Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-01
HEARING
ON CROSSINGS
IS POSTPONED.
Central Railroad Unable to-
Produce Witnesses to Prove
Financial Difficulties
WANT CITY IN CLASS A
R. R. Will Fight Attempt to
Advance Amboy Out of Class
B. Position on Crossings
WANT CITY IN CLASS, A
IBy Evening News correspondent. !

BY Evening News Correspondent
NEWARK. Aug. Unable to
produce witnesses to prove the Gem
tral Railroad of New Jersey is not
in a financial condition to start the
work of eliminating grade crossings
at Perth Amboy. where nine firemen
were killed in a recent accident, was
responsible for the postponement of
a hearing on this subject before the
Public Utility Commission here this
morning. until Wednesday,, Septer1-
r Z. George T. Holmes appeared
as attorney ton the railroad company
and told the commissioners that the
men who could give this information
were away at this time.
After Leo Goldberger. city attorney
for Perth Amboy opened the discus
sion in regard to elimination of the
grade crossings in that city. Attorney
Holmes stated that the railroad
would rebuilt the attempt to place
Perth Amboy in Glass a, instead OF
Glass B. where the city was placed
by the old Public Utility Commis-
sion. Glass A cities have their rail.
road changes taken care of first.
The railroad attorney was ques.
toned as to whether the railroad
company was in position to make
the changes at this time, MIR. Holmes
replying that he was unable at this
time to produce the men who could
| give this information as they are
away. INA
The attorney claimed that the case
of ElizabethportN changes was more
important than Perth bll1
Commissioner Osborne ruled that
this was no argument. The commits
sioner claimed that because a city IS
listed as Glass b instead of Class Al,
it was no reason why the grade cross
| ings should not be eliminated.
Attorney Holmes said the work al
| Eliza bethport was held up pending
receipt of the war department APP
proval of the style of bridge over
Newark Bay. the war preventing this
action being carried out The attor-
ney also stated that no order had
been received from the utility board
Tracey of the Utility Commission,
asked the attorney if the railroad
company wanted the order at this
time, and negative reply was made.
The railroad representative pOint-
ed out that the Elizabethport job
was originally rated as $500.OO0
job, but would cost about a million
dollars now. while the Perth Amboy
job rated at about S750.000 original-
ly, would cost about $l, 900 now
President Tracey stated the board
did not like the failure of the rail-
road representative in coming before
the board unprepared to give testi-
mony showing the financial standing
of the company.
A conference between the mem
bers of the board was held, and II
was decided to continue the case
until September Z. Mayor William
c. Wilson. City Attorney Leo Gold
berger, Chief of Police Niels j. Tom
nesen, and c. c. Hommann and John
Bergen of the Chamber of Com-
merce represented Perth Amboy at
this hearing.
Fire Company Accident.
This action is the direct outcome
of the accident at the Market street
crossing of the Central Railroad
Company in Perth Amboy on June
IS, when nine firemen We're killed.
The fire truck of the Eagle Hose 4
Chemical company ran into an ex-
press train of the company. The
gates at the crossing were not low.;
cred. Several years ago Perth AMI
boy made application for elimina-
ton of the grade crossings, the work
being held up on account of the war,