Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-04-26
CRIT|C|SES LACK
OF CIVIC SPIRIT
BeIIeviIle Trade Board Also
Takes Fling at Town
Council.


Town Council in not adopting ordi-
nances relative to cleanliness in the
town, and deploring the lack of civic
pride manifested by the citizens in
general, the Belleville Board of Trade
went on record last night as favoring
a general "clean up" throughout the
town.
Myer C. Lyman Dennison started
the bali "arolling" when he voiced
his sentiments concerning the condi-
tions existing about the two depots on
the Newark branch of the Erie rail-
road. The lettering of conditions in
this respect has been the mayors
hobby for the last two years. Having
failed to arouse any enthusiasm
through three letters to the public, he
appealed to the board last night for
aid.
He said that, barring little patch
ing up here and there, no apparent
improvement had been made at the
Essex depot since 1878. He had APP
pealed to the railroad and the people,
time and again, in vain. he said. lie
requested that a committee be APP
pointed by the board to wait on the
officers of the railroad in the hope of
obtaining some consideration. The
board, in accord with the mayors
idea, appointed Henry II. Morgan, SUI
pervising Principal of Schools George
r. Girard and Dominic A. Walsh.
Many and conflicting were the opin-
ions given when Mr.. Girard requested
advice as to what the committee was
expected to accomplish. Mr.. Girard
said he did not know the general
opinion of the people, and pleaded
for advice as to whether the public
wanted the improvement OF the
Belleville depot; the Improvement OF
the Essex depot; the abolishing OF
both and having a more central one
erected, or the improvement of both.
In the avalanche of suggestions and
opinions that followed that offered
by John H. Coeyman, secretary OF
the Board of Health, caused the most
surprise. He said the committee
would receive no consideration from
the railroad officials, as the people
of Belleville did not give the Erie
road a Square DEAL" and conse-
quently were responsible for present
conditions.
The people in the lower section of
the town, he pointed out, committed
from North Newark station; those
in the western section from Forest
Hill and Soho stations, and those in
the northern section took a trolley
car to the Park Place terminal in
this city. Mr. Coeyman said that this
was responsible for the present con-
ditions. This does not tend, he said,
to show any increase in passenger
and freight traffic, which is always
guarantee of improvement. How
ever, he thought that an explanation
of these facts to the officials, to-
gether with an effort on the part of
the people to use their own stations
in town, would obtain some results.
That the conditions surrounding the
railroad stations are not the only
eye-sores in Belleville, but that the
streets Uttered with paper is still
worse condition, was the opinion of
Frank A. Chairman, who decried the
inactivity of the council In not en-
acting a law prohibiting the same.
Chester De Puy upheld Mr.. Clear
mans statements and declared that
lack of civic pride on the part of the
people, and the uncleanliness of the
town in general were the principal
reasons why he advocated annexation
to Newark. He thought that then
conditions would be remedied.
On motion of MIR. Morgan the sec
rotary was instructed to communi-
cate with the Town Council request
ing them to appoint committee to
act in conjunction with board COM
mittee in visiting the railroad
officials.