Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-25
PROTEST ORANGE
FRANCHISE TO
PUBLIC SERVICE
Frederick w. Kelsey Asks Free
holders to Give People
Square Deal.
HAS CRITICISM FOR
ORANGE COMMISSION
County Board Will Soon Start
Work Paving South Or
ange Avenue.

" VI oI6C " tue upllC eOtINlCS. anu
an appeal to the Board of Freehold
ers TO see that the people of Orange
receive a fair value for the use of
Central avenue in that city. has been
sent to the board by Frederick w.
Kelsey, OF Orange. The communica-
tion was dated June 81, but at the
meeting of the board yesterday il was
not read and no reference to it made.
MIR. Kelsey says that as he was leav-
ing on trip to the Pacific coast he
would not be able to attend the hear
ing on July s.
While I think there can be no
doubt but that public sentiment in
Orange favors east and west transit
facilities in the Southern portion of
the city, said Mr.. Kelsey, land
personally, since the loss of the park
way there, favor this view, yet the
terms of the franchise for Central
avenue, as agreed between the city
commission of Orange and the Pub
lie Service Corporation are so mani
testify one-sided and unfair to the
public as to call for readiustment by
your board.
Facts as TO the injustice and in
consistency of fifty-year franchises
were courteously presented to the
orange authorities, yet the commis-
sion being between the fires OF those
who, with the assistance of the Pub
p lie Service, were clamoring for the
road extension, and the contention OF
the corporation, viz, 'fifty-year fran
chise and on our own terms or moth
ing. the commission finally yielded
TO the bluff and Establishments of the
company and thus passed over the
franchise to you.
AS the legislative body for the
State OF Essex, having primary jul.
flsdictlon over Central avenue YOU
have broader and more comprehen-
sive grasp of the situation and have
already established an excellent prec-
edent in refusing to grant fifty
year pole line franchise on the ave-
nues.
'Time Past for Corporation Dictation.' -
1T would seem as though the time
rad passed for corporation grown SO
opulent from franchise spoil exploita-
tion to dictate to a legislative board
upon what terms the use of the pub
lie highways should be granted for
private use.
1T is perhaps fair to assume that
the usual buster and hold-up
methods Will be again brought into
play with the kind of perverted llu-
sions or worse as used in the Public
Service magazine. The beneficiaries
of the fabulous millions of dollars of
clear profits made ander the old
methods of giving away these almost
mi nd
franchises fail to observe any change,
either in their former Successful
manipulation of public officials or
public enlightenment on these ques-
tons Like the Old Guard they
never surrender. Even the revised (?)
decision of the Errors and Appeals
Court in the ninety-cent gas case
must now go to the United States
Supreme Court And the further ii
goes the worse for the corporation
1T is noticeable that when the ap-
plications for trolley franchises were
before the Newark Board of Works
last year Commissioner Gillen openly
stated that these grants were worth
many millions of dollars and
although the city was fully aware of
the value of these grants in dollars
and cents, the company Was not
asked to pay a penny apiece for
them
Should the usual tactics be now
employed in trying to induce you TO
approve the Central avenue fran
ehise before you, perhaps you could
perform no more valuable service to
the public than to test by judicial
procedure up to the United States
Supreme Court the perpetual and
longtime franchises already granted.
Likewise secure from that court at
the earliest possible date an adjudi-
cation of that similar legislative
monstrosity known as the omnibus
traction act of 1898 and the supple
ments thereto.
LAS you are no doubt aware, sew
eral street railway franchises in Es-
sex county expire by their own terms
of limitation in a few years, and but
for that refined (?) piece of traction
legislation, which. astonishing as it
may seem. was afterwards declared
lawful by the New Jersey higher
courts, the public would again come
into their own in having the control
of these public streets and the righr
to redetermine fair valuation for
their use.
Bids for south Orange Avenue Paving.
The work of repaving South Orange
avenue from Twenty-frst street to
InG CITY 1iDc Will SOOil Dt uilutl Wdys
according to a resolution adopted by
the board yesterday in which it was
moved to secure the bids for the work
and start operations as soon as pos
sible. Freehoder William Cardwell
chairman of the roads committee.
stated that he had been informed that
East orange would vote at its meet
ing Monday night to go ahead with
the paving work, thus following up
its verbal agreement given, some
time ago to join with the freeholdcrs
and the Newark Board of Works in
the Improvement.
The purchase of another auto
mobile. costing s1,375, was authorized.
This automobile will be used by the
county weights and measures depart
ment. and at times by the chairman
of the bridge committee of the board.
Director Walter A. Evans an
nounced that he had made several
appointments to the board of man
ayers of the isolation hospital at
soho. The appointments were as fol-
lows: DR.. Frank B. Lane, 52S Main
street. East Orange, to succeed r. III.
Butterworth. resigned; DR.. William
Brien. Ridge and Main streets, Or
ange. to succeed DR.. ]. X. Adams,
term expired; DR.. George B. Warren,
Continued on Page ., Column ~