The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1909-03-09
Open Letter to Members of the
Lower House from George
II. Lambert.
POINTS OUT DANGERS IN
THE OVERHEAD SYSTEM
Asks Immediate Passage Of
Measure by Present Session
OF the Legislature.

cities to build conduits for the I'M
trolley and telephone wires. George
IT,. Lambert, chairman of the lighting
committee of the Board of Works, has
sent an pen letter to every membe. of
the Assembly in Trenton. Mr.. Lambert
characterizes the present unsightly
overhead wires as a disgrace to the
streets dangerous and a serious imz
pediment to the tire-ighting forces.
The bill is now in committee in the
lower house. and Mr.. Lambert seeks to
have it placed before the House in or
der that, il passed. it may go to the
Senate in ample time for the upper
body's consideration before adjourn
nlent. Following is his letter:
To Members of the Assembly;
Gentlemen-Your attention is called
to Assembly bill No, 10. entitled An
act to ifable cities of this State to
acquire and build subways and con-
duits for electrical conductors, TO regu-
late their use and enforce the removal
of overhead wires"
This bill was introduced by Mr.. Clark
on January is and referred to the com
mittee on municipal corporations. No
hearing was obtained until the second
day OF March. and the bill is still in
Mr.. Clark has presented several
amendments to the bill. one of which
provides, The gross rentals to be
charged shall not exceed 10 per centum
per annum of the total cost of such
SubWays or ~ndu
Intent of the Dill.
The intent Of the bill is TO empower
of double %conduits. one for high voltage
and the other for low voltage wires,
and require all overhead wires TO be
removed and placed IN these conaults,
Just compensation would be paid for
such conduits as are taken by pur-
chase or condemnation, and the rental
liked by the amendment of 10
per cent. distributed eqlitably among
all the users of the conduits would
make Il very small percentage for each
TO pay. The bill has a referendum.
Overhead wires are dangerous ana
seriously Interfere in putting out fires.
The unsightly poles and great number
of wires running from them in all d.
are a positive disgrace to the
streets where they exist, These wires
range in size from the small te!egraph
or telephone wire to large cables two
or more in diameter, and mate
rally depreciate the properties upon
the streets where they are located.
Newly paved streets are now frequent,
torn up and permanently damaged
the laying of ,conduits of various
corporations. Large subWays VIII soon
be constructed Ill EVA anu pIopdoly
in Jersey City, and it is very impor-
ant that these cities should be en-
at the same time to construct
conduits sufficient to carry all pipes
ark, by a vote of 1906 for-and 4,SSS
against, decided in favor of construct
ing a municipal lighting plant. us
present contract with the Pubic Serv--
conduits for electrical conductors viii
become very necessary when such a
plant is constructed.
Approved by Newark.
At the hearing before the municipal
a representative from the
department. of Jersey City spoke
in favor of the bill and stated that Jer-
sey CitX desired it's passage. From
Newark three of the members of the
Board of Street and Water Commis.
s%ioners, the city counsel, the chief
engineer and the chairman of the leg.
islative committee of the Board OF
Trade advocated the bill. On February
at a conference In Newark of the
of the Board of Street and
Water Commissioners. the legislative
of the Common Council. the
city counsel, the chief engineer and all
the financial officers of the city,
of Newark, the bill was unanimously
approved. On February Is the Boar
of Trade Of Newark, at a largely at
tended meeting, specially called to con-
Gloti LUZ ~
unanimously indorsed the. bill.
Opposition has appeared from repre-
s~entatives of telephone companies
where they have laid conduits In some
of the smaller municipalities, but IL
this bill is amended so as to make 1t
apply only to cities of the first class
this opposition will be eliminated.
1t was understood In Newark that the
bill would not be opposed by the Pub
lie Service Corporation, until in an ar
gument at the special meeting OF the
Board of Trade 1T was suggested that
onduit would become very valuable
If the city should construct a municipal
lighting plant, md then the Opposition
of that corporation at once became very
active and disaster to the corporation
is now predicted by its representatives
in case the bill shall become a law
The vice-president of that corporation
at the hearing before the committee
on municipal corporations endeaxof g
measure upon the writer. If the latter
has been more active than others In MS
advocacy of the bill 1t is only because
he has been chairman of the lighting
committee of the Board of Street ant
Water Commissioners of the city o.
Newark for more than two years pas
and his attention has been specially
city, as the lighting committee hal
jurisdiction over lighting. wires an
conduits.
One Cause for Opposition.
The fear of the Public Service Cor
poration that municipal conduits woul,
facilitate municipal lighting and there
by cause that corporation to lose II
business of lighting the streets of New
ark, is the real and only cause of it
opposition to this measure, other state
nients of it's representatives to the con
trafy Notwithstanding. This statemen
is made for the purpose of Informing
members of the Assembly of the ma
ture and objects of the bill and of II
Importance especially to Newark an
Jersey City, and is also to warn Their
/ against the opposition and misrepre
sentation of thej easur by represen
tatives of the Public Service Corpora
tion which areL sure to follow, and t
urge its immediate passage, so that
| can have fair consideration in the Sen
ate before the. closing hours of the SEES
sion. Respectfully,