The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-02-11
FRANCHISE
TN ABEYANCE
The Morris Township Commit.
tee Further Postpones Ac-
ton on Electric Matter.
MANY CITIZENS WERE PRESENT

4 The Morris township committee had
a long and exciting session on Monday
evening. First few bills were or
dered paid and an appraisement signed
! by H. Z. Prudden and James Brant
received, appraising chickens belong
i ing to Mary F. Brown, killed by dogs
i at S31. The fowls were listed nine
teen white leghorns at 81 six Ply
mouth Rocks at Sl.50, and six guinea
4 fowls at fifty cents. The bill was or
dered paid after proper affidavit is
made.
i The third reading of the Morris g.
Somerset Electric Co., ordnance
then came up. Rey. F. L. Humphreys
addressed the board, telling of the
4 financing of the company in stringent
times; the services of the officers
without pay and the opposition it had
met both public and in the dark. The
lights are on, the company is here to
stay and he asked the passage of the
ordinance, so that he and others could
i get light.
E. w. VanVleck also asked for fav-
orable consideration, and was followed
by Joseph f. Burke, who also asked
passage of the franchise, saying he
wanted the lines extended to New
Vernon as well as light in Morris
township.
i Robert Hipson objected to the re-
i strictionS on Mt. Kemble avenue, stat
ing that at least some of the people
who signed the petition there did not
know what it was. All the streets
should have all the conveniences pos
sible.
Livingston Whitney spoke for the
people on the hill, asking immediate
action.
| G. f. Wilson, counsel for Mr..
Kountze was asked if he had anything
to say and declared that the company
would not sign the contract with Mr..
Kountze, as promised at the former
meeting.
1t was asked if that was all the OBJ
lection and Mr.. Bartron said it was.
Mr.. Stryker denied that he had
promised to sign it, only agreeing to
present it to the directors. Mr.. Cut
Ter, for the company said that Mr..
WilsonNhad broughu him harmless
instrument. that he saw no objection
to signing, then came with one with
S25,0 900 penalty which he would not ad-
vice the company to sign. He said
the committee had nothing to do
with the agreement that Mr.. Kountze
had tried to make the Morris fran
chise bind the company in Mendham
township. then he had added Passaic
to franchise already numbered with
conditions.
Fl. e. Griswold said it looked like
one man against the township. f. X.
Kellogg said Investigation seemed to
show that Mr.. Kountze is acting for
the Public Service Corporation.
J. M. Mills said all the covenants of
\ the contract are in the franchise.
Then the committee was asked what
was in the wayof passage of the ordi-
nance.
Mr.. Wilson said the committee
would not pass the ordinance unless
the agreement is signed. Mendham
or Passaic might make lighting con-
tracts to the new company which might
cause poles to be erected where Mr..
Kountze owns both sides of the roads
in those townships.
Mr.. Burke asked how much consid-
Grafton he would get if he asked a
private agreement in such matter.
Mr.. Hipson said it is not Republican
government.
DR.. Humphreys said he was told
that Mr.. Kountze pays only on an as
sessment of $88, 900, and he, a poor man
in comparison, pays on almost as
much. j. M. Mills said all Mr..
Kountze's land is not in his own name.
He denies owning parcels supposed to
belong to him.
After conference with counsel and
repeated calls for action, Chairman
Bartron said the committee thought
best to defer action. Mr.. Clark voted
to grant the franchise, but Mr.. Arnold
would not second the motion and
moved to postpone. He said nobody
is in the way except Mr.. Kountze, and
he had talked fairly at a meeting some
time ago.
Mr.. Arnold was asked if all he
wanted was not in the franchise, but
Mr.. Arnold declared that Mr.. Kountze
had asked the committee to keep the
company out of the township entirely,
and was willing to pay for lights for
all the roads rather than have the
new company come in.
The meeting adjourned until Satur-
at 2.30 p. m.
The Elks MinstreIs