The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-12-12
Will Send Vice President E. G. Buckland to Bridgeport at Once to take up Grievances of Citizens
Declares Corn. Co. Was Bought to Cut Out Poi icians and Proved Exceedingly Bad Bar gain, Afterward
Offers Trolley Line in Bridge: port to City For Same Price Company Paid to Obtain the Property"

''It is very mortifying. the situation you present to me. It is with morti- f1cation and chagrin that I have tc learn these fac.s as I do. Since re- ceiving your letter notifying me of your coming I have looked into the facts. I find the situation as you present it to be quite true. I prom ise you gentlemen that I will put some electricity into Bridgeport"
 Thus speaking, President c. s. Mel len. head of the greatest railroad mo- nopoly in the East, admitted all that Mayor Buckingham and the citizens of Bridgeport have claimed regarding the poor trolley service given to Bridgeport.
 The conference between the commit tee. headed by Mayor Buckingham. and PresMent Mellen began at 11:15 and continued to- 1:05. MT. Mellen being driven from every line of defense. to repeated admissions that Bridgeport has not had square deal. although as a revenue producer it outclasseS every other city in Connecticut.
 MT. Mellen finally agreed to install sufficient power to run the system in this ely. at the end of 30 days. He declared that little can be done during the holiday season 60 this end. and
 
 power house to install new units until the holiday rush is over.
 He announced that he will immed- lately send Vice President E. G. Buck land to Bridgeport to take up system atically the complaints of the Mayor and the citizens. He did not agree. however. to inn prove the service in any other respect than by the installation of more power and left wide open the demand made by Mayor Buckingham for seat for every passenger.
 versation MT. Mellen vouchsafed the information that the New Haven road purchased the property of the Con- necticut Railway & Lighting Com pany, or leased 1t. to get rid of cer- tain political influences objectionable 70 the railroad monopoly. and to secure the Providence trolley lines. which could not be obtained. he said. unless the Bridgeport lines were also taken over.
 Having concluded this statement. which he said had never before been made. MT. Mellen said:
 'I will sell the Bridgeport lines to the city for what the New Haven road paid for the property"
 Tn view of the fact that the terms upon which the New Haven road se- cured the Bridgeport lines, represent a
 
 value of the property. this offer was not received with enthusiasm by the Mayors committee.
 The meeting took place ih the board of directors room. in the Yellow office building in New Haven.
 It is the room in which William Rockefeller J. Pierpont Morgan and other financial dignitaries meet to dis. cuss the business of the road
 Besides Mayor Buckingham attend ing the conference were Aldermen La very. Moran and Jackson: and from the Manufacturers Association. Presi- dent Willis F. Hobbs. M Moody Dow ner. and F. S. Wilmot: from the Board of Trade. President Fred Enos. Frank S. Wilmot. and B. c. Baccik. and from the Business Mems Associa ion. Pres ident Frank w. Bolande. S. E. Vincent, Andrew M.> Cooper. and Frank D. Bell.
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