Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-03-09
MADISON REFUSES
To GIVE UP STREET
RidgedaIe Avenue Residents
Stand Pat Against Lacka-
wanna's Proposed Changes.
Especial to the Evening stnr.I

Especial TO the Evening; Stnr.l
MADISON, March 9.-Continuing
in their policy of holding behind
closed doors all meetings which per-
tain TO the matter of the settling of
the present difficulties with the Lack
awanna railroad in relation to the
elimination of grade crossings here,
the railroad committee of the Com
mon Council Saturday evening held
an executive session in the Council
chamber to confer with the residents
of Ridgedale avenue, who have
objected in the pas to the closing OF
that street on account of the eleva-
ton. When a press representative
asked one of the town officials if he
might attend the hearing he was adj
vised not TO come Il hope you will
not come said the official las You
would be asked to retire, and | would
not want that to happen
When asked yesterday concerning
the outcome of the meeting. Mayor b.
d. Philhowerp stated that there was
no outcome. He said that the resi-
dents of Ridgedaie avenue still OBJ
; ieeted to tho closing of the street. ana
! that was all there was To 1T. The
committee has made 10 announce
1 ment of their position on the subject.
Tho residents who attended the
conference were George Cook, Alex
ander T. Crane, James r.. Burnet,
James Gardner Edward Schmidt and
Edward p Holden All these men
were present upon personal invitation.
All maintained the same position
that they took at a hearing held on
December 80 Mr.. Burnet stated that
the closing of this street would be a
detriment and a large inconvenience
to him. He declared that he used the
crossing at this street very much in
bringing hay and crops from his other
properties to his home in Ridgedale
avenue A. ". Crane favored semi
depression with viaducts at the street
| crossings. He thought that the tracks
could be depressed more here and cut
! above Ridgedale avenue. This, it is
! stated, is not feasible. Mr.. Holden
| thought there should be depression in
stead of elevation in the first place.
| Mr.. Gardner said that if the tracks
| were raised more than the company
at present proposes that there could
J be a crossing at Ridgedale avenue,
| and the damages would be less. If
| the street were TO be made over the
present proposed grade at that point
| the roadbed would nearly reatch the
| top of the house on Mr.. Schmidt's
| property.
/ The present condition is that there
/ is a deadlock between the contracting
/ parties in the matter Theresidents
! Will notb udge an inch in their de-
/ termination to have the street open.
/ This can best be done by raising the
| grade about four feet, as suggested
| by Engineer Unrue, This the rail-
road not only absolutely refuses to
/ agree to, but even refused to con-
slider II is stated that their only
reason for refusing is on the grounds
| of added expense to them Their
| added Expense would be somewhat
alleviated, according TO the engineers,
by the fact that It will give them a
much better grade.
\ prominent Madison man. who
holds a prominent public office, stated
to a representative Of the Star yes
terday that it was his opinion that
| if the town officials only sat tight"
their demands would finally he con-
ceded to. He called attention to the
beautiful station at Railway, which,
he stated, cost the residents compar-
atively little, He thought that all
that is needed is a little patience.
Matters have now reached that
point where residents are specializing
ON the result If the matter were re-
ferred to the Public Utilities Commits
sion.