Palisadian. [volume] (Cliffside Park, N.J.) 1906-current, 1915-07-17

DeCWeeIl CIe COHlIIllCCtc ISPi SoCiiohiS
the Eastern Bergen County Improve
ment Association and the represent
atives of the Public Service Corpora
ton on a reduction of fares on the
Fort Lee Ferry. Under this arrange
ment more than 1000 daily patrons
of the ferry will be benefited by an
immediate decrease in rates and share
in an aggregate saving of not less
than $4,000 a year. Some persons
figure the saving as high as $4,000
a year, but this is not conceded by
the owners of the ferry. The indi-
vidual saving will be eighty-five cents
a month, or 5000 year.
Whether this scheme shall be put
in operation and this vast saving be
begun, perhaps by the middle OF Au-
gust, depends upon the action of the
Board of Freeholders at its next
meeting. Delay by the Freeholders
would mean at least postponement OF
the enjoyment of the benefits, while
a rejection would cause the entire
plan to fall through, and the public
would have to await the result OF
litigation that might last four or five
years without any one getting par
ticle of relief.
Under the proposed arrangement
the Public Service Corporation will
issue tickets good for an average OF
fifty-two rides each month, or for all
the working days, for $1.75. The
ticket must be used by the holder and
is not good on Sundays and legal holi-
days. At present fifty-two rides cost
$3.50, so that each holder of ticket
will save eighty-fve cents a month.
The Eastern Bergen Committee stood
out for a long time for family ticket
but this was refused by the Public
Service Corporation. The company
at first insisted on a three and one
half cent rate, or $1.82 for fifty-two
rides, but finally agreed to the $1.75
rate.
From the very start the represent
atives of the Eastern Bergen Asso-
citation were agreed that the tickets
" ere not to be good on Sundays and
legal holidays. They offered this as
one of the concessions in compro-
mise, taking the ground that the
great crowds that come to New
Jersey on these days are an expense
rather than a benefit, in that in many
cases they make necessary more police
protection. The Mayors were espe-
cially interested in giving immediate
relief to the Wage-earners and bread
winners who cross the ferry on week
days, and this is what they have OBJ
tanned for more than 1000 patrons
of the ferry.
At the start the committee repre-
senting the Eastern Bergen Associa-
ton was not in favor of making any
concessions in the matter of rates.
But they soon found that if the mat
ter of rates were taken to the courts
they would not only have to fight
with the Public Service Corporation,
but the city of New York. Indeed,
the city of New York was a more
bitter foe than the owners of the
fer y. The Public Service Corpora
tiol showed disposition to make a
compromise, while the City of New
Yor, held out for it's pound of flesh
in the way of rental for the ferry
terminal at One Hundred and Thir-
tieth steet. 1t would not bulge from
that position. All the mayors who at
tend, hearings before the New York
Sin ing Fund Comm ss.on reported
that there was no hope of getting
any concession from the city in the
way of reduced dock rental.
II seemed a hopeless task to fight
both the Public Service Corporation
and the City of New York. The city
not only refused to reduce its rental,
but it took the ground that its Of
ficials and not the Board of Free
holders, have the power to fix rates
a question that was not raised in the
Bay onne case.
In consideration of all these facts
the committee of the Eastern Bergen
Association decided it the better pol
icy to accept the terms above men,
toned and to recommend their APP
proval by the Board of Freeholders
Even this was not finally decided
upon until Thursday evening of last
week when conference, presided over
by Jack L. Fox, Director of the Board
of Freeholders, was held in the Court
House at Hackensack.
Representing the Eastern Bergen
Association were Mayors Willis, chair
man of the Ferry Committee of the
organization; Huyler, of Tenafy;
White, of Fort Lee; Budds, of Pail
sades Park, and Osler, of Leonia, and
Vincent B. Kelly, Secretary of the
Association. Mayor Ropes, of Engle-
wood Cliffs, was unable to be present.
The Freeholders were represented by
their special counsel, Arthur M.
Agnew, and by Freeholders Bender,
of Cliffside, chairman of their Ferry
Committee; Lahm, of Fort Lee;
Wunsch, of Englewood Cliffs; Clus,
of Leonia; Gantert, of Edgewater;
Van Bussim and one or two others.
Edmund w. Wakelee and General SUI
perintendent Bolen represented the