GOOD CITIZEXSHIP HELPLESS 



231 



of Xewark and the Oranges, for the care, custody, and con- 

 trol of Park avenue and a portion of Central avenue. 



CO^miSSIOX CAX DO XOTHIXG. 



"The authorities of East Orange and West Orange 

 granted this request, but the f reeholdersjand the authorities 

 of Orange and Xewark have not yet granted this request, 

 and until they take such action the Park Commission can 

 do nothing further. 



"In the matter of the East Orange Parkway, from Cen- 

 tral avenue north to Watsessing Park, the Park Commis- 

 sion is waiting for the report of the Appraisal Commission, 

 which was appointed by the court last spring, and which 

 has been at work ever since. We are informed that they will 

 probably present it to the court in Xovember. 



"I beg you will make public use of this letter, as it cor- 

 rectly states the present condition of the matter.^^ 



Directly this letter was made public the opposition set up 

 the contention that it was a personal, not an of&cial, com- 

 munication, and hence of no effect as a binding document 

 from the commission; that it was intended as a personal 

 letter ; that the board had not shown any very great anxiety 

 over securing the parkway, and that, as Counsel Munn, in 

 his official capacity, represented all the commissioners, his 

 statements and representations should have precedence over 

 those of any single commissioner. 



At the meeting of the East Orange City Council, October 

 30, 1901, held in Commonwealth Hall, the new trolley 

 franchise application was the special order of business. The 

 hail was filled. Excitement at times ran high. J. B. Dill, 

 with David Young, were the principal speakers for the 

 street railway corporation. Henry 0. Atwater, and other 

 representative citizens, contended for the parkways. 



The Park Commission was conspicuous by its absence. 

 The chairman. Councilman William Car dwell, in 

 opening the meeting, said: "At the request of 

 the counsel the speeches will be limited to five 

 minutes.'^ Mr. Atwater said that he had made no 



