Perth Amboy evening news., 1913-03-11
SAY CROSSING
BILL NOT FAIR
Railroads Object to Being
Forced to Pay Entire Cost
of Elimination.
FIELDER BILL HEARING
Has Already Passed Senate
and is Now Pending in
the House.
fFrom the NEWS Correspondent,

Trenton, March 11.---Actins
Governor James F. Fielder, who as
senator from Hudson county, has in
sisted on a grade crossing elim1na-
tion law that puts practically all the
expense of such elimination upon the
railroad companies, was charged
with being unconsciously unfair III
this proposition, at the hearing yes
terday afternoon before the Assem-
bly, Judiciary Committee on the
Fielder bill. The charge was made
by j. e. Reynolds, counsel for the
New Jersey Central and the Reading
Railroad Company. He claimed the
Fielder bill, which has already pass
ed the Senate, is most unfair in put
ting all the expense of grade cross
ing removal upon the railroad COM
pany. The measure provides that
the Public Utility Commission shall
have power to order the removal OF
dangerous grade crossings, after a
hearing, the entire expense to be
borne by the railroad companies, af-
ter a hearing, the entire expense to
be borne by the railroad companies.
except where trolley road uses the
crossing, where 1t is necessary to re-
lay or relocate municipal pipes or
subways or where the order shall re-
Quire changes In telegraph. tele-
phone, gas or other pipe lines.
The expense Of relaying municipal
pipes Is to be borne by the munich
pality. In case a trolley road uses
such crossing q share OF the expense,
not exceeding ten per cent IS to be
borne by the trolley company, while
telegraph, telephone or other pipe
line companies are to bear the ex-
pense of relaying their pipes.
Senator Fielder is unconsciously
unfair In advocating bill placing
all the expense upon the railroad
companies" declared Mr.. Reynolds,
because he has not had the time to
give the matter proper study. If he
had studied the question from both
sides, believe he would think diff
ferently. Senator Fielder evidently
has been Influenced by the clack OF
few mayors who are agitating this
matter and thinks, that is public
opinion"
Mr.. Reynolds, former Senator Will
liam D. Edwards, OF Jersey City; M.
M. Stallman, representing the Lack
awanna railroad, and other railroad
counsel, fought hard for bill that
would make the state and the mu-
inequalities pay share of grade
crossing removal. They insisted
that the city should be required to
pay some small share OF the expense
az salutary check on extravaganza
In their demands upon the railroad
tao tn, ~ q
an illustration that there would be
such extravagant demands, Mr..
Reynolds cited case in Elizabeth.
He referred to several grade cross
ings in Elizabeth removed few
years ago where streets were de-
pressed and to the cost OF which the
city contributed several thousand
dollars. The city authorities in that
case were content with a twelve foot
headway under the railroad, because
to elevate the road higher would
have meant much additional expense.
Mr.. Reynolds contended that later
the railroad company offered to elm
mate grade crossing In far less
important part OF the city entirely
at Its own expense and the city de-
manded thirteen foot clearance, al
though 1t put upon the railroad COM
pany a serious engineering problem.
Citing Elizabeth further. Mr..
Reynolds said that his company had
offered to eliminate the dangerous
crossings at izabethport, If the city
would contribuate 100000 for the
necessary street changes that be-
longed exclusively to the municipal
ity. AS showing the great cost to
the railroad company. he said this
work would cost his company s3,-
100000 with an annual charge ad-
ditional Of $150.000 for interest and
100000 for taxes, while the saving
to the company In dispensing with
flagmen and gatemen and in stop
ping the payment of accident dam
ages, would not be one-quarter OF
one per cent.
Former Senator Edwards, who
represented the Raritan River, and
other railroad companies, agued that
the Assembly Judiciary Committee
should amend the bill 30 that the
companies should pay eighty per
cent of the cost. the state fifteen
per cent and the municipality five
per cent, but that In no year the
amount to be expended by the state
for this purpose to exceed $250,000.
He also claimed that II was unfair
II the railroad companies were to be
compelled to pay all the expense. to
fow Str,v