230 FIRST COUNTY PARK SYSTEM 
and the absence of any action by the Park Commission 
toward defending the parkways, that, on January 
14, 1901, it filed a new application for a Central ave- 
nue franchise in East Orange. The application was 
received, as stated at the time, “with the wunder- 
standing that it was done simply to permit of a conference 
between the city authorities and the railroad representa- 
tives with the view of learning just what would be de- 
manded on the one side, and what would be conceded on the 
other.” No new property owners’ consents were filed. 
James B. Dill and David Young were, as in 1896-7, the 
active sponsors for the new application. 
Concurrently with its appearance were persistent rumors 
that the Park Commission had decided to abandon Central 
avenue for a parkway, and that the question of a railroad on 
the avenue was, therefore, before the Hast Orange authori- 
ties on its merits. On May 13, 1901, the City Council 
adopted the report of the railroad committee, favoring the 
drafting of a franchise ordinance. 
At one of the meetings of this committee Counsel Munn 
was present. When he was asked if the Park Commission 
wanted Central avenue for a parkway he replied: “Not 
that I know of. Do what you please with the avenue.” 
By October the reports in regard to the Park Commission 
had become so unfavorable that an East Orange neighbor of 
Commissioner Shepard’s wrote him on the subject, and, 
under date of October 14, 1901, received this answer: 
“In reply to your favor of the 10th inst. The report that 
has come to you, viz., ‘that the Essex County Park Com- 
mission were hoping to get rid of Central avenue by turning 
it over to the Consolidated Traction Company, and that 
possibly Park avenue might follow in time, in which case 
the crosstown parkway would be abandoned, except that por- 
tion nearly completed,’ is untrue, and there is no shadow of 
a foundation for such a report. The Park Commission, act- 
ing on their adopted plans, and in accordance with the ex- 
pression of the opinion of large delegations of citizens from 
the Oranges, asked from the freeholders and the authorities 
