GOOD CITIZENSHIP HELPLESS 



227 



earnest of its intention/"' This, it was urged, should obtain 

 in a request to the freeholders to complete the East Orange 

 transfer, so that that portion of the avenues could be im- 

 proved. The commission complied, and, on March 20, 1900, 

 adopted a suitable resolution tov^ard carrying the desired 

 object into effect. 



On May 22 following, the Road Committee of the Board 

 of Freeholders gave a hearing on the commissioners' re- 

 quest. About fifty persons were present. Able present- 

 ments for the parkways were made by Messrs. E. 0. Stanley, 

 A. P. Boiler, F. H. Scott, H. Wallis, C. G. Kidder, G. F. 

 Seward and others. W. Whittlesey and one other speaker 

 openly favored a trolley on Central avenue. The opposition 

 was, for the most part, however, under the usual cover. One 

 of the speakers declared "there was nothing to show that 

 the park commissioners were not willing for a trolley line to 

 be constructed, should they take the avenue for a park- 

 way." Another opponent was most solicitous about "ordi- 

 nary traffic matters." 



APPLICATION REFUSED. 



The sequence of the meeting was, that the Eoad Com- 

 mittee, on the advice of Counsel J oseph L. Munn, reported 

 to the full board adversely, and against granting the Park 

 Board's application, notwithstanding the fact that a con- 

 ference between that committee and the commission had 

 been held with the object of coming to an understanding 

 in the matter. Counsel Munn's opinion, as quoted by the 

 committee, was that, "under the law, the- Board of Free- 

 holders had no right to make such a transfer but, "by the 

 consent of all the municipalities through which the avenues 

 ran, the board might make the transfer without leaving 

 itself liable." The committee in turn gave as its reason for 

 adverse action that the authority of the board "under the 

 provisions of the park act, to take the action now^ requested 

 is so far doubtful that such action should not be taken under 

 the conditions referred to." 



As the policy of that same freeholder's board had all 



