Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-01-31
PENNSY MAY GIVE
Up BIG TERMINAL
Jersey City Up in Arms Over
Railroads Proposed
Plan.
ALLEGED SCHEME BROUGHT
OUT AT HEARING TODAY
As Result Lehigh Valleys Pc
tition for Change Is
Laid Over.

That the Pennsylva ala Railroad
Company intends to alb andon its ele-
waited tracks and big teAminal station
IN Jersey City. as far as passenger
traffic is concerned, was the state
ment made to the Public Utility Com
mission, in session at the Court
House today, by State Senator Will
lam c. Gebhardt, of Hunterdon
county. and Thomas G. Haight, as
sistant corporation counsel of Jersey
trffy sMi
The matter came up on the appli-
cation of the Lehigh Valley railroad
to a bandon the use of the Exchange
place terminal of the Pennsylvania in
Jersey City and use instead the Cen
trail Railroad of New Jersey terminal
at Communipaw, and also to aban-
don the use of the Market street sta
ton in this city and use instead the
new station erected by the Lehigh
Valley at Meeker and Elizabeth ave-
nues, this city. The city Of Newark
was not officially represented at the
meeting nor were any citizens pres
emit to protest in person against the
removal of the Lehigh Valley station
from Market street to the southerly
part of the city.
But Jersey City, seeming the en-
tire abandonment of the big ter
minal at Exchange place, was there
represented by Senator Gebhardt,
who. though a resident of Hunterdon
county, has his offices in Jersey City,
and Mr.. Haight, and such strong ar
guments did they put up that action
on the application was postponed for
two weeks. at which time the off,
cials of the Pennsylvania railroad will
be asked to present and throw fur-
Their light on the proposed abandon
ment of the big terminal.
Lehigh Forced to Abandon Terminal.
1t was brought out for the first
time officially today that 1t was at
the behest of the Pennsylvania Of
ficials that the Lehigh Valley was
forced to make a new arrangement
for a terminal to reach New York
CITY through connection with the Cen
trail Railroad of New Jersey.
In 1894 the Lehigh Valley made
contract with the Pennsylvania for
use of track and depot facilities be-
tween Frelinghuysen avenue, this
city. and the Jersey City terminal.
This contract was yearly one, and
provided that 1t could be terminated
by a six months notice on the part of
either company.
r.. w. Barrett, assistant to the gen
eral counsel of the Lehigh Valley
today read letter dated January l6.
1912, from w. w. Atterbury, fourth
vice-president of the Pennsylvania,
In which notice was given to the Lee
nigh Valley that the agreement be-
tween the companies would be ter
minated on August 1. 1912. On May
%. 1912, the time of vacation was ex-
tended to January l. 1918, and has
since been extended to May !, 1913,
by which time the Lehigh Valley will
have established the necessary track
connections with the Central of New
Jersey to enable them to run their
trains to the Communipaw terminal.
Mr.. Barrett, for the Lehigh VAL
ley, said his company had already
entered into a contract with the
Central Railroad of New Jersey and
was bound by 1t. He was asked if
the Lehigh Valley would willingly
give up the use of the Pennsy track
and terminals He sidestepped the
question, but in submitting copies of
tho new agreement with the Central
road he volunteered the statement
that the monetary terms of the
agreement would cost the company
more than the price paid for use of
the Pennsylvania facilities.
Mr.. Haight was the first to take
up the cudgels for Jersey City. He
said that the Pennsylvania was
showing by its actions that it intend
ed at least to "constructively aban-
don the Jersey City Exchange place
terminal in that it already had
taken practically all of its passenger
trains out of it and that passengers
from Western points bound for Jer-
sey City had to transfer to Hudson
tube trains at Manhattan transfer
or else go through to New York and
hack by tube to Jersey City.
Further, Mr.. Haight said that the
Communipaw station Of the Jersey
Central is practically inaccessible to
Jersey City travellers, as to reach it
il was necessary to first go to New
York by tube or ferry and then take
Central ferry to the terminal. The
only other way to reach it was by
roundabout street-car rides, taking
the greater part of an hour.
Senator Gebhardt said; II find that
there is a sentiment all the way from
Phillipsburg to Jersey City against
allowing the Lehigh Valley to make
a change in it's terminal arrange
ments 1t appears plainly to me
that the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany should be made party to these
proceedings in order to determine
whether or not the Public Utility
Commission has the right to say
whether or not the Pennsylvania has
the right to abandon the Exchange
place terminal and elevated tracks in
Jersey City.
I'm my opinion, the Pennsylvania