared that the corpora
ton should grant the town something, and
Z U0G not nHnnn~ fnr fhA 49,. - H.
franchise to the Public Service and allow
it to givelservice as 1t thought best.
When the company came for permission
to Law a switch in Valley road" said Mr..
Cannon. I'VE were to get transfers. but
the switch was laid at night, and no pas
sengers nave been taken over 1t these
Twelve years. l don't see what this Council
is here for If II is not to protect citizens"
Harry III. Wells, manager of the electric
light and gas departments of the corpora
tion IN orange. spoke for his company, and
believed that II the Valley road switch had
been OF no benefit to the town the corpora
ton should be compelled to remove il. The
new, switches, he said, would do no par
Ucular narm to West Orange. To allow
the new cars to turn around a switch was
needed at Harrison avenue, he said.
n We don't get it," he continued, 1--WE
VIII cut West Orange out and none OF the
rev cars Will run into the town, We nave
agreed to give the Watching Heights resi-
dents a hye-cent ride to Newark instead OF
Paying ten cents. There is a limit 10 what
railroads can do, and owing TO the present
condition of the money market we will
make no further advances
during the talk Councilman Fentzlan and
Mr.. Wells had a short tiff regarding the
iale 10 Newark paid by residents in the
MIR. Wells said one of these lines had
never pald' and he declared that the cor
po.aton was not going to run lines with
out getting a dollar out OF them and did
NOT lnlend 10. He WENT on TO say that
Mr.. Fentzlaff felt he should be carried
over tne mountain for a five cent fare,
ana Inc latter stated in reply tina he
was surprised to hear Mr.. Wells speaking
ABOUT INES running over the mountain.
Where they 40 not exist, and said plainly
that ne expected to have a five cent fare
as far as the trolley roads Travelled and
no further. ""u
Councilman Meeker also had some hot
snot TOT the corporation, and announced
he would never vote for the cornoration
TO be allowed to lay the switches until il
gave transfers 10 the people residing west
of Harrison avenue.
Mr.. Gannon finally moved for the APP
polntment OF a committee Of Ave to confer
with Attorney Rollinaon aud representa-
ives or the corporation relative To the
matter. and added that If the latter on
clals dldnt want to give anything to the
town they could stay away"
II was reported that Charles r BROWN
ing nao failed TO a for a sewer line In
the Parkway. at Llewellyn Park and tha
Pill VIII be paid by the town. Mr.. Brown
Ing Will be appealed to again.
Mr.. Gillich said he had found that desk
sergeants of the police department had
Teen acting as paymasters for the sewer
department, and 1t was decided to relieve
John Kerr, jr., applied for a saloon trans
fer at II Valley road Thomas Whitford
for license at Al Washington street and
Philip Gardner at 3s Lakeside avenue. All
were laid over in accordance with the
Il IIIHl.