The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-05-28
WAITING ROOM ON GREEN
PUBLIC HEARING LAST EVENING
WELL ATTENDED.

Alderman Macdonald Made a Strong Plea
in Favor of His observation-disclosures
Day Speaks in Favor of Something Being
Done-BIany Speeches Opposed to the
Scheme.
The committee on public squares held
! another hearing last evening on the ad-
Visibility of erecting waiting room
on the green at the corner of Church
and Chapel streets. Rooms 10 and IL
| in the city hall were filled with inter-
ested citizens when Chairman Rattles-
dorfer os the committee entered at 8
cons upon the subject.
The crowd was a representative one
| and included mechanics professional
men, business men and educators all
eager to be recorded for or against the
proposed resolution.
The first speaker was Philip Pond,
who said something should be done to
relieve the tired women and children
who congregata at the corner of Church
and Chapel streets every day waiting
for the electric cars. He did not see
what the railroad companies had to do
with the question. 1t is not matter
of obstructing the public square; it is
a question of humanity. l stand here
in the name Of the suffering men and
women who do not have seats to sit
| upon while on the cars. From my Of
flee in the Glebe building / often see
100 women and children congregate at
this corner. The city furnishes seats on
the green for the tramps. Why cannot
the women be supplied with seats at
this crowded corner If the cars are
kept moving how will that remedy the
matter? The thing for the city to do
is to furnish seats, and If 1t wishes, to
put a canopy over them, but this is
not necessary. Seats are what the pub
lie are CRYING out for The city has the
right to do this, and the railroad COM
pany has nothing to say whatever in
the matter
Thomas R. Trowbridge asked that
the chair ruled that the speakers should
| be limited to five minutes.
This was objected to by Anthony Car
roll, but the chair ruled as requested
by Mr.. Trowbridge.
Alderman James Fl. Macdonald took
the floor at this point and said: "There
has been much misconception as to
what the intent was that led up to these
hearings. l believed that the railway
companies were getting the use of the
streets for nothing, and ! thought they
should erect something at the corner
of Church and Chapel streets for the
women and children. When it rains
| you can see forty or fifty children and
women hudded under the canopy of the
pump. 1t has been advanced that this
| movement was in the interest of the
railway companies. The idea did not
come from any man connected with
any street railway company.
If you allow the canopy built, sug-
gested by me at the last meeting of the
committee. not one inch OF the green
will be taken up"
Councilman White followed Alderman
Macdonald, favoring the movement.
He resented the alleged imputation of
Druggist Mix that the waiting room
| would be used for immoral purposes.
All this talk about relieving the cor
ner by establishing belt line, the coun-
Gilman said, was all bosh. If the court
of council should vote the railway com
panies any more franchises these men
who are now advocating the belt line"
would hold up their hands in horror.
When the councilman had finished
his remarks Prof. William e. Chindler
said:
"Mr. Chairman: / think that the
| members ofthe court of common council
should not occupy the time of this COM
mittee, as they have chance to have
their say when the question comes up
for action in the respective branches of
that body
The next speaker in favor of the
movement to afford relief to the wait
ing public was Prof. George e. Day of
Yale university. He said:
"Mr. Chairman: What is the ques-
ton? 1t is not that there shall be
erected at the corner of Church and
Chapel streets a building for stalls
and soda water fountains. No one
wants or expects that. We are all op-
posed to any such scheme. The ques-
ton from my point of view is whether
any relief can be afforded the scores of
tired mothers and children who are
compelled to wait at the corner of
Church and Chapel streets. Can we
hot have a few seats provided for
them? You may have colonnade, if
you wish but why go to the extremes?
Can we not come to some plan to meet
the crying necessity?
Anthony Carroll said that he had
something to say, but as he wanted
more than five minutes he would wait
until the opponents of the resolution
could be heard.
AS no one claimed the attention of the
committee when Mr.. Carroll had re-
sumed his seat, the chairman announc-
ed that he would hear the opponents
| of the resolution.
Thomas R. Trowbridge said that
about twelve years ago he had asked
the court of common council to sell
the Center church society piece of the
land adjoining the present structure,
and the offer was Indignantly refused.
He certainly saw no reason why that
any portion of the green should be
given un to the railway companies for
a waiting room Mr.. Trowbridge then
described a waiting room in Boston
furnished by the different railway COM
] panies interested.
| Judge York-Mr. Chairman: The
court of common council in my opinion
] hoe M yigbt m fiSDoSp of oOa foot of