The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-09-19
FRANCHISE FOR 81
YEARS GIVEN LINE
BY WEST ORANGE
Strong Opposition to Longtime
Trolley Grant Was De-
feated by Vote.
ROAD FROM MOUNTAIN
TOP TO VALLEY ROAD
Town Gets Few Concessions for
Its Rich Free Gift to
the Company.

The West Orange Town Council last
night gave the Orange Mountain Trac- !
ton Company a nfty-year franchise to
extend its line from the top of the
mountain across Valley road. The
grant for this period was opposed by
Mayor Condit, Councilman Stevens,
chairman OF the railroad committee,
and Councilman Meeker, The company
is to complete the road through the
town in six months.
In the original franchise was a clause
that stated transfers were to be given
in case the road made a connection
with the South Orange and Maplewood
or Main street lines, owned by the
Public Service Corporation. This was
stricken out, with Councilmen Stevens,
Cannon and Meeker casting opposing
votes.
During the argument Cannon claimed
every member of the Council was to
have been supplied with a copy of the
franchise, but he received one. He
was told by Councilman Fentzlaff that
IL a mar was too thick to thoroughly
W Apil AAt aAt1A AAht
readings 1t received at the meeting he
should be supplied with a dozen copies.
II cannot understand it with SO many
changes being made here tonight" was
Gannon's reply, addressed to Mayor
Condit.
Former Judge Alfred Il. Skinner,
counsel for the company, declared none
OF the officials or others in the new
company were connected in any way
with the Public eSrvice corporation,
and no effort had been made aseSet to
secure permission to cross its lines.
The company had, however, he said,
made a three-year contract with the
corporation for supplying power for
operating the cars. TO this Stevens re-
piled that one of the company had told
him he was much surprised on his re-
turn from a vacation to see that the
Public Service had not bought up the
new road.
The company in the franchise has to
charge only a fve-cent fare, sell school
children, irrespective of age, forty
tickets for 81, through the principals;
give transfers On the South Orange
and Maplewood line in case it is sold
or leased to the Public Service or
leases or buys the South Orange dine,
run cars on a thirty-minute schedule
between the hours of 1880 in the MORN
ing and $3.50 o'clock at night, give free
transportation to policemen, firemen
and letter carriers while on duty, pro-
vide shelters at each end of the line
and use iron or vitritied brick in carry
ing water drains under its tracks. II
Is the company's intention to extend
the line from over the mountain
through Freeman street to the High
land avenue depot of the LackaWanna
Railroad.
Each of the sections were taken up
separately and voted upon. When It
came time TO make motions ana
amendments regarding a time limit on
the franchise there vas a big mlXhp
that was not Strengthened out for ten
minutes, but finally the meeting
progressed satisfactorily. Mr.. Skinner
claimed that stockholders and intend
ing ones would not be attracted to the
company in ease its operation was
curtailed by the franchise being linn
tied and the road and town would fall
by the wayside. He spoke of the leg
~islation regarding limitation of fran
chises and said that in his opinion no
small municipalities would give q ran
chise to a company for a smaller
period thar fifty years.
Councilman Stevens declared that in
Massachusetts there was a greater
network of trolley lines n probably
in any other place in h Union and
franchises were only given on good
behavior from one day to another.
IF the law here made a grant for
one hundred years permissible the
Council seems ready to grant IT," he
added. Mr. Freye claimed that If the
old cable road had been given a longer
franchise it would not now be lost, but
Mr.. Stevens denied that the road was
lost.
eve are entitled to transfers" de-
cIared Mr.. Stevens. "and we should not
give this company q franchise blindly,
as was done for the Eagle Rock and
Main street lines. They are looking
toward the future and SO should we.
The town gets absolutely nothing from
this franchise except an increase In
population which the institution of the
road might bring. At the end of thirty
five years this town should secure
something from that company. We are
putting no burdens on them"
Mr.. Freye declared his constituents
from over the mountain were very de-
sirous OF having a trolley o built
so as to end their great amount of
walking. and wanted the road quick.