Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1910-11-18
P. s. c. FRANCHISE
MENACED BY THE
BOARD OF WORKS
Municipality Threatens to Be-
gin Action to Revoke
Concession.


Concession.
The most determined action yet taken
by the Board of Works in It's effort to
force the Public Service Corporation to
abide by its agreements with the city
was taken at yesterdays meeting,
when Commissioner Mungle served no
tice that he would this week apply to
the attorney general for a repeal of
the franchise granted the traction COM
pany In 1894.
At that time the operating company
was known as the Consolidated Trac-
ton Company, and in en- ordinance
approved April 13, 1894, the company
was given the right to operate cars in
certain sections OF a number of streets,
including Clinton. avenue, Frelinghuy-
sen avenue, Miller street, Springfield
avenue, Central avenue, Orange street
and some contributory streets.
Excursion Rate Promised.
An important clause in the ordinance
passed on the date In question called
for the establishment of a 25-cent eX-
cursion rate between this city and
New York. This part Of the agreement
Is very clear. 1t reads ss follows:
"The said Consolidated Traction
Company shall within a reasonable
time. not more than one month after
the passage of this ordinance, adopt
and put into force a system OF excur-
sion tickets, good either way, between
any part of Newark and the city or
New York, at and for the price OF
twenty-five cents for each ticket; all
such tickets are to include W fares
for the local Inc in Newark between
Newark and New York by the New
York line and include ferriage TIVE
Jersey City and New York each way.'
VIII Test validity of Claim.
1t is on account of the company's re-
peated refusal to continue this service
that Mr.. Mungle has determined TO
test the validity of the Public Service
Corporations claim that 1t IS not
obliged to maintain the service referred
to in the ordinance.
The appeal to the encouragement
will be made by Commissioner Mungle
as an individual, in order to comply
with the requirements of h law, but
the action is really prompted by the
Board of Works, all of the members
of which are heartily in accord with
the move.
There has been an open rupture be-
tween the Public Service Corporation
and the board for many months, and
the matter of reestablishing the
twenty-fve-cent rate between this city
and New York is only one of the issues
that have been involved In the numer-
our fruitless conferences that have
peer held by the trolley officials and
the members of the board. The b per
cent. ordnance has never been revised
to the satisfaction of either the Board
of Works or the trolley company, and
there has not been a time when both
bodies could agree On the important
points involved in the new measure.
The matter of additional transfer
privileges has been another hotly-con-
tested point, and here, too, the com
pany and the board have failed to
agree.
Threatens to Build I'm Hudson County.
OF more recent consideration was the
matter of a new car-barn in South Or
ange avenue. The trolley company
favored one set of plans, while the
board wanted something else. The re-
suit has been that the company
threatens to built the car-barn in Hud-
son county.
Numerous smaller matters, such as
the o~peration of turn-outs, the location
of switches, the number and character
of cars on certain lines and the man
ner of designating the cars of different
lines have all been discussed time and
time again, but always without an
agreement being reached.
Matters have reached a point where
1t seems almost a settled fact that the
Board of Works and the trolley COM
pany have concluded that they cannot
agree on anything.
In the matter of the New York ex-
cursion ticket discussion, Mr.. Mungle
contends that inasmuch as the COM
pany did maintain the service for sew
eral years, that 1t acknowledged its OBJ
legations in regard to this part of the
ordinance and the fact that the COM
pany subsequently discontinued the
service does not, it is claimed, relieve
it of it's obligation to restore and main
tain the service in question.
In the event of the encouragement
granting the request for a repeal of the
franchise, it will result in a discontinue
| anCe OF the SERVICE On Gel ldlh pdibo VI
the streets involved in the ordinance
that is metioned in the appeal.
Board of Trade Protests.
The board also listened to a delega-
ton from the Board of Trade at yes
terday's meeting, the purpose Of the
visit being to ask the Board Of Works
to insist upon better train service, I'M
proved terminal facilities and lower
rates from all the railroads passing
through this city, and particularly in
the case of the Pennsylvania railroad.
1t was pointed out by Abraham Roth
schild, r. j.. Goerke, George w. Tom
kins, George T. Reeve and other men,
bers of the delegation, that the present
conditions left much to be desired, and
the board was asked to grant no
further concession until the roads come
to time and agree to some of the things
the city needs.
The proposed new sidewalk obstruc-
ton ordinance was presented by City
Counsel Nugent, and 1t was decided to
have a copy sent to each member of
the board, so that the measure car be