Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1914-12-23
INDUCEMENTSFOR
EDISON TO REMAIN
Nest Orange Assures Wizard
Of Better Fire Protection
for Plant.

N tie shape OF Inducements &c
Tnornas A. Edison for the lnventoI
f5 reconstruct his burned buildings
ma remain in West Orange, the West
,5nanEe Towu Council last night
1iaeed itself en- record by resolution
Is fagoring the installation of q
asganty- -foW-lnch water main near tue
Hiant and paving tle principal street
sading 10 the factory with Belgian
aock
rhe carrying out u The provisions
ia the measure will be left 70 the
council of 1910,
Preceding the adoption Of the reso=
.ution, Carl r. Wilson. Vice-presi-
dent of the Thomas \. Edison In
eorporated. Impressed upon the OF
fscials the importance of the noun
ain suburb guaranteeing the oihelals
VI the various Edison interests proper
protection against a repetition Of the
disastrous Conflagration q Two weeks
sgo.
Fortified with figures, Mr. Wilson
enumerated how the plant pays about
1ne-thlrd Of the taxes in the town
zach year; how the assessments
saingt The concerns properties have
SCARED greatly for the past seven
ears; the number Of hands the firm
al0Dloys from time 10 time, and the
anaount OF the companies payrolls.
Should Mr. Edison be made to feel
there Is T. sincere tendency On the
bart Of tha town 60 do all possible
10 help him extend bis works ne VIII
10 so. Mr. Wilson said. lie then told
low the firm, provided the town does
IS share in Offering amble protection
against serious fires, proposes to erect
cabinet factory costing thousands
# dollars, which viii mean 70 per
cent. increase in the frm's payroils
by January /, 1915.
When MIR. Wilson had finished, the
9lHcials learned from Alexander Pot
TOR. who has been investigating
whether the municipality is able 90
establish its own water plant, that
his can be done. though the expert
g8Vised against the town taking UP
fae project. explaining IL Is possible
Tor the municipality 10 purchase its
scpply almost as cheapiy as " would
cost 10 build and maintain one
According TO Mr Wilson'S figures
SINGS 1907 the firm has turned over
10 tire town for taxes approximately
s.82.591
Last year the firm paid for assess
ments s21,477 alone. From 1907 70
fiis year the Thomas 4. Edison, Inc.
laid $50, ,59S: the laboratory for the
,&me time $40. .223 and the Storage
Battery Company Tor two years S. 0eo.
The taxes were levied on valuations
from s152150 to $4,000.
Dispelling the fear that the noted
inventor might accept Inducements
rom other municipalities TO locate
zone of his works within their bor-
ders. Mr.. Wilson said 1t is out OF the
.,seation for the firm to leave West
,iranre
"Bat. he went On "'7e main q9es-
ION involved is how FAR snail we go
md how much We shall rebuild.
'syYe are nor pleading Tor reductions
n taxes" ne continued, but are
sit.ng what we feel We are entitled
10 and what We ought 70 have
Previous 10 lhe IRE at the plant.
sIr. Wilson explained. the payroll OF
.Ae firm tota ed d0out o,e00, repre-
senting wages for about $500 en-
yloyes should the firm erect the
.abinet factory, M. Wilson said, the
payroll would bs swelled TO $SA, ,ooo IN
9i6 and approximately $3.50 hands
would be employed
Mr.. Wilson was gTatiiied with the
sct OF the conncil in adopting the
-esoluiion proy ding for the tnstata
son OF the big water main and The
Of Lakeside avenue. which
" had said previously was a positive
necessity because the street in it,
resent shape IS unable 10 Withstand
ruclls. heavily laden with gonts .
rom the plant, passing over It