Perth Amboy evening news., 1919-10-15
PROBLEM
FOR So. AMBOY
Much Business Before Common
Council Meeting
81 Special Correspondent.

81 Special Correspondent.
SOUTH AMBOY, Oct. 1.-THE reg
ular semi-monthly meeting of the
Common Council was held in the
Council Chamber of the City Hall last
night.
City Clerk Peter j. Coakley read a
communication from William Hitch
Lighting Company in answer to an
inquiry sent to that company by he
council some time ago, asking for an
explanation of advance cost for the
installation of electric lights in the
homes of the citizens. The communi-
cation stated that the matter was too
big to try and explain In one letter
and the writer offered to appear be-
fore the council at any time n ez-
plain the reason.
Councilman-at-Large d. j.. Delaney
offered a motion that the communl-
cation be referred to h Lighting
Committee, together with the city So
licitor. Councilman Hackett pointed
out that at the present time there
were houses in this city already wired
with electric light fixtures installed
and the owners were waiting to be
connected with the current. After
standing the expense of installation
of their w part the Lighting Com
pany now wants to make them pay
an additional sum. True enough this
money will be refunded but over a pc
Rod Of five years in small monthly
payments There's something rad
icall wrong somewhere" he said.
Councilman Delaney agreed with
Mr.. Hackett that the city was not
getting a square deal" The COM
munication was referred to the light
ing committee with the city solicitor
SO that some redress might be secured
t1r4,,oh Tho Dr1h1in TTfilitinG CnIJn
Gilman Stanton remarked that the
whole system was unfair n this was
the only way to get at the matter.
The motion was carried.
Councilman Hackett called the
councils attention to several bad
| spots in the tracks of the Public
Service Trolley Company in this city.
Two places in particular, one in front
of the Buffers store on Broadway
and the other in front of property
owned by Mrs. Ginter on Bordentown
avenue. He then offered a motion
that the city clerk be instructed to
communicate with the Public Service
Railway Company demanding that
| these repairs be made. Councilman
Shuey amended the motion to include
repairs to the switch on Main street.
Councilman Kress stated that the
State Highway Commission were
l Idkl1S SttpS " paw III POA " ~
Bordentown avenue in question and
the council should demand that the
tracks be laid in accordance with the
franchise of both companies. Hac-
kett maintained that as long as II
was a county road this matter was a
| freeholders proposition and not the
councils fight.
Councilman Kress then offered q
! motion that the city clerk be in
! o4.,o+oJ - nam m t1ninotn with fhe
| Public Service Railway Company and
the Jersey Central Traction Com
pany demanding that they live up to
| the terms of their franchise which
calls for the tracks being placed in
| the middle of the road, and that the
matter be given their attention with
in ten days. Councilman Hackett
protested against laying two lines of
track and stated that they should
| double up as on the county bridge,
He stated that it looked as if the
council was trying to pick up a load
| of someone else and carry 1t. He
said that It would be no cas- matter
to compel the companies to make
these improvements as he stated
promises like pie crusts are easy
broken" At the request of Council
man Kress the city solicitor explain
ed the situation. He stated that when
! ell0 Clly IdilCu ONCA III lOo0 ~ III
county they reserved certain rights
over the public utilities; these includ-
ed the water and gas mains, sewer
and street car tracks, and as the city
was the only one with whom the
| companies had a franchise they were
the only one to start anything. He
went on to explain that it would be
an easy matter for the city to secure
the desired improvements. The fran
chise had been broken, he claimed,
when they charged additional fare
and there was now no contract be-
tween the trolley company and the
city. 1t will just be q question of
| telling them where to put theil
tracksCG. for them to get out. This
track matter, he continued, was
practically tying up the road i'm
provement. Later he explained that
all the parties interested were to-
gether and the city had been advised,
even by the attorney general of the
| state, that we should be the movers
In the project.