The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-04
COMMUTERS
 MUST UNITE Organization All Along the Line : to New Haven Needed
 to Win MEAN TO PROVE CONTENTION Attorney Who Secured Inter- state Commerce Commission i, Order Shows Status of
 Fight
MEAN TO PROVE CONTENTION


 without opposition when it files it's answer to the order of the interstate commerce commission asking for req sons why the communication rates on the road have been advanced The | road now has a large force of clerks at work compiling statistics to show why this advance was necessary and expects, 1t is believed, to be able to show that the new rates are justi- able.
 The commuters are going to make a strong fight, however. The man who secured the order from the commis- sion. Attorney William l.. Ransom, of 27 William street. New York, is now leading the fight to regain the old rates. Although he has so far repre- sented only the Local Improvement League of Sound Beach, he is now endeavoring to unite all the commut- CTS from New York to New Haven to work as an organized body. Without organized effort, he believes the ad- | vantage gained will be lost, while if acting with determined front he be- lieves that the new rates may be dis allowed
 MT. Ransom makes this statement: {: "The order requiring the railroad company to immediately and fully
 
 atty of their suspension or modiffca- tion. means that through the initia- tive of the residents of Sound Beach, the Connecticut communities are to have the benefit of a thorough inves- tigation by the commission as to the reasonableness and propriety of the increases which have been in effect | as in Connecticut points since June 4th. While the order was sought primarily in behalf of, and will insure primarily and principally to the bene- fit of, Connecticut commuters, it will also prove of great assistance to the Westchester county commuters be- Commission.
 ''The decision of the commission re- quiring the New Haven to affirma- lively justify its Connecticut increases by September 1st, does not mean that the fight against the increases has been finally won. or that the commis- | sion at Washington will safeguard the Isinterests of the Connecticut commit ters without any action on the part of the latter. On the contrary, the order means simply that what pointed out on June 9th before the Bridgeport Business Mems association as possible to do, has been done; viz., to require the railroad to put all it's cards on the table as to the reason and necessity for these heavy ad- vances. If the Connecticut commun- ities are prompt in following up the advantage which has been gained, there is no reason why the eventual decision in the autumn should not be adverse to the advances. With the burden of justification and proof put squarely on the railroad company, it is undoubtedly feasible for the Con- necticut cities and towns, through concerted action preferably, but oth- erwise through individual action to effectively safeguard at Washington their respective interests with a min imum expenditure of time and money.
 "Connecticut is now at least in as good position as New Jersey and New York. for preventing the continuance of the advanced rates long in effect, only the commuters and commercial organizations of the other two states are organized and are fully represent ed before the respective commissions having jurisdiction. Without similar vigilance on the part of the Connec~ ticut cities and towns, the advantage gained by the order of August will go for little or nothing"
 Asked if the Sound Beach Local Improvement league was prepared to continue the contest single-handed be- fore the commission, MT. Ransom said:
 "I am not able to say The re- tainer of my associate, MT. Hewson, and myself, by the league, was only for the purpose of the. application for the order which has just been made"