The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-01-13
Prospects of Road and Traf-
fic Suffers.

There is trouble ahead for the Wor-
cester and Suburban Street Railway
Company. Like Banquo's ghost, that
accident on the road to Leicester will
not down. 1t is constantly surrounding
and overshadowing the official heads
Of the road and has manifested itself
in the business of the concern
At meeting of the directors held
yesterday afternoon, ways and means
of reducing the expenses of the road
were considered, and there is a posi-
bility that as a result of yesterdays
meeting, the salary Of Superintendent
John B. German will be materially re-
duced. 1t is also very probable that
a general reduction viii be made all
along the line and that at every posi-
Bile point expenses will be cut down.
The fact that the accident has affect
ed travel on the road cannot be denied,
and it has been only too plainly demon
strated in the returns of the company
for the last few weeks as compared
with the same season of a year ago.
Immediately after the accident there
was big decrease in the travel over
the road and it has not yet regained
It's normal condition, and it is doubtful
If it ever will
When the fact that the company's
stock is also on the decrease is added
to the existing business conditions, it
VIII readily be seen that the position
occupied by the concern is anything
but favorable one just at present
Within the past week the stock Of the
company has sold at 81. Worcester ami
suburban stock has never been very
active and has not sold very high in
recent years, but when the fact is TAX
en- into consideration that before the
accfdent it was quoted at IS, and has
now dropped to 50, the figures speak
FOR themselves, and very little com
ment is necessary There has been no
appreciable activity in the stock since
the accident, but the fact that now at
lower figure it IS changing hands
even in a small degree whereas before
the accident there were no changes,
goes to show that the accident has not
been without it's effect
Kfnntcutt q De Witt the local stock
brokers' stated yesterday that durt,s.
the past week they had sold Worcester
and Suburban stock at SO. The amount
handled was small, but it shows that
there is small hope for a revival of the
n.
1t was reported yesterday that during
the past week several conferences had
been held between officials of the Con-
solidated road and the Worcester and
suburban, With a view to effecting a
transfer of the control of the Worces-
ter and Suburban lines, but this re-
port was declared to be without found
alton by superintendent John N. Akar-
man of the Consolidated when seen bv
a Spy reporter.
There has been. no conference of
such nature, to my knowledge" said
Mr.. Akarman. Mr.. Dewey has been
Ill the greater part of the past week.
and has attended no such conference.
There is no disposition on our part to
absorb the Worcester and Suburban.
and we never have sought after if
During the last five years we have re-
ceived several oYertures from the SUI
burban Company looking to a CONSOLE
dation of the two companies, but we
have never considered them. Mr.. Win
SLOW holds the majority of the Subur-
ban stock, and in the event of anv
move to consolidate the roads. all orr
dealings would have to be with him.
but we have no disposition to absorb
the road, and know of no conferences
with that end in view
L know of no conferences of any
nature whatever between the officials
of the two roads, and / believe that in
my position, l should be likely to know
if any had been held"
Officials of the Worcester and Subur-
ban, when seen yesterday at the close
OF the directors meeting, refused TO
make any statement as to the nature
of the business transacted.