The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-08-11
BAD BILL KILLED BY MELTZER'S AID Effort to Make 10 Foot Cen ters Statutory Law
 Fails
Tingier and Thoms Demo cratic Leaders, Say that Poor Little Garde of Cromwell Is Well Serving
 His Corporation Masters.

Hartford, Aug. 1.-The House yes make 10 foot centres the law of the state by indefinitely postponing ac- ton upon it.
 The railroad committee urged the adoption of the bill which follows:
 No company owning or operating a street railway, and authorized to To- cate, construct and operate, in any street or highway within this state, a street railway with more than one track shall, except in streets in which the curbs are set at a distance of less than thirty-two feet apart, locate or construct or relay two or more tracks. or any one of two or more tracks, in said street or highway at a distance between such tracks less than ten feet. measured between the center lines of said tracks.
 Representative Joshua MeltZer of Bridgeport, said at the hearing he had to fight not only the railroad att torneys but the House and Senate chairmen, who constituted themselves attorneys for the railroad. He said the bill is cutely drawn and would re- lieve the railroad from obligation in case of accidents. As it is now, the railroad owns every street in the state.
 MT. Thoms said the purpose of the bill is to allow the trolley companies to run large cars through the streets. He would make the suggestion to Mr. Garde, House chairman of the Rail- road committee, that the latter has made to other members of the House to refer it to the utilities commission He made the motion.
 MT. T1ngier, the Democratic House leader, supported the motion. He said the object of the bill is to over ride the city authorities of Bridgeport and Hartford
 Mr. Magec said the bill should either be killed or indefinitely post poned.
 MT. Kenna declared that the prob lem is that of the "ten-foot center" which must be decided by the respec- ferent local conditions.
 Mir. Chandler asked what portion of the utilities bill gives the commits sions control over matter of con Struction.
 Mr. Meltzer said all the powers of the railroad Commissioners became vested in the utilities board as the member from Rocky Hill ought to know.
 MT. Chandler said that had he known he would not have asked the question.
 MT. Toms said the location of the tracks is first of all a matter for the municipal authorities
 MT. Garde, the previous question having been ordered, said he was so delighted at the first evidence of sin cerity toward the utilities commission on the part of MT. Thoms and MT Tingier that he would join in the mo- ton.
 MT. Thoms said the statement was unwarranted The chairman of the railroad committee had secured his place through that mysterious provi- dence which shapes our ends and which in his case was directed from North Canaan c. Henry Roraback.) He had steadily withdrawn all rate bills since the utilities commission was created. He asked MT. Garde to withdraw his imputation of sincerity.
 "I join in the same request said MT. Tingier.
 MT. Garde said he would withdraw in the case of MT. Thoms but not ia the case of MT. Tingier.
 MT. Tingier said no one could inn pugn his honesty, least of all any one on the railroad committed Every one knew how the chairman had got ten his place and he would say that he is serving his masters we'll
 The motion of Mir Thoms to in- definitely postpone was carried unani- mously.