Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-03-04
Perth Amboy'S Plea Before UtiI-
ity Board Past 4 Years
STARTED BY GARRETSoN 1915
Now That Railroads Are Back
to Private Control, Question
Of Elimination Is Again
Brought Up

The State Board of Public Utility
Commissioners has had before it for
the past four years the matter of de-
Gliding in favor Of the city of Perth
Anlboy or the railroads involved as
the result of the fight for grade cross
Ing elimination led by Mayor Ferd
Garretson in 1915 and 1916. Now that
the railroads have come back into prf.
vate ownership again the question Of
what the utility board proposes to do
Is being raised in this city. 1t Is the
general opinion OF those interested In
this matter that 1t will continue to do
the same thing 1t has done during the
past four years-nothing.
The matter of grade crossing elm
ination came up In this state during
the term of Woodrow Wilson as gov
ernor.. The bill, which called for the
elimination of certain number of
grade crossings every year or so, pass
ed both the senate and the House, but
was vetoed by Governor Wilson
During the term of James Field
er as acting governor he introduced a
bill while In the senate which called
for the elimination of all grade
crossings IN the state. This bill sue
cessfully passed both the House and
the senate and Acting Governor
Fielder signed it. making it effective
No sooner had the bill become a
law than Mayor Ferd Garretson took
steps to have the grade crossings in
Perth Amboy eliminated. An appli-
cation was properly made out by the
city engineer and attorney and pre-
sented to the Public Utility Commits
sion, Perth Amboy being the first city
in the state to start this action. Fol-
lowing the receipt Of this application
the public utilities board Informed
the city of Perth Amboy that it
would have to present plans showing
how the railroads could eliminate
their grade crossings here.
As the Fielder grade crossing bill
provided the railroads should finance
the doing away with the crossings in
question. 1t was the general opinion
in this city that the railroads should
go to the cost of preparing these
plans But as 1t was not deemed
wise to allow the railroads any loop
hole through which they might slip
out of being forced to do away with
the grade crossings, the city went to
the expense of having plans drawn
showing Just what steps would be
necessary upon the part Of the rail-
roads to alleviate matters.
These plans with the original -ap-
plication for relief In this city were
then brought to the attention of the
Public Utilities Commission. This
was in the latter part Of 1915. Then
followed series OF hearings before
the utility mission at Newark and
Trenton at which arguments OF the
city and railroads were heard. At
each hearing Perth Amboy was rep
resented and despite the fact that 1t
soon developed into a longdrawn af-
fair, becoming, as 1t were, almost
an endurance contest between the city
and railroads. Perth Amboy continued
its fight. Hearings were adjourned
time and agadn upon request of the
railroads. Finally along in July,
1915. the last Of the arguments were
heard and the matter went to the
utility. commission for decision as to
whether or not the railroads having
grade crossings in Perth An1boy should
be forced to eliminate them.
A verdict either favoring the rail-
roads or the city was expected within
q week or at the most a month. Owing
to the Fielder bill 1t was thought
here that a victory for Perth Amboy
was assured. A month passed but
no verdict came from the Public IT'LL
ity Commission, except an admission
by their part by the crossings consti-
tuted a danger" ;.
Another month passed and still no
decision on the part Of the commits
sion was forthcoming. The city off,
cials here were powerless to force the
board to make decision so adopted
a policy OF "watchful waiting" This
did not bear fruit however and a
year passed, without any results ap-
pearing and the grade crossing con-
tinued to be a menace and q detriment
to the city.
CONTINUED on pag% fve.t