The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-07
TO HEED PRIEST
HARRISON COUNCIL WILL
RESCIND ACTION.
Father 0'Connor's Denunciation from
Pulpit on Jersey Street Paving
Promises Quick Effect.

AS a result of the vigorous denunciation
of the Harrison Common Council and a GER
tain town official regarding the Jersey street
paving matter in hat town, made at the
7:30 o'clock mass at the Church of the
Holy Cross, Harrison, yesterday, by the
Rev. Maurice P. O'Connor, rector, it seems
to be assured that the Council will, at its
next meeting, advertise for bids to pave
that street with brick. The official referred
to by Father O'Connor is said to be Town
Treasurer Edward j. Grace. He, together
with members of the Common Council,
were severely scored by the priest for their
action III defeating an ordinance to pave
the street with brick.
Mayor Joseph P. Riordan and Council
men DAILY and Dolphin declared today that
they would use their utmost endeavors to
give the priest and property-owners of
that street the kind OF pavement they de-
sire. which is brick.
Father O'Connor, in the pulpit yester-
day, declared that the protest given to the
Council by Grace and another man was Sc
cured by deceit and Misrepresentation, and
was done In an endeaVor to nave a cheap
pavement laid.
1.-THE health OF the twenty-five sisters
and hundreds of pupils in the Holy Cross
Parochial School should be considered in
this matter" said Father O'Connor. Il
don't want a dusty pavement like telford
on this street, with clouds of germ-laden
dust floating into the school and being
breathed by the children"
The section OF Jersey street in question
is the block between Second and Third
streets. and Is the entrance from a large
rart of the town to the depot Of the Lacka-
wanna Railroad.
The residents on this block have Tor
some time desired that the street be paved.
and brick was the material agreed upon
the neighboring block being paved with
this material. An ordinance was introduced
in the Harrison Common Council to pave
the block with brick, and at the Septem-
Der meeting was passed. Bids to do the
work were advertised for, and were to
have been received at the meeting last
Tuesday. Several bids were handed in, and
also a protest against brick, which was
alleged to be signed by property-owners
representing $50 feet frontage. When TINS
was read a motion was passed to recon
slider the passing of the ordinance, and this
was carried, and then, by a vote of s to 2,
the ordinance was defeated and the bids
were ordered returned unopened.
When property-owners on the block
heard of it they became indignant, espe-
cially Father O'Connor, who represents the
100 foot frontage of the school property on
the street. He looked up the petition and
it is alleged that with the exception of one
signature. it is all in one handwriting.
The priest was incensed, as he declared that
Grace and Councilman Witt had assured
him that they favored brick. The protest
presented represents a minority OF prop
e~rty-owners of the block as the total 'front.'
age is said to be $50 feet. The proceedings
which the ordinance was defeated at
the last meeting are said to have been
irregular, and at the next meeting a
fight will be made to ~readvertise for bids
and then hold a special meeting to give out
the work.