Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-06-20
Await DECISI0NON
IRVINGTON APPEAL
Utility Commission May Not
Determine Need of Train Ser
vice Until Fall.


Puolic Utility Commission for sew
eru months The hearing was helC
yesterday in Jersey City. Briefs vii
be fled by Charles I'll. Stewart coun-
sci for the petitioner. and Ralph "
Barrett. assistant general solicitor
for the railroad. on July 10.
Representative from Irvlnstou ant
the Clinton Hill section of this city
presented their case at the morning
session yesterday.
Rebutting the testimony of the
eomplainants, \. NJ King, division
engineer of the Lehigh Valley Rail
road. testified that the Clinton ave
nue. freight depot in Irvington and
the track spur running TO West Eliz-
abeth are in no Wise suited to pas
senger service. He declared the ROAD
has a > per cent. grade and that there
is no roundhouse or turnstile in the
freight yards such as are used Tor
passenger trains. Cross-eNamined by
Mr.. Stewart, Mr.. King admitted the
grade is not prohibitive, nor is a
1oundhouse necessary.
Nj. c. Roach. superintendent oil the
New York division, declared that the
establishment OF passenger service
over the freight spur would seriously
interfere with the freight service. In
his opinion the train service would
be unsatisfactory at the best to bolh
passengers and company. \ shuttle
train from Trvingtou to West Eliza
beth would cost $50 per day 10 oper-
ate. A speed OF but fifteen miles an
hour could be maintained and block
signals for the protection of the pub
lie would have to be installed. The
aVerred that the en-
tire trip from Irvington 70 New York
would require a minimum time OF
fifty three minutes.
Communication Rate 50.
Communication rates lrVinston To
New York. would cost 50 per month,
according to an estimate of T. L.
Hamann, assistant general passenger
agent. He added a SO monthly rate
for service from Irvington to the main
line junction at West Elizabeth, from
which the monthly Communication to
New York is Sc.
1Ir. Barrett conducted the
case against the petitioners.
He declared that his COM
pany is fighting the case not because
it wants to refuse PASSENGER service
TO the affected zone, but because the
railroad does not wish to De compelled
10 iuaugurate necessarily IN
a dequate service and thereby enrage
The citizens" He declared thal 4
the company could afford 60 eSpenS
500 600 in the cons trdctiUn of d pas
senger station in frTington, relay It's
tracks, anu eliminate grades anu
curves. then there might De some use
m aSta olisDIng the service.
Briefs will be filed with the utility
board on July 10 by Nj Stewart Tor
the petitioners and Mr.. Barrett for
The railroad. A decision by The utility
board will probably not be rendered
before early fall
Nine representative from the lrV-
ington Board Of Trade and the Gin
ton Hill Improvement Association OF
Newark presented testimony at tile
session.
Walter ). Gray, secretary Of the
Irvinston board, testified that he had
sent out $500 return postal cards in
Irvington and 1000 cards in Newark in
an effort to find out if passenger SER
vice over the Lehigh Valley Railroad
would be patronized. He said that
from replies, representing about SO
persons, $50 had promised TO commute
over the road daily and the remain
Ing persons would use the service
from "three times a week" to coca.
sionaliy." The committee. he said,
had figured a monthly Communication
rate of $685.. based on the present rate
per mile now charged OH other lines
of the Lehigh Railroad and a time of
forty-four minutes in which to reach
New York.
Eleven Grade Crossings.
Alahlon 5. Drake, chairman Of the
special committee Of the trade board
which had the train project in charge,
sprung a surprise on the utilities
commissioners when he declared that
the Lehigh now has nine crossings at
grade over streets in Irvington. The
surprise was increased later when the
number Of grade crossings was said
10 be eleven.
Mr.. Drake averred that the rail-
road has an immense freight business.
He recalled that the railroad officials
had made q promise at the time
freight service was installed to estab-
lIsh passenger trains at a future date.
tIrVington has allowed the Lehigh
Valley 10 establish nine grade cross
ings ana the least the railroad might
do IS 10 give Us a six months trial
service to New York" declared Mr..
Drake.
From the standpoint Of a real es-
tate owner former Councilman Mi
chael \. Dougher told Of the need of
train service, while r. A. Thomas, of
the Oscar Barnett Foundry Company,
spoke Of the aid it would be to manu-
featuring interests.
Testimony Of inadequate trolley
facilities as one chief reason why
trains are needed was given by all
the witnesses. That the district is
adequately servei by trolley cars was
The chief argument entered by the
railroad in a letter to the Public
Utilities Commission Immediately
after the appeal for trains had been
fled. The company did not attempt
TO press this point at the hearing
An outburst of laughter came when
Attorney Barrett, for the railroad
suggested a bus service" on Clinton
avenue to augment the trolley service
From the standpoint Of the com
muter, Edward c. Reinfelder said he
was willing to accommodate himself
10 almost anything if he could &c
TO New York without using the troll
leys.
Great Aid TO District
Representing the Clinton Hill I'm
provenent Association, Thomas w
Linnett, jr., declared trains from
Irvington would be a great aid to +;
district containing $4,000 population
and believed the road would be wei
patronized. The improvers are uni
IN the demand for train service, h
gaid
Alderman Charles w Littleffeld
who has an Office directly opposit
the freight station, testified that tn
freight wards are congested wit
waIgons. due to the immense bushes
arld this would be greatly augmente
81 passenger service. because it Woul
bfing greater business opportunities
lie declared it useless to plead 70
DIETER trolley service because tn
district is too congested, and create
1rnllnN ser.1.icn cnuld NOT afford th