The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-03-01

taxes on the same basis as are the New York Central's. we could more easily Day ten per cent. in dividends than. at present we pay eight. And the direct taxes are hardly more burden some than the indirect.
 We are required to eliminate four teen grade crossings in this State, at our own expense, each year. We are tied as to certain rates and regulations long ago outgrown and obsolete, which are harrassing and destructive of rev. enue and should no more be upon your statute books than the "blue laws''- so-called, only with this difference, that those affecting +our business are observed-are effective, while the "blue laws" are ignored and are of no eff feet other than to excite ridicule of other communities that have outgrown such nonsense.
 Even New York, which has one of the most drastic of public utilities laws regarding railroads, has seen the necessity of assisting in the work of grade crossing elimination and makes an annual contribution toward the ex- .pense of this important work.
 ss Massachusetts contributes largely to such, public improvements, and nearly all communities recognize the equity of cooperation in work of this charac ter, but Connecticut saddles it all upon the railroad, and it is becoming tax of so burdensome character it is going in a few years more to be inn possible to carry it and continue a. fair return to security holders upon their investments.
 Even Massachusetts is much more liberal in her treatment of her rail- road corporations in the matter of taxes and if our assessment in this NE@Lo 1n Hoc 0Il1y nf fc basis our taxes would be reduced by about thirty per cent of what we now pay.
 When you seek to apply all the drastic features of public service reg ulations of other jurisdictions to th's State, why not give the benefit to those who serve you of the more fa- Vorable features as well?
 It seems to me there should be feeling of pride among you in the fact that this child of your State has be- come, through your care and assist ance so dominant a factor in that which is so important to you and all the rest of New England the effici- ency of your transportation facilities, that you should observe there has been and stilk is a constant effort toward improvement, that there is an efficient guard on watch at all times that you are not discriminated against as com pared with other sections seeking to draw from you a measure or your prosperity, and that you should en- courage and assist those who are watchful in your interest, that while they who are trained to this work are doing their utmost, and with lncreas- ing efficiency, to protect and promote all that pertains to your property is barass them.
 Your trains are late? Of course they are and they will be so long as we must depend upon humanity for service; em- ployes are impolite? Of course they will be so long as they are human; cars become old, we are dissatisfied and all want new ones. Of course we do, and the managers want them as much as anyone, but we have 10 get the money before we can buy cars, and We have to see where the interest is to come from before we can get the money. and many a car in service is, too good to throw away, while it is not entirely satisfactory to keep.
 You elect your officers to govern the State. Are you always satisfied with the results? If you elected the off1c- CTS of your railroads, do you believe they would run them more satisfac- torily? How many of you are satis- servants with your butchers, your baker, with what you're able to achieve as the result of your labors? And how many of you are likely to be sat sfied with what awaits you in the world to come?
 It would seem to me- that where you have situation such as exists in this State relative to your trans portation efficiency. where a majority of our board of directors are bona fide residents. where the managers have made their homes in your midst.
  in all that looks to your improvement, where the loyalty of the board and it's managers to the State, and it's in terests. has caused great offense and embarra ssment in other jurisdictions, there was enough to warrant your rushing to ou" defense rather than to seek to restrict and restrain us in the development of that we have acquired especially when you are to be so much the greater gainer by any measure of success or power to which we may at tain.
 But the railroad is in politics. is the cry. Everyone who is defeated is sure it is SO. Everyone who is elected knows it was his own personal poru- larity which made him victorious. The facts are. the railroad is not in poli- tics. but only God and it's officials know how it keeps out and the latter are at times in great doubt. They are pulled and hauled so to get in and defeat this nan and elect the other the only excuse I have for not having one leg longer than the other is that the pull is about equal on both legs,