Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-10-01
ALDERMEN WANT
THE WHOLE SAY
ON THE J|TNEYS
Plan to Pass Ordinance De-
signed to Supercede Board
of Works Draft.
MAYOR RAYMOND'S VETO
MAY BE A FACTOR
VIII Ask Legal Advice and in
Meantime Hold Off on Set
ting License Fee.

Conflict between the Common Coun-
ell and the Board of Works over which
body has the right to regulate the
jitney busses, with the possibility of
the Common Council passing an ordi-
nance intending to supersede that al
ready enacted by the Board of Works
on the proposition, is a possibility of
the near future. Action presag ging this
end was taken by the members of the
license committee of the council last
night, and it is believed that they will
have Mayor Thomas l.. Raymond and
City Counsel Spaulding Frazer on
their side. While a decision is being
arrived at there will be no effort
made to license the jitneys.
City Counsel Frazer added a now
angle to the discussion today by de-
claring in favor OF two ordinances,
the one passed by the Board of
Works and q new one to be passed
by the Common Council. He further
says that he gave no opinion that the
Board of Works did not have tho
power to regulate the jitneys, which
is strange assertion in view of the
nance. In order to clarity the situ-
alton, the mayor, members of the
Board of Works and City Counsel
Frazer will hold a conference with
the license committee of the council
in the near future.
An opinion from Mr.. Frazer IL
to be sought by the license COM
mittee, however. as TO its powers
with regard to regulating the jitneys.
1t was upon City Counsel Frazers
opinion that Mayor Raymond vetoed
the Board of Works jitney ordinance,
the latter declaring that the Common
Council was the body that should
pass the ordinance. The mayor is still
of that opinion, although the Board
of Works passed the ordinance over
his veto. His position was largely
strengthened when State Motor Ve-
hicle Commissioner William l.. Dill
this week, In approving tile ordinance
passed by the Board OF Works, stated
specifically that he did not pass on
taia question OF which city Dody had
the right TO enact the ordinance, and
concluded by saying that this was a
point for the courts to decide.
Committee Ask for Conference.
llb COuIlcll lBSt DIR1E de-
cided to hold a conference with the
Board of Works in an endeavor to
thresh out the matter. This followed
a statement -.y.li Paul G.. Roder, for
mer counsel for the Jitney Service
Association of this city, that under
the laws of 1912 the governing board
or'body Of the city had the power to
license and regulate automobiles
which operate for hire. 1t was this
legal interpretat ton OF the law which
led the aldermen to believe that an
other ordinance fixing the license fee
and providing certain regulations
could be passed by the Common Coun-
ell.
Meanwhile the ordinance which the
license committee has in mind will
not be reported to the council until a
decision Is reached. IF IL is the opinion
of the city counsel that the Common
Council has the right to regulate the
Jitneys, as well as fix a license, the
committee will recommend an ordi-
nance which will be intended to super
sede the one passed by the Board OF
Works.
Mr.. Roder was the first to address
the committee last night. He said
he had severed his connection as
counsel for the Jitney Service Asso-
citation, but he still maintained an
interest In the problem.
"The ordinance is generally salts
factory to majority of the jitney
men, with the possible exception of
the fees, which are fixed from $50 to
S125," he said. These fees are posi-
lively prohibltive. The jitney men
have their biggest business from TO
8, II to 2 and 8 to o'clock, so that
actually they are not making enough
money in the other hours of the day
to pay for their operating expense.
Objection is made to fixing particular
routes over which iitneys may be op-
Grated This is a hardship on the
Continued on Paeg II. Column ID