Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-29
DRANFORD PLACE
WAS PROJECTED
BY REPUBLICANS
Opening and Extension of New
Thoroughfare Was Urged by
Mayor Lebkuecher.
DR.. KRAEMER POINTS TO
NEWS MISREPRESENTATION
Charges of Extravaganza in
Connection With Improvement
Refuted by Commissioner.

At the ten meetings addressed by
him last night, DR.. Charles +. Krae-
mer, president of the Board OF
Works. gave a detailed answer to
the statements made in the Newark
Evening News yesterday regarding
| the opening of Branford place. The
| speaker placed particular stress
upon the fact that the project for
the opening of Branford place was
started by the Republican party, and
CHALLENGED the editor of the News to
meet him in public and debate the
question or extravaganza.
DR.. Kraemer declared that, as
usual, the article appearing in the
News was gross slander and a mis-
representation of facts. Il will carry
this fight to the very last stage of
the game" said DR.. Klaemer, and
will allow the people to decide
whether the Board of Works has
been extravagant or economical"
The president of the board review
ed the first attempt to open Bran
ford place, and then, step by step,
he told of the increased traffic and
the way and means by which the
long dream became a reality. In re-
viewing the matter DR.. Kraemer
said:
81 want to take this OCCASION" said
Mr.. Kraemer, ITO refute those state
ments bearing on the charges of ex-
travagance, and in one particular in
stance on the opening of Branford
place at the cost of a million dollars.
To Parallel Market street.
''Branford place was the creation
of the mind of Mayor Lebkueoher 1t
was his idea TO create parallel street
to Market street, and to open up a
new avenue for traffic, which was To
run from Ferry street to Springfield
avenue. For long time the matter
was debated back and forth and came
up for final hearing before my ad
vent in Republican Board of Works.
I'm 1911 1t came before us in final
shape for the vote. The board had d
Republican majority and was
minority member. But ! want to say
right here that I would not have
.MaDtcd 10 vete against the project II
could have done SO and could have
defeated the measure. contend that
IT is one OF the best and most neces-
sary improvements we have had, and
I say that even though II originated
with Republican administrations
1T is dishonest to call the Branford
place Improvement 'extravaganee,'
and it is false to say that it Is use
less, for the opening of this great
new artery right through the heart
of the congested city will be continued
just as soon as the final word has
been spoken in the higher courts.
when we wanted TO continue east
of Broad street, to open up Mechanic
street, our work was obstructed by
the Pennsylvania Railroad. The Penn
sylvania Railroad, without a deed to
show, without any proceedings what
soever, had usurped three streets near
its depot on Market street.
Won Court victory.
As soon AS we discovered that they
had no documentary evidence to back
their claims, and as they could not
be persuaded to let the city go ahead
with this important improvement by
compromising on a reasonable basis,
we took the matter to court IT was
a hard fought battle. The great cor
poration arrayed its best legal talent
against the city and, gentlemen, our
law department won out.
Not satisfied, however, the case
was appealed by the railroad and Is
now pending. With the justice of our
claim, with the able defense of the
city's interests by our legal repre-
sentatives, 1t seems but reasonable to
assume that we will win in the end.
THE minute the final decision in
the case comes to our notice we will
go ahead with the work of bringing
to conclusion this great Improvement,
the long-discussed highway parallel
to Market street, which will help
bringing the Hill section nearer to
the Ironbound District. in particular
for heavy trucking, and greatly re-
lieve the traffic CONGESTION at the Four
Corners.
The first move TO open up Bran
ford place was not q matter of snap
Judgment. 1t was not jammed down
the throats of the taxpayers 1t was
the outcome of mature deliberation
and was consummated only after
thorough public discussions. The
project has received the Endorsement
Of the Board of Trade the City Plan
ming Commission, the latter a body OF
wholly disinterested men. A Repub-
lican board passed the necessary reso-
luton to go ahead. Therefore, you
see, the published statement is a
patent falsification of facts, in keep
ing with other statements of this
character from the same source.
Relief 10 "Four Corners"
"There is not o merchant, there is
not q person in the vicinity of that
new thorougIfare who is not abso-
lutely in favor of the Improvement.
we had public hearings galore;1 we
heard civic and other associations
and individual citizens, and only after
unanimous agreement of opinion
did we proceed. This great new ave-
nue.. now in the shaping, will give
great relief at the Four Corners; 1t
will distribute traffic. Mechanic street
will be widened to eighty feet, and
from Ferry street all the way to
Springfield avenue we will then have
a. continuous highway that not only
will give better traffic connection
with the Hill II will, above all.
be a highway where the grade will
not be prohibitive to heavy traffic.
''The misstatements made concern
ing this improvement shainelessly
misrepresent facts, but | am confident
that the public cannot be fooled by
them. Slander and misrepresentation
-x.or no ION nVlt ~