Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-01-23
GRADE RI
BILL OPPONENTS
make OBJECTIONS
Mayors of Several municipalities
Claim They Should Not
Be Penalized.
RAILROADS SHOULD BEAR
COST, THEIR CONTENTION
Expense in State Will Amount
to $3.50, OOO,0 900, Says
Counsel.
IFrom a SAD correspondentl

TRENTON, Jan. 23.-The revision oil
laws committees of both houses gave a
hearing this afternoon on the grade
crossing elimination bill introduced by
Senator Carlton b. Pierce, of Union.
Mayors Alfred A. Stein, of Elizabeth,
and Julian A. Gregory, of East Orange,
and City Counsel Edward f. Merry, of
Paterson, were the CHER spokesman on
behalf of the municipalities. They
objected to some of the provisions of
the bill. NJ. NJ. stailman. attorney for
the Lackawanna Railroad, pointed out
some defects of the measure from he
standpoint of the railroad. None of
the other railroads running through
New Jersey were represented.
Mayor Gregory, VINO was the hrst
speaker, cited the provision in the last
Republican, State platform calling for
the abolition of grade crossings with
out expense to the municipalities. He
said that there was almost a unani-
mouse sentiment in the State hat this
should be done. Every railroad la
ter that has been granted by the State
contained a provision, he said, that
crossings shall be kept free from OBJ
struction. A charter, he argued, point
liz u lit tit0lSioll III III htA AC1N
College case, was a contract. There
fore, it was the duty of the railroads
to abolish grade crossings where the
number of trains was such as to
seriously impede traffic.
One provision of the Pierce bill says
that if a municipality petitions to have
a grade crossing eliminated it shall
pay 25 per cent. of the cost. Mr.. Pierce
inc go hot fhtc section was inserted
for the benefit of those municipalities
which might not be inclined to wait
till the Public Utilities Commission
had ordered the grade crossing abol-
ished by virtue of the section which
provides that one grade crossing for
every twenty miles of track must be
Hone away with each year. Mayor
Gregory contended that the municipal
ity should not bear any of the cost
in any instance, as the charter pro-
vision he had cited bound the railroad
to do away with the danger spots.
Mr.. T.c-ce asked what substitute for
the provision putting 25 per cent. of
the burden on the municipalities would
he suggest.
mo substitute at ALL" replied Mr..
Gregory. "a municipality should be
able to apply for the abolition of a
dangerous grade crossing without be-
ing penaiized for so doing"
M. M. Stallman, on behalf of the
-ERcka.wanna, appealed for a fair bill
that would put only a reasonable part
of the expense on the municipalities.
cited the laws passed in other
States, New York. for instance, where
the railroads had to bear but so per
cent. of the cost, the other SO per cent.
being divided equally between the
State and the municipality; Massachu-
sets, where the railroads pear 65 per
cent. of the cost and the municipalities
35 per cent. He said that the cost of
abolishing the grade crossings in New
Jersey would be $3.50, 900, 900, of which
the Pennsylvania would pay from
$50, 900, 900 to $780, 600, 900, the Erie about
S35, 900, 900, the Lackawanna about $751;
600, 900 and the Jersey Central about
$50, 900, 900.
Mayor Stein, of Elizabeth, said that
it was the opinion of the Mayors Asso-
citation that the railroads would not
petition for the abolition of the grade
crossings and that the municipalities
would be penalized If they did.