Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1912-07-19
Market Street Business
Men Score Failure of
Board and Public Ser
vice to Agree.
MANY BELIEVE MUNICIPAL
LIGHTING PLANTINEVTABLE
Business Men Declare They
Have Done All in Their Pow
or and That Saving of Flam-
Ing Arcs Is Civic Duty.

mS HISS
= BUSINESS men along Market street
hre wrought up by the failure OF tne
Board of Works and the Public
Service Company to agree on =
matter of illuminating the thorough
fare and the ultimatum OF the
ut yesterdays meeting to nave tne
aaming arcs removed has prousn
forth vehement protests.
Merchants assert that they have
Zone all in their power to maintain
The Market street white Way,
although it has been an expensive
proposition for them. Their efforts,
they say, have been largely prompted
by civic pride, for they claim tnat
the doing away with the lights IS
more a calamity to the city than 1t Is
to them personally.
Merchants Disappointed.
The Public Service Company has
installed the present system on a
ket street at considerable cost. IL Is
contended by some hat If the system
has beer maintained at a loss to the
Public Service Company that It a
at least had an opportunity to pay
for the cost of installation, and that
from now on the company ought to be
able at least to furnish the lights at
the same, IL not a reduced cost II
Al has not been profitable to the COM
pany, it ought to be from now on
said one prominent business nan
The Public Service Company must
shoulder a large share of the blame
for its failure to get together with n
Board of Works, blu several mer-
shants expressed themselves as dis
appointed with the action of the
board In allowing a few hundred dol
lars to stand in the way OF a new
contract. -
1t is claimed by the Public Service
company that it would nave entered
into a modified contract for one year.
but that objection was made to
herring Into a modified contract for a
period of six weeks.
The merchants are wondering today
whether the Public Service Company
will find it profitable to take away
the present system of lighting and
install the new system of common arc
lights. -.
They are also wondering who will
pay the difference between the 8
of the present lighting system and
the old system during the time until
the change is effected.
According to John O'Toole, pub
iicity for the Public
Service Company, the reason for the
loss to the company was on account
of a miscalculation at the beginning
on the cost of maintenance.
ut was found to be more expensive
than was anticipated" said ne.
when the price was first fixed by
contract continued Mr.. O'Toole, W
were calculating on a theory. Figures
were based on theory. We have found
that it has cost more money to main
tain these lights than was originally
figured upon. Different grades of car
bon have had to be used. which have
cost more money"
Company Is Undecided.
When asked about the action the
Public Service would take, MI.
O'Toole replied: Just what the next
move will be is not known. MI.
Young will report to the superior off,
GERS, and it Will probably be two or
three days before any definite action
As taken. We will follow orders,
however, and have the lights re-
moved" Mr.. O'Toole explained that
the order he referred to was that of
the Board of Works to hav the
lights removed and replaced by the
old carbon lights OF 'former days.
Among a. score of prominent mer-
chants who were interviewed today
there was not a dissenting voice
against a municipal lighting plant.
The suggestion of such a plant It
the meeting of the board yesterday
has been taken in a most serious
way. 1t was the unanimous opinion
of all the merchants that the present
high cost of lighting the city war
ranted the serious consideration of a
municipal lighting plant, and many
expressed their belief hat such a
plant would be the inevitable result
of the present unsatisfactory condi-
tions.
Discussing the removal of the fam
ing arcs. Leopold Jay, an active mem
Der OF the MdTkeL OlTeeL MerCidntS'
Association. said: II am very much
disappointed over the outcome. 1t
is a bad thing for the city of New
ark. We have long had the reputa-
ton of the Investigated streets in
the country, and it is too bad that
the Board of Works has permitted a
small matter of s4o0 to stanl in it's way.
W. have tried very lard to get to-
gether and the more prosperous mer-
chants have been most generous in
their support, but they have not re-
ceived the proper encouragement. 1t
is worse for the city than 1t is for
the merchants to lose it's white
Way
1.-The Public Service and the city
have saved money on the Market
street lighting proposition" said Ed
ward Blau. 1.-THE present trouble is
due solely to the arbitrary action of
the Public Service Company.
There is no equipment to pay for,
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