Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1915-06-08
FREEHOLDERS
STILL AT ODDS
WITH THE P. s.
ErswT-E
Cost Of Repaving South Orange
Ave. Remains Bone of
Contention.
DIFFERENCES MAY BE
SETTLED NEXT THURSDAY
Proposal to Accept So, ,644. 40
Annually for Jackson ST.
Bridge Favored.

Trouble still hangs over the peace"
pact between the Public Service Cor
poration and the Board of Freehold
ers. An effort tc reach an agreement
was made at a special meeting of
the roads committee of the board
Yesterday afternoon, but again the
South Orange avenue paving bone
of contention rose as a barrier. and
after a lengthy verbal struggle the
meeting was adjourned to next
Thursday at o'clock, an hour before
the regular board meeting. Al this
adjourned meeting it is hoped to
come to some agreement, so that a
recommendation can be made to the
board. The road committee favored
the Springfield avenue and Central
avenue propositions. while the joint
bridge committee reported that it
would accept $2,644.46 annually for
the franchise over Jackson street
bridge.
The trouble started almost with the
convening of the committee. Free
holder Amos Harrison. who has been
away on a trip, sought to inform
himself as to the situation, and asked
to know the cost of paving South
Orange avenue between the tracks
with granite. He was informed by
County Engineer Reimer that it
would total about 100000. Director
Walter e. Evans then moved that a
counter proposition be made the Pub
lie Service by the freeholders. He
asserted that the latter had informed
the board what it was willing to do,
and it was now up to the road COM
mittee to make the company a prop
osition.
Freeholder Richard F. Malta,
chairman of the Essex Hudson joint
bridge committee. asked the privilege
of the floor and stated that al
though not a member of the road
committee, he thought that they
would like to know what stand his
committee had taken in the matter.
He explained how the joint bridge
committee earlier in the day had de-
cited to accept the terms of the Pub
lie Service to pay $2,644.46 annually
for permission to operate a trolley
line over the Jackson street BRIDGE
which is the same as they are paying
for the Clay street bridge.
Question Bridge Action.
FreehoIder William Cardwell, chair
man of the roads committee, then
asked if the action of the joint bridge
committee was not in direct opposl-
ton to the motion as made by Direc-
tor Evans. The director then stated
that he did not believe that the road
nroposition was affected by the bridge
offer and if 1t was he could not see
what interest the Hudson county
I1~t.I +
toe could have in the road problems
nf r,ssex county and why they should
no an obstacle in the way of this
county getting it's rights in the road
work 49,.
director Evans then moved that
the stand of the road committee be
that the Public Service agree to 90
the same on South Orange avenue
as il has agreed to do on Spring
field avenue. which is to move the
tracks to the entire of the street anu
pave with granite block between the
most northerly and southerly tracks.
The offer of the railway company
on South Orange avenue is 10 move
the tracks to the middle of the ROAD
and then. as required by the fran
cbise nave between the tracks ana
for a distance on the sides nearest
The road with macadam and to lay
three courses of granite block on the
outer side of the rails, which work,
II ia estimated, would cost the PUP
liz service $40, sos 1t has been sug-
gested by the railway company .iial @
rranife block be used for the paving
and that the county defray the dif-
farence in cost between the $9,S0b and
the total cost of the work.
director Evans declared he be-
ueved that before the freeholders
snent any money for this work a
nronosition should be put before the
Public Service
Company VIII stand Fat.
John l.. O'Toole, publicity director
FOR the company, stated that he was
positive the company would not make
any changes in its offer, as it had be-
lieved it had come more than half
yav in it's proposition to the board.
He declared that the Public Service
did not want the changes in South
Orange or Springfield avenues, but
that they were willing to change their
tracks in cooperation with the
boards plan of improvements He
stated th.t the work on these two
avenues would cost the company
about 100000. The company engineers
had reported that the rails on both
streets were SOOu loI duolHeI lnlte
years and these changes would cost
the Public Service just $4,000 year.
or the interest on the $105,00O at the
rate of per cent. For three years
the company would be giving $4,000
as contribution to the county for
the improvements.
Director Evans stated that it was
his belief that for many years the
Public Service has been failing to live
I'D to its franchise, which, he con-
tended. called for the paving and
maintenance of five feet on South Or
ange avenue. He said that the COM
pany had only cared for that part
of the road between the rails and one
foot extra. This he said. would more
than make up for the $4,000 the COM
nany would have to pay out in inter-
est on the money. He also stated he
believed the company was compelled
10 shift the tracks according to a
contract entered into between New
ark street Railway Company and the
Essex County Public Road Board in
the latter part of 1892.
Mr. O'Toole said that he believed
the company had made a very equit-
able proposition, and that according
To their engineers there was diff
ference in the width of the paving
str,n with that of the freeholders'
engineering department. He further
stated according to the Public SER
vice engineers. the cost of paving be-
tween the rails on South Orange ave-
N