The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1909-08-10
Farmers Exposure of Street Pairing Campaign Has
 Successful End
SEVEN OF EIGHT
 < PETITIONS DENIED
Proximity of Municipal Election Contributed to
 Produce Result

 Indignation that Followed
 Harbor-Car Barn Grab
 ALDERMEN-Page Lead
 The agitation conducted by the dr- mer against the most recent street grab attempted by the New Haven Railroad company was so far sue cessful. last night. that the aldermen denied seven out of eight petitions, each of which asked for the right either to occupy more space upon street with trolley tracks. or to pare [ the comparatively narrow sidewalks on Fairfield avenue to get more space for track use. The aldermen were Tn no mood to sanction grabs, however humble A new election is almost at hand Those aldermen who voted for the harbor grab and those who voted to permit death traps to be establish ed at the. bridge approaches had had a taste of public opinion and were not in a mood to further face the 1ndigna- ton of the voters. What the result would have been had the municipal election been somewhat more distant none can say. Undoubtedly the new grab would have stood a better chance if Republican leaders had not been afraid of the effect upon the voters. As it was Mayor Lee stood pat. He did not appear for the peStions. nor against them His attitude was ob- served with some curiosity. because at a meeting of the permanent paving commission held last week, he had publicly announced that he might" appear against the petitions.
 Enxineer C. c. Elwell and Supt. Chapman called upon Mayor Lee this morning to express their disappoint- mont over the denial of the petitions. MT. Elweu after said to a Farmer re- porter that the railroad committee will moi appeal to the railroad commis- sioneds. The mayor will sign the per init giving the company the right to put the curve in at Congress and Main street tSupt. Chapman said that the company will shortly address another petition to the council. {
 The aldermen denied seven out Of eight requests made by the railroad. The only grant was to construct an additional curve from the south track in Congress street to the west track in Main street.
 The action was taken after a pub lie hearing. The opposition was head ed by Judge John S. Pullman, repre- senting the Nathaniel Wheeler heirs owners of the property occupied by the D. M Read Co.'S big department store. The fight centered against the pro- held avenue. But many protested against any widening of the dummy gauge of the tracks in Main street. The aldermen denied the petition to relocate tracks on 10 it. centers in Fairfield avenue from Main street to Water street; to relocate single track near Seaside Park substantially in the center of South Main street: to relo- cate the tracks in State street from the westerly line of Main street to a point about 150 feet to the west %here- of on 10 fit. centers; to reconstruct it's special work at the corner of State and Main streets and Main and Con- gross streets: to construct an addition from the north. track on Congress street to the east track on Main street; to relocate it's tracks in Main street from Atlantic street to Seaside park on 10 it. centers; and to relocate its tracks on 10 it. centers insM Main street from northerly line of East Washing ton avenue to a point about 100 feet south of the southerly line of Gilbert street.
 Whether the railroad will take an appeal to the railroad commissioners upon the matter rests with the depart ment heads in New Haven. Supt. Chapman said this morning that he does not know what will be done. It is understood that an appeal relative to the tracks in Fairfield avenue would be fruitless. The outside rails are as near the curbs as permitted by law. The railroad commission has no juriS- diction over changes in the highway.
 Judge Pullman for the Wheeler heirs told the aldermen that the sidewalk on Fairfield avenue belongs to the city and that the north walk is only 8 feet wide at present and under the pro- posed changes would be only fit. 1C inches in width.
 On the opposite side of the street he -fI 1I~ I,< z f+ 10 inches wide if the. property owners built out to the line. He declared that the widening of the street was desired by the company so it could run more large cars In his opinion the large cars were mot what the public demand ed- He believed that smaller cars run with more frequency would give the people what they wanted and at the same time allow the streets to remain safe for public travel.
 Alderman Daniel Mahoney said there was not more than an inch of space between cars and trucks in Fairfield avenue now and he wanted to know where the people were going to walk If the space taken off the sidewalks was going to be put into the dummy gauge.
 Alderman Near wanted to know what the railroad was going to give .he city in return for the street
 Supt- Chapman said that the extra space asked for in Main street and Fairfield avenue going to relieve he city of laying paving that would cost $5.400. that the company would lay grooved rails, that there would bt less danger for passengers with the dummy gauge broadened. and there would be benefit coming from the fact that the cars would be able tc make better time in passing through the city
 supt. Chapman also said he believed the majority of the people in the city
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