Perth Amboy evening news., 1915-09-15
Estimates Submitted by Engi-
neers of Public Utility Com
mission at Hearing Held
in Newark Today.
IS OVER LOCAL ESTIMATE
City Officials Expect Speedy
and Favorable Decision for
the City on Elimination of
Dangerous R. R. Crossings.

1t will cost approximately
s556,000 to eliminate five dangerous
railroad grade crossings in this city,
according to estimates submitted by
the engineering department of the
State Board of Public Utility Com
missioners at hearing on the Perth
Amboy elimination case before the
commissioners at Newark today.
This amount is slightly higher than
that of the General Contracting &
Engineering Company's engineers,
representing the city, brought up
somewhat by the elimination of an
Elm street crossing near the Raritan
Copper Works. The city's case had
been scheduled to close today, but
neglect in filing duplicate of a lost
cross section map caused a further
adjournment until September 29,
when the commissioners will sit
again at Newark.
The estimates for the board pre-
Hented today were prepared by j. S.
Vogel, of its engineering depart
ment. Mr.. Mead, engineer for the
board, took the witness stand to ex-
plain the various sheets of the Vogel
amined by George Holmes, repre-
sentfng the Central railroad. The
attorney endeavored In vain to OBJ
tain from Mr.. Mead a statement of
the probable increase in cost If the
work was done on an eight-hour day
basis. Mr.. Mead said his estimates
we're based on unit prices and he
declined to express an opinion off
hand as to the increase. Neither
was he prepared to state the proba-
BILE time likely to elapse during the
changing Of grades as proposed. The
Lehigh Valley representatives and
the city attorney reserved the right
to cross-examine after they had had
opportunity to examine the esti-
mates.
The Central railroad representa-
tive offered as part of the record a
voluminous report of the army engi-
neers regarding the Newark bay
blidge project, claiming that 1t
might have some bearing on the
local case.
Working i'm Elizabeth.
The Central Railroad Company Of
New Jersey has done extensive work
in the vicinity of Newark and espe-
cially about Elizabeth. A question
due to be considered in deciding the
Perth Amboy case is as to whether
the Elizabeth or local work shall
have precendence. The Elizabeth
project had been started some
months ago, but there came halt, it
is alleged, when the city indicated
10
giving it's share of the cost to con-
duct the work. The Elizabeth case
was again borugth before the utility
commission and it was argued during
the past several months, each hear
ing being held few days after the
Perth Amboy case was brought up.
Was to Close Last June.
The Perth Amboy case was origi-
nally scheduled to have been closed
on June 80, last. When Counselor
Sumner for the utility board an
nounced that valuable cross sec
ton map showing lines of the pro-
posed new grades had been lost, 1t
was decided to have a new map pre-
pared 1t was held that this was ne
cessary in order to better estimate
quantities. For this reason the clos
ing of the case was deferred until to-
day. No other bitches are in sight
and it is believed that there will be
a speedy decision in the case, which
has now been pending before the
utility board for nearly three years.
Mayor Ferd Garretson, former
City Attorney c. c. Hommann, City
Attorney Andrew J. Wight and En-
gineer Hockey were present today in
behalf of the city.