The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1913-05-06
COMMISSION AFTER
COURTS RAlLROAD
Utilities Board Threatens to
Stop Its Service.

An interesting situation may arise
over the operation Of the New Jer
sey & Pennsylvania railroad. The
state utilities commission has given
the railroad two weeks within which
to begin extensive repairs to itf
u property or It's operation will be- sus.
pended. Frederic v Pitney is re
5eeiver Of the road which is now in
the hands of the court. Mr.. Pitney
will place the mAtter before the court
and IL ordered to continue the opera.
tion vii do so fegntdless or orders
from the state utilities board
The Immediate expenditures which
the board regards, as necessary tc
put the road ifi9even q moderately
I safe condition will approximate $40.
900.
The board made the following com
mdpt in justification of its apparent
ly drastic action:-
"This particular railroad property
has occasioned the board no little
solIcitude for some time. The phys
icaf condition of the track and many
OF the bridges have been reported on
Sunfavorably for several years past
The knowledge of the financial straitl
of the company has induced the board
to exercise a degree of forbearance
that would have been out of ques'
SFion under ordinary circumstances.
: THE board sought to lessen the
danger of accident by restricting the
speed of trains operated over the
road. Unfortunately the grades upon
the road at places are fairly steep.
and where the approach to a steep
upgrade is over bridge, our inspec-
fr,p,o ,ny~t f,of fro; ;x. 60 xr<
at times over the bridge structure
ty."
The order of the board is the out
come of hearing given at the state
house, April 18th. At that time it
was b'ought out that the railroad,
which runs between Whitehouse and
Watp ,ng, distance of twenty-four
miler, is in dilapidated condition,
botf as to equipment and trackage.
Conditions were not denied by Fred
eric " Pitney, receiver of the com
psny, who contended, however, that
Il was impossible to improve them
because of lack of money. The road
has been operated at continual loss
and upon several occasions has bare
ly escaped going out of business en-
!, tirely.
i Chief Inspector McKelyey, of the
zsboard, estimated that 1t would cost
approximately $500 net to put the
trackage in reasonably safe condi-
ton, while both Mr.. McKelvey and
1.-THE boards engineer on bridges esti-
smated that immediate necessary re-
pairs to make the bridges safe for
the present limited loads would re-
Quire an expenditure of $10,205. The
engineer further estimated that to
put the bridges in safe condition for
carrying 100000 pounds coal cars in
train, with no restriction as to their
loaded capacity, would involve an
exenditure of $29,411
The question of raising even the
minimum amount of $18,705 is a
problem which the board fully con-
sidered before issuing the order. The
members concluded, however, that it
would be improper to temporize
longer, and therefore issued the or
der giving the company two weeks
within which to begin needed repairs.
At the same time the company, un-
less it suspends all traffic, must give
a reasonable assurance that the re-
pairs can be pushed to early COM
pletion, August 18th being fixed as
the limit within which they must be
made.
Because of the financial condition
of the road the board refused to
make an order requiring the COM
pany to erect fences along its tracks
where it passes through two farms.
The complaint regarding the fences
was lodged by Benjamin r. Tubbs
and another property owner.