230 



FIEST COUOTY PAEK 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 under- 

 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 East 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 jout 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 



