Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-29
OBJECT TO HASTE
WITH FRANCHISE
Trolley Ordinance Will Be Pre-
scented, However, to Orange
Common Council.

In spite of vigorous objections OF
the part of several citizens who ap
peared at a public hearing on tn,
matter last night, the railroad com
m,ttee of the Orange Common Coun.
Gil decided to stick to its Original
plan of presenting to the Council tc
be passed on second reading Monday
night the ordinance granting to the
Public Service Corporation a fran
chise for the extension OF its Central
avenue trolley Inc through Orange.
Although numerous public hearings
have been held during the past seven
weeks to give citizens chance to
express their views on the matter,
last nights was the first at which de-
termined opposition to the commit
tees plans has been encountered. The
opposition was not to the ultimate
passage of the ordinance, but to what
was referred to by Frederick w. Kel-
sey, chairman of the committee on
franchises of the New England So
ciety, as the Councils haste" In
granting the franchise. His senti-
ments were echoed by Henry Camp
ton and by Councilman Henry T.
Stetson, who offered a motion that
the committee should delay bringing
the ordinance before the Council on
Monday night, until it could be dis
cussed further, with the possibility of
Incorporating as amendments several
suggestions offered by Mr.. Kelsey and
Mr.. Campton.
When the motion was not seconded
with a mild thrill by thanking Mr..
Stetson for his motion and adding
that it was "the duty OF someone to
second it" and that he was surprised
that no one had the nerve or courage
to do So"
His remark was instantly taken up
by Councilman John G. Fineran, pres
ident of the Council, who replied that
1t was not a question of nerve or cour-
age, at all, but merely matter of be-
lief and inclination.
Mr.. Campton stirred up an angry
retort from Councilman Christopher
Freeman at a Council meeting two
months ago, when he made an allu-
sion to the people who would be added
by reason of the extension of the troll
ley road into Orange. He sought last
night q second opportunity to speak
When the committee was about to
grant the privilege of the floor to Mr.
Campton, Councilman John J. Con-
dron, chairman of the railroad COM
mittee, told them he would expect
him not to use insulting language
Mr. Condron said he considered the
speakers remarks about the failure
of the Council members to second
Mr.. Stetson's motion an insult. And
I will not stand for such criticisms at
meeting over which I am to pre-
SIDE" he added.
After stating that the committee
did not realize in the slightest de-
gree the value of the franchise which
they were about to grant Mr.. Kelsey
requested the members of the COM
mittee to delay bringing the ordinance
before the Council on Monday night
until the New England Society COM
mittee could consult further with
them. He, too, charged the commit
tee with undue haste in the matter,
and declared that they were not as
we'll informed on the subject as they
might be, or as he and the New Eng
land Society body could make them.
He then submitted a copy of Cleve-
land ordinance, by which that city
had obtained three-cent fare.
Councilman Condron replied by
saving that he wished to correct the
impression that the ordinance was
being ''railroaded through" at the
last moment He said that since
October 6. the committee had had
the question under careful considera-
ton, and that they were fully alive
to every angle of the situation, both
as to what the Public Service people
wanted and as to what conditions it
seemed advisable to make when
granting the franchise. He added
that he was convinced that they were
acting for the best interests of the
majority of citizens of Orange.
Mr.. Kelsey's charge, he said, was
surprise to the committee. He had
heard many criticisms OF the slow
ness with which the matter was being
handled, he declared. He said he
believed the committee, in conjunc-
ton with City Counsel Arthur $B.
Seymour, to be quite capable of
whipping the ordinance into shape in
time for the meeting Monday night,
when 1t will be presented with such
amendments as the committee may
see fit to add
It is likely that the suggestion of
former Councilman Coleman 70. Kis-
sam relating to changing the fran
chise from fifty years to two terms
of twenty-five years each, with O re-
valuation clause, will be considered
by the committee. Mr.. Nissan went
on record as being in favor of the
ordinance with the provision that
Orange should reserve the right to
supervise the service.
As the result of request from Rev.
Charles Townsend. pastor of the "Old
First Presbyterian Church, wood
block will be the probable form of
pavement laid by the Public Service
Corporation on Day street between
Main and William streets, in return
for permission to build an extension
to the single track turnout at that
point. When asked IL they would
consent to shoulder the cost of re-
paving that portion of the street, the
Public Service officials replied that
1t would depend somewhat on the
nature of the paving desired.
DR.. Townsend explained that 1t was
next to impossible to deliver a SER
mon in the church, which is situated
at the corner of Main and Day streets
in the heart of the city's business
section, with pavement of grouted
granite or Belgian block to increase
the noise of passing traffic. \ He then
humorousiy narrated how the church.
which is more than two hundred
years old, had been threatened sue
cessively by Indians and British sol
diers, of how next two trolley lines
had been laid past the edifice, and
of how finally a fire alarm gong had
been placed Immediately outside on
the corner. Action on the matter was
deferred.
MILLBURN