Perth Amboy evening news., 1912-12-07
BuCkingham Ave.
Residents File
Biz Protest.
PUBLIC HEARING

Although confronted by three pc
titions bearing eighty-five signatures
of business men in northern part of
the city, north of Washington street,
protesting against the city leas-
ing the foot of that thoroughfare to
any ferry company, the Board of AL
dermen passed the resolution intro
duced at the Monday night session,
granting the riparian rights of the
fot of Washington street to the
new Perth Amboy and Tottenville
Ferry Company, at a special meeting
adjourned from Monday, and held
last night for public discussion on the
proposed resolution, and to hear OBJ
jections to same.
The resolution was passed with
only one amendment, introduced by
| Alderman f. A. Seaman, which pro-
vides that at least five trips each
day be made, and the boat be able to
accommodate fifty passengers and six
automobiles on each trip. The reso-
luton was passed unanimously by
the six aldermen present. According
to a provision Of the resolution, the
ferry company is to have boat ply
/ ing the waters of the sound between
this city and Tottenville within six
months after the date of the filing
of their acceptance of the conditions
of the lease, which Is required in so
| days after the passing of the resolu-
/ ton.
! Attorney Thomas Brown, in behalf
of the petitioners, appeared before
the board and attacked the proposed
resolution. He stated that he wanted
those present to understand that he
did not represent a number of OBJ
| structionists. but citizens of the city
seeking for their rights. His clients
were in favor of the city granting no
lease OF riparian rights, unless it be
at the foot of buckingham avenue.
He stated that the street was much
more accessible than Washington
street; it has not the hill, nor is it
SO close to the other ferry, and it
gives the people of the manufacture
ing plants III that vicinity a greater
| convenience. The .eigh elevation OF
! Washington street woufa require
4 thousands of dollars worth OF Tfped-
less energy In propelling vehicles
Z the highway, not to take in constdsr-
alton the accidents which such lay
u! idIu "puid CAUSE, - uShlilE d III
avenue is wider street being sixty-six
feet in width.
/ He called attention to the fact tht t
section No. 20, of the riparian act,
provides that the city retain the RI
parian rights on it's water front until
notified that they have been leased,
and as it was not notified of the lease
being granted to the Arthur Buel
Company and to the Holland Com
pany, who are said to have merged
into the Public Service corporation.
He seemed to think that if the city
would contest the rights of the pres
ent lessee of the Buckingham land
ing, that they could prove they have
the riparian rights on this avenue,
which they have never leased away.
He criticised the provisions OF the
resolution, which he designated as
'loose," and giving the new company
too many loop holes through which
they can best the city They may
represent the old Staten Island ferry
and be trying to gain possession for
that company, to the exclusion of 9th
ers, he said There are no provi-
sions for rates, number of trips daily,
kind of ferryboat to be used the size
of same. etc. He stated that the COM
pany had only sworn assets amount
ing to $1,000, which gives the city
no protection if the municipality were
held responsible and sued for any
steps it might take in granting the
lease.
Alderman Seaman in answer to
Mr.. Brown, said that the question
narrows down to one of two things, 8
ferry or a law suit; that legal pro-
ceedings would probably delay the
ferry project for years, that by tbs
time the matter of the city's riparian
rights in Buckingham avenue have
been threshed out through the SLOW
processes of the law, many of those
who would now enjay the privilege
will have passed away. He said he
knew Buckingham avenue was the
better of the two places for the land
ing on this side. but that the people
wanted an additional ferry now. He
took issue with Mr.. Brown in his in
timation that the new company might
be a dummy for the present ferry
owners, as they would then insist or
Bucking CHAM avenue for their enter
prise, which would be to their ad-
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