The morning journal-courier., 1908-06-09
Ordinance Committee United
for Giving Police Control
Of Local Situa-
tion.
NO TROLLEY OPPOSITION
General Manager Punderford Suggests
Ordinance Is Vaguc-Report
to Go TO Board Next
Monday.

favorable report from the commit
tee on ordinances is the fate In store
for the comprehensive new ordinance
for the regulation of traffic which
Chief Cowles drafted some weeks ago
and which was given its second public
hearing by that committee last night.
Practically 40 opposition has been
manifested to the proposition which in
the main may be described briefly as
a law by which general supervision is
given to the police department for the
regulation of traffic In the streets of
the city. The committee did not pre-
pare the final report last night on ac-
count of the fact that 1t will hold an
other meeting on, Thursday night for
the hearing of further ordinances but
the report will undoubtedly be favora-
BILE as the members were all for the
draft at the session last night and 1t
Will be reported substantially as pre-
pared by the chief. While some minor
changes have been reco nmended which
may In part be adopted there will all
most certainly be no radical change
in the draft.
The Connecticut company put itself
on record as peing in on way opposed
to the ordinance as proposed In the
main. General Manager John Punder-
ford appeared and spoke on the mat
ter and while he offered suggestions he
distinctly asked that It be understood
that his company was not against the
ordinance and that It would endeavor
to fulfill It's provisions when enacted.
He did however say that he thought
there were some of the provisions
which might be bettered and from the
semi-expert opinion Of railroad man
he offered some ideas. He expressed
himself as pleasantly surprised at the
fact that one OF the provisions was
aimed at trucks being backed on the
trolley tracks so as to prevent the pro-
gress OF cars and stated that In this
matter he spoke for the patrons OF the
line rather than the road itself as they
we're the real sufferers. Asked what hi
thought of the provisions regarding
this matter h, said that he thought IL
anything that they were a little sew
ere on the drivers Of trucks.
One thing that he spoke against was
the vague form in which the ordinance
Is at present prepared. He thought
the company was entitled to know In
advance just what they were expected
to obey Regarding the controlling Of
the cars at the corner Of Church and
Chapel streets he thought the ordinance
should not be so arranged as to give
the entire power over cars to the po-
lice for he expressed the belief that
the trained chr starters OF the company
could operate the trolley traffic more
efficiently than policemen. In this Chief
Cowles concurred but insisted that
there should be final authority vested
in the police to be used when occasion
seemed to demand. Regarding the
regular running of cars he said he
did not believe any policeman would be
green enough to think that he could
run them better than the starters and
attempt to do so. The chief further
stated that there was no intention Of
making the ordinance contain anything
Objectionable to the trolley company.
He further stated that the matter had
been put up to the board Of aldermen
for the purpose Of bring the issue and