Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-09-19
UTILITY BOARD
TO FORCE ERIE
IMPROVEMENTS
Railroad Notified That 1t Will
Have to Comply With the
State Laws.
Special to the Evening star.

Special TO the Evening Star.
TRENTON. Sept 19.-The disincli-
nation of the Erie railroad to adopt
suggestions of the State Board of
Public Utility Commissioners has
caused the board to notify the COM
pany that the laws of New Jersey re-
quiring the Utility Commission to see
that safe. adequate and proper SER
vice is maintained by all railroads will
be strictly enforced. The refusal of
the Erie TO comply with suggestions
made by the utility board is the most
fragrant of its kind since the forma-
ton of the old railroad commission,
the predecessor of the Board of Pub
lie Utility Commissioners.
The controversy between the State
board and the railroad company was
occasioned by the board raising the
question as to the safety of the bridge
of the New York, Susquehanna and
Western Railroad Company, crossing
the Hackensack river. The board in
sists that the condition of the bridge
makes travel exceedingly dangerous.
Refuses to Follow Orders.
The company. on the other hand, re-
fuses to acknowledge that such is the
case, and through its counsel, former
Assemblyman Duane e. Minard, in
forms the board that the Erie Rail
road Company has confidence in its
own ability to repair bridge prop
erly, to design repairs and to execute
the work; that it will not accept the
direction of the New Jersey Commits
sion in respect to these matters; that
1t does not care to take the time to
make a study of the recommendation
made by the engineer Of the Utility
Commission regarding every bridge
repair that arises. and that 1t Will not
do so: that inasmuch as the commits
sion has no Jurisdiction in the matter.
it should cease to make recommended
tons as to how work should be done
Each one of these recommendations
although disregarded in the end. in
wolves a material amount of work and
occupies a material amount of time
and correspondence"
Interpreted rs Open Defiance.
The above quotation, Mr.. Minard
states, comes from 1.-THE proper de-
partment'' and the utility commission
has assumed that it is not an eX-
preston of opinion by the legal de-
partment as to the jurisdiction of
dicates a policy which an authority
beyond the legal department has di-
rected shall be pursued.
In its reply to the railroad the util-
ity commission briefly outlines it's
power. "In order, however" con-
tinues the board, that there may be
no misunderstanding you are hereby
notified that the law of this State
gives this board power to require
company to furnish safe, ade
quate and proper service, and to keep
and maintain its property and equip
ment in such condition as to enable
It to do so. The board does not re-
gard this power as 50 limited in
scope, that, If a weak railroad bridge
is being built it must refrain from
action until the bridge is completed
and lives are placed in jeopardy
through trains in passing over it.
Engineer at Odds.
The bridge in question was ex.
amined by the engineer of bridges of
the state board and declared by him
to be in a dangerous condition. The
company's bridge engineer
took issue with the boards engineer.
Then the board employed H. W.
Hodge, of the bridge engineering firm
of Boiler, Hodge and Baird, to ex-
anime the bridge. Mr.. Hodge said
that the company had been fortunate
that no accident had occurred. The
then employed j. e. Greimer
to examine the bridge, and it was Mr..
Greimer's opinion that while the
bridge, he regarded. was safe when
he examined it he did not know that
it would be safe the following week or
and he expressed the opinion
that there should be no delay in max
ing repairs.