Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-08-21
REPAIRING
BLOCKS TRAFFIC
Business Men Angry Because
of Delayed Shipments to
Elizabeth.
BOARD OF WORKS BLAMED
FOR EXISTING CONDITIONS
Arteries of Trade Between
Two Cities Torn Up and :
Confusion Reigns.

Trade between Elizabeth and this
city is suffering. much damage is
being lone autos, houses are endan-
gered should fire break out, and bust
ness along the highways has been
paralyzed through the closing of FIRE.
l~inghuysen and Elizabeth n
The former thoroughfare has been
made impossible for any vehicles
other than trolleys at the city line.
and the only other means of travel
between the two cities, Elizabeth
avenue, cannot be used unless by a
circuitous route.
The condition, which has raised a
storm among business men. who are
forced to use either street to reach
Elizabeth, is due either to lack of CO.
Operation on the part of the Board
I of Works or neglect to consider h
heavy traffic when planning to pave
Frelinghuysen avenue. While 1t -
true that the work of repaving the
latter avenue to the city line is al
most finished, the fact that
it would be torn up by the Union
county ~freeholders beyond the Essex
line was lost sight of in issuing q
permit to the Public Service Corpora
ton to transfer its rails from the
side to the middle of Elizabeth ave-
nue.. Public Service Ia also con-
tributing it's share of barriers In
Frelinghuysen avenue. for stimuli
~taneously with the tearing UP of n
roadway by the contractors before
repaving the traction company is re-
moving its rails.
Road Choked with Traffic.
BY s%tationing a f1agman at Meekef
and Frelinghuysen yester-
day to head off all drivers, trafnc
was turned off the main highway.
and the only means of reaching
Elizabeth left was over Dayton
street, a narrow dirt road along the
east side of Weequahic Park. to
North Broad street, Elizabeth. All
day drivers of heavily laden auto
trucks were busy helping other
trucks out of ruts. Shipments were
thus held up.
The turning away of traffic az
Meeker avenue left a stretch or q
mile in Frelinghuysen avenue be-
tween Meeker avenue and the city
line free from travel. with the result
that storekeepers and sfhe r~oadhouse
men descended upon the iagman, and
trouble ensued. The fagman ex-
| blamed that he was acting under
orders. Headed by Louis Trow-
bridge, a delegation of the business
men went to Elizabeth and threat
ened suit If h trolley company con-
tinued to block traffic. They de-
clared thai Evergreen avenue could
be used by the vehicles to reach
Dayton street, and If Evergreen was
made the point of turmoil their busi-
ness would not be so seriously af-
fected.
The outcome of the protest was the
transfer of the fagman to Evergreen
and Frelinghuysen The
change only made matters worse, as
the rut in Evergreen avenue was
washed out by the heavy rains and
wagon blockades resulted.
Farmers Are Late.
Farmers who depend upon Freling-
huysen avenue to reach the city mar
ket with their products arrived very
late. as they were compelled to re-
trace their tracks back to
and come into Newark by way OF
Dayton street.
Inquiry among street foremen
promises little hope Of relief before
another month, and just how the
business men can expedite shipments
Is a problem that is now puzzlins
them.
1--WE were just about to thank h
Board of Works for the dandy street
they gave us for u auto trucks In
Frelinghuysen avenue" aid a BUSH
ness man this morning, when we
found ourselves blocked. We will
hand them nothing but kicks now.
and they richly deserve anything
they get in that way. 1t does seem
that the city bodies here never have
in mind the business man, although
other places think of them first"