A LEGISLATIVE THAYESTY 271 



mouths of both the commissioners and. members of the com- 

 mittee that had never been uttered, and placing the whole 

 subject in such a false light — that the committee at once 

 wrote the president of the commission referring to the facts, 

 and adding : ^^Whatever views yourself and your associates 

 may entertain on those matters, the giving out for publica- 

 tion of such a misleading statement as the one in question 

 would seem to call for prompt action and correction, due 

 alike to the public, to 3^ou, to the conferees, the joint com- 

 mittee and the organizations they represent. Both the 

 tone and erroneous statements of the article make mani- 

 fest a purpose for giving out such a statement, the tone 

 and meaning of which should be gratifying to those oppos- 

 ing Central avenue for a parkway and making special ef- 

 forts to obtain the use of the avenue for commercial 

 purposes/^ 



committee's letter ignored. 



No acknowledgment or reply to that communication was 

 received by the committee, although the commission's at- 

 tention was again called to the matter April 25, in which 

 letter of inquiry was added : "You no doubt noticed the 

 response of those interests to whom the boquet referred 

 to was thrown, viz. : in the billingsgate of abuse of the 

 commission from the Public Service attorney, at the meet- 

 ing in East Orange last Monday evening." 



The correction of the false report referred to was never 

 made. No representative of the commission appeared be- 

 fore the East Orange City Council. No communica- 

 tion from the Park Board was received when, at the meet- 

 ing April 18, 1904, the new trolley ordinance came up for 

 action there. That meeting was a lively one. For nearly 

 four hours the contest over the avenue was waged. Matters 

 were at high tension. Preparations for the struggle had 

 been going on for weeks. The meeting was in Common- 

 wealth Hall. Lawyers A. J. Baldwin, F. W. Fort and L. 

 D. H. Gilmour represented the traction company. G. S. 



