Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-01-22
OVER THE
EARNINGS CLAUSE
IN TROLLEY PLAN
Commissioner GiIlen Wants
Gross Receipts Substituted
for Gross Earnings

Members of the Board of Works
and representatives of the Public
Service Corporation argued for sew
eral hours today over the new blanket
agreement to be made between the
city and corporation in regard to the
various franchises asked for by the
Public Service. The franchises are
needed to carry out the large plan for
a trolley terminal and rerouting. of
lines.
The question of rerouting lines and
the transfer problem absorbed most
of the two hours the men were in con-
ference today. Commissioner Charles
p. Gillen, OF the Board of Works, and
John l. 0'Toole, representing the
traction company. got into a debate
at the outset over the term gross
earnings of the corporation. Mr..
Gillen eontended that it should be
corrected to gross receipts"
1t was pointed out by the commits
sioner that the railway company
might sec fit to deduct from the re-
ceipts the amounts paid out in sal
aries to conductors, motormen, in
speetors and other expenses and to
term the balance gross earnings
Mr. OToole asserted that it would
stitute the word receipts for earn
ings in the blanket agreement. be
cause the amount realized by the
company on the sale of parcel of
land 1t holds, or the sum gained by
the sale of a load of scrap iron, were
certainly receipts, although such sums
had nothing TO do with the actual
trolley traffic income. Mr.. Gillen
asked that this question be referred
to the law department of the city, so
that the board might be advised in
the matter.
The blanket agreement states that
any subsequent plans of the traction
company for the rerouting of trolley
lines must be submitted to the Board
of Works for approval. This part of
the agreement was also contested.
without any decision being reached.
The legal atmosphere of the meet
ing was cleared for a few moments
when President Charles f. Kraemer
read a clause whereby the company
agreed to replace granite block paw
ing on any street where it was re-
moved temporarily to make improve
ments.
BE sure that's granite block that's
put back every place where 1t is
removed, grinned Commissioner Pat
rick II. Ryan who has for months
stood with Mayor Hausslng on the
objections to paving Broad street
with wood block.
Somebody will think that you have
gone into the granite block business
yourself IL you keep on talking about
it much loRcef.o said Cotnmissloner
Gillen. while his colleagues and
others present joined in the laugh
The problem of fixing date on
which the agreement is to be dated
was finally turned over to City Coun
sci James r. 'Nugent. for his opinion.
l.. ID. Howard Gilmour. of counsel
for the Public, Service. declared that
in his opinion the agreement should
be dated from the day the necessary
ordinance (to make the agreement a
law) is passed. Several commission
ers objected to this and, the question
went the way Of several other prob
lens which it was decided to thresh
out after the regular meeting of the
Board of Works.
Others present at the meeting were
Matthew r. Boylan. auditor of the
Public Service; City Engineer Morris
r. Sherrerd. and Board of Works
Commissioners Arthur II. Denman
and Albert H Biertuempfel