Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-11-22
READY TO PAY TO I
END DEATH-TRAPS
Orange Council Willing to Share
in Cost of Property
Damages.

With one vote in the negative, the
Orange Common Council last night
instructed its railroad committee to
negotiate with the Lackawanna Rail-
road for the removal of grade cross
ings on the understanding that the
city is willing to pay half the prop
erty damages incident to the removal
of the death traps providing the
cost does not exceed $4,000.
AS the railroad has already agreed to
start the work of elevating the tracks
If the city signed a contract to pay
half the damages to property, it is
almost a certainty that the crossings
will soon be abolished.
Two of the councilmen-Charles A.
LIE Master, minority leader, and Pat
rick A. Quinn-left the meeting be-
fore the final vote was taken. Mr..
Quinn, before he left, reiterated he
would not agree to the city paying a
single cent toward the removal of the
crossings. Councilman John Keister
voted against the resolution.
Two Councilmen Converted.
Councilrnen Daniel J. Gallagher and
P. Allen Smith. who always opposed
the city contributing toward abolish
Ing the crossings, announced they
were converted to the idea that the
city would benefit by paying half the
property damages and voted in favor
of. the plan. Mr.. Smith figured it
would be much cheaper for the city
to pay $4,000 than to have the lives
of five or six residents sacrificed each
year at the crossings before the
death traps were done away with
City Counsel Arthur B. Seymour,
who has represented the railroad COM
mittee at the conferences with the
officials of the Lackawanna, told the
councilmen that President Truesdale
positively declared the company will
not comply with the provisions of the
Fielder law providing for the removal
of grade crossings until the validity
of the bill is tested in the courts,
which may take number of years.
Mr.. Seymour said the officials are
willing to guarantee that the prop
erty damages will not exceed 0,000
and may be greatly below that figure.
Mr.. Seymour said that under the
provisions Of the Fielder law the city
would have to pay at least $4,000 for
attending to water and sewer pipes
after the tracks were elevated. He
was almost positive the city would
not be compelled to spend more than
$25, 600
He gave resume of the delibera-
lions of the railroad committee and
said the members feared that if they
waited until the courts took UP the
litigation 1t would mean that the
lives of the public would continue
TO be endangered. President John
G. Fineran, member of the COM
mittee, said he was convinced ii was
better to agree to pay toward the
work, though he was always opposed
to the idea.
Complains of Speed of Trains.
Mr.. Quinn declared he could see no
reason why the city should pay, de-
claring the railroad would benefit
the most by the improvement. I'VE
ought to get some protection while
waiting for the result of the litiga-
tlon,' said Mr.. Quinn. He declared
also the speed maintained bt the
trains as they pass through Orange
station Is excessive. IT am salts
piled to the Public Utility Commits
sion we could get some redress m
this matter
Councilman Owen Dolan opposed
giving the corporation anything. He
could not understand, he said, why
the officials insisted on doing so, as
the company would receive the full
benefit from abolishing the grade
crossings.
Though defeated In his attempt to
have the newspaper men excluded
Councilman Henry p. Stetson later
found a way to have a secret ses-
sion. After the Council deliberated
over the problem in the open for a
few minutes, Mr.. Stetson walked tn
the desk of each official and held
whispered conversations. Then he
moved that the Council adjourn to an
other room to confer with Mayor MUIR
ray. When a vote was taken a num-
Der of the councilmen changed their
previous vote and agreed to Mr. Stet-
sons plan.
To save the officials the trouble OF
going to another room the reporters
left the chamber. Mr.. Stetson since
he was elected to office has always
opposed the presence of reporters at
informal meetings when anything of
Importance was to be considered.
Following the session a number OF
the councilmen said Mr.. Stetson had
told them the reason he Id not want
the newspaper men present was that
he had something important 10 bring
out They declared the only thing
important" he did was to instruct
City Engineer Fred Crane to get plans
for the proposed improvement, which
were made public some time ago