The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-06-01
NO RELIEF FOR
 COMMUTERS OF
 CONNECTICUT But Those in New York State Get Months Respite at Least SERVICE COMMISSION AIDS Difference in Rates Between New York, POrtchester and
 Greenwich
SERVICE COMMISSION AIDS

New York has a public service com mission. Connecticut has no such commission. AS a result, commuters within Connecticut will immediately pay increased commutation rates, while those in New York state, who patronize the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad Co.,, will escape them for one month, and perhaps for ever.
 There is no convenient remedy avail able to citizens of Connecticut against rate increases within Connecticut Against increases in interstate rates the Connecticut traveller may appeal to the Interstate Commerce Commis- sion. If Connecticut man travels in Massachusetts he can appeal to commission in that state from exces- sive rates. If he travels in New York two public service commissions are at his service. But so long as he sticks to his own state there is no remedy, for him. The courts lack the power to make rate on any railroad, al- though they can declare rate unrea- sonable.
 The action of fhe Public Service Commission in Albany, N. r., in or dering the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad to continue to charge the fares to commuters in this State at the rate now in existence until the rates have been 'duly chang ed'' has added one of the most pecu- liar features to the whole program of disorder in connection with the wholesale increase in cOmmutat tiOn rates by the railroads entering New York City,
 Portchester is twenty-six miles from New York and Greenwich is about twenty eight miles out. The increase in communication on the New Haven x~ dentsa of Greenwich next Saturday. There will be no increase in Portches- ter rates until the Public Service Com mission in Albany approves the plan and that will not be before July 1, at the earliest. Meanwhile, after Sat- turday, the commuters in Portchester, N. Y. will continue to pay $6666 per month, while the commuters in Green wich, Conn.,, will pay $10.20.
 Counsel for the New Haven commut- CTS who objected to the increase ar gued before the Public Service Com mission in Albany that the railroad company had not compiled with the Public Service Commissions law by publishing the proposed increase for thirty days prior to the new tariff going into effect. William L. Ran som and Hugh M. Hewson, counsel to the commuters, argued the company published the schedule twenty nine days only. mus the cOmmlSSlOn m Albany felt called upon to hold the New Haven's schedule to be of no force and effect, and to issue an or der to continue to charge the present rates until the law has been compiled with.
 There will be another hearing before the Public Service Commission in AL bany before the question finally is settled This hearing, for which no date has as vet been fixed will be de- voted to arguments for and against the reasonableness of the increase. The commuters are organizing, for they assert they cannot succeed with out organization, and the commuters affected by like changes on other lines also are planning organizations to fight the increase in communication.