The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-08-30
Building Lines.

Building Lines.
 A meeting of the aldermanic commit tee on railroads and bridges was held last evening in room 10 of the city hall in order to hold a hearing for the pur=- pose of compelling the Fair Haven and Westville Railroad company to properly equip it's cars with air brakes or other necessary appliances providing for the safety and comfort of it's passengers The committee was composed of Alder men Cornelius Fl. Conway, chairman; William O'Keefe, Charles J. Hilton and Nicholas P. Corcoran, and they listened to the representations that were made.
 Ex-Alderman Henry Donovan was the only one who appeared before the committee. He said that the meeting was in line with the coroner's recom- mendations made at the time of the frightful accident at Double Beach, in which motorman was killed and about twenty people more or less seriously in- jured He said that, in view of the pre- vailing conditions, the railroad commits sioners of the state ought to be sum- moned to investigate matters He said 1t was a well known fact that the con- ductors and motorrnen were compelled, if they wanted employment, to report at the car barns as early as 5 o'clock in the morning and they might perhaps have to be there at times until noon before they could get a car and get work, and then they would not perhaps get more than one or two hours: and they sometimes were waiting fourteen or fifteen hours and then they would not get more than from two to four hours work in the day. The aldermen had no power to act in the premises, but they did have the power to call the attention of the railroad commissioners, who did have the power to act in the premises. He said also that something ought to be done in the way of provid- ing air brakes and double tracks over the route. There were several other imperfections in ehe management of the road. There ought to be proper signals placed on the cars and on the road. At the time of the late accident near Short Beach the coroner. recommended that such improvements be made.
 There were questions asked by Alder men Hilton, Conway and Corcoran of the speaker as to the customs on other roads and the usages which prevail. There being no other persons who de- sired to speak the committee went into executive session. They were there about fifteen minutes and when they came out they reported that the corn- mittee had determined to call on the officials of the road and ask them what they were willing to do to remedy the grievances that were complained of and that they would report at the meeting following the next meeting of the board of aldermen. It was said that they did not wish to go to the trouble of sum- moning the railroad commissioners here if they could induce the railroad com pany to act as was requested.
 . The committee on building lines met last night in the ante room of the board of aldermen. The committee was con-' posed of Aldermen c. H. Hilton, chair man; G. Clifford Foote, John W. Hine, James F. Galligan and N. P. Corcoran. It was called for the purpose of taking action on petition which was as fol- lows:
 The undersigned petitioners residents and property owners respectfully rep resent that the public necessity and convenience require the establishment of building lines four feet back from the street line in the central part of the city, especially that section known as the original nine squares bounded by