CONTEST FOR PARKWAYS CONTINUED 215 



sion^ to be improved and beautified for parkways, that the 

 people may receive the benefit of such action. 



"Resolved, That a copy of this resolution be sent to the 

 Common Council of Orange, the Board of Chosen Free- 

 holders, and the Essex County Park Commission, and the 

 local press." 



About this time, October 6, 1898, the City Council 

 adopted a resolution, stipulating that the avenues, in the 

 event of transfer, "should not be widened or any assessment 

 for their improvement levied upon abutting property own- 

 ers, this being in consonance with the views of the present 

 commission."' The resolution further suggested that "the 

 clause referring to prospective park commissions be stricken 

 out," as was done. A clause was then added "reserving 

 police jurisdiction and control of franchises;" also a stipu- 

 lation that "the ordinance must be accepted within sixty- 

 days," but should be "inoperative until the regulations em- 

 braced in the ordinance are adopted and ratified by the 

 council and the commission." This resolution was sent to 

 the Park Commission. 



The reply of October 17, 1898, stated that "your pream- 

 ble and resolution, so far as they relate to this board, are in 

 consonance with its views and purposes ; so far as they relate 

 to our successors, we are powerless to act. If 3^our resolu- 

 tion can be amended by the omission of the words ^now or at 

 any time hereafter* and a simple resolution substituted in 

 place of that clause in the ordinance, the transfer will be 

 acceptable to the board." 



The ordinance was, by the City Council, amended in ac- 

 cordance with this request, the objectionable clause was 

 stricken out, and on October 18, 1898, more than a year 

 after its introduction, was finally and unanimously passed* 

 This action met with general approval. But those who had 

 hoped that the controversy was at last ended misjudged 

 alike the reserve power of the traction company and the 

 evident determination of the Mayor and his friends to de- 

 feat the parkways^ plan. 



In fli! interyiew in the Newark News of October 22^ 



