Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-12-02
LITTLE MORE BACKBONE TO 90 THE LIMIT

LITTLE MORE BACKBONE TO GO THE LIMIT
CITY Attorney Leo Goldberger certainly does not shine
a very aggressive representative of the people in looking a
ter their interests, in the following communication whit
he sent to the Evening News yesterday afternoon:
editor Evening News:
your editorial in the Perth Amboy Evening
News entitled, Human Sacrifice at the Ferry is
entirely unfair in so far as your criticism of the
mayor is concerned. The mayor did not pass the
buck to the Board of Freeholders. There were only
two sources from which a remedy might be ex-
pected; one, the Board of Freeholders, and the
other the Interstate Commerce Commission,
which latter commission has already been commu-
nicated with as you have already been advised, and
no doubt will result in r%emedying the condition.
There is some doubt as TO whether or not the Board
of Freeholders have jurisdiction as within the last
two or three days Judge Lynch of Newark federal
district court has restrained the Board of Free
holders of Hudson county from adopting a resolu-
ton regulating the rates of fares on the ferries
plying between New York and Hoboken, the
ground taken by the ferry company being that the
sole Jurisdiction lies with the Interstate Com
merce Commission as the conducting of a ferry,
in their opinion, is interstate commerce.
'If you know of any legal remedy which can be
applied toward ~remedying conditions, please adj
wise men and | will go the limit, and | can & '-'
The meyer will do likewise.
Very truly yours,
LEO GOLDBERGER.
1t is true That the city attorney wrote to the Inter-Stat
Commerce Commission a few weeks ago referring to il
attention. the accident that occurred recently. We do NJ
knaywhether any reply has been received to this commun
cation or not, but we cannot help wondering why, instea
of merely calling the attention of the commission TO the &C
cident, the city did not at once file a formal complain
against the ferry company and demand a hearing on tn
matter.
Being convinced that the mayor has no authority and tha
the Board Of Freeholders is without Jurisdiction, the onl
logical thing for the city attorney to do, it would seem to us
would be to carry the case direct to the Interstate Com
merce Commission, not by meekly referring the recent &C
cident to its attention, but by the most aggressive actio
possible.
The Evening News would suggest, therefore, since tn
city attorney has asked for advice, that a formal complain
against the ferry company be filed with the Inter State Com
merce Commission at once with a request that a date be sc
for a hearing. We would also suggest that the city ask tn
Board of Freeholders to take similar action. Furthermore
the condition at the ferry might be further impressed upo
the grand Jury with the idea of having the ferry compan
indicted for criminal negligence. All these things the cit
attorney might do before he has reached the limit.
We would also suggest that maps, drawings and photo
graphs be secured to be laid before the grand jury and tn
Inter State Commerce Commission showing the condition
as they exist.
While we are at it, we would suggest that the matter {
excessive fareS Delng charged on the Terry also De TAKEN u
the Interstate Commerce Commission as we'll as tn
service rendered. We would ask the Interstate Commerc
Commission to compel the ferry company to produce il
books to show the enormous profits it is making on this ferr!
Merchants who do a big business with Staten Island peopl
find it a heavy burden to run delivery wagons to the islam
because of the greed of the ferry company.
In the meantime, we would suggest that the city attorne
call the attention of the health authorities to the condition
that exist in the ferry house. The city granted the ferr
company a franchise to use the foot of Smith street for
ferry with the understanding that it would maintain a 'cOm
Portable waiting room for passengers and with separate re
firing room for ladies and a smoking room for men," TIL
place has degenerated into a filthy hole and there is reaso
to believe that the condition there might be a basis for re
voking the franchise.
This franchise till has seven years to run. 1t was granite
in 1904 for a period of twenty-five years. As rental the Gil
was to receive the muniicent sum of 800 a year for til
first ten years and $500 a year for the remaining fftee
years. Eighteen years ago no one dreamed of the gold mir