Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1911-06-13
PERMIT COPS
TO RIDE FREE
Public Service Gives Orders
that Policemen in Uniform
Will be Carried.
STATEMENT BY M'CARTER
.Fireman and Health lnspac-
tors Arc Included
tjon About Detectives.

In accordance with recent ue-
cision of the Public Utility Commits
sion, the local police department was
officially notified by the Public Ser
vice Railway Company yesterday
that policemen in uniform may now
ride free on it's cars. Whether or
not detective sergeants, who are not
in uniform, in the discharge of their
duty, may ride, seems to be another
question for solution.
The decision of the Utility Com
mission was that policemen, f1remen
and inspectors of cards of Health,
when in the discharge of their Off
cial duties, may ride free Of charge
without violation Of the Public Util-
tiles Act. President McCarter Of
the Public Service Railway Com
pany, now comes along and says the
company will return to its practice
under the act of 1910, of giving free
transportation to policemen, f1remen
and inspectors of Boards of Health
when In full uniform, upon the as
sumption that they are then engaged
in performing their public duties.
Can Detectives Ride Free?
Citizens clothes with their shields
concealed Is the uniform Of the de-
tective sergeants of the local depart
ment Under the franchise allotted
to the Raritan Traction Company
and transferred to the Public Ser
vice concern, the police want to ride
and especially the detectives who are
not in brass buttoned uniforms, but
ride considerably during the dis
charge of their public duty. The city
will continue to fight for It's rights
under the agreement existing be-
tween it and the company.
The police received word from Mr..
Gettings, of the Public Service Rail-
way Company, at $40 o'clock yes
terday afternoon to the effect that
all policemen in uniform may ride.
The order to take effect immediate
ly. At the same time the local rep
resentatives of the company were
notified to permit policemen IL uni
form to ride without payment of
fare The order is general. but the
city wants the privileges provided
for by the franchise under which the
company is operating its cars.
Mr.. McCarter in statement
quotes from the Public Utility Com
mission, that the Board does not re-
gard the free transportation, With
out discrimination, on behalf OF
municipality, of policemen, firemen
and inspectors of Boards of Health
In the performance Of their duties. as
a violation of the provisions of the
public laws Of 1911, Chapter 1875,
commonly known as the Public Util-
ities Act.
President McCarter's Statement.
President McCarter today gave out
the following statement with refer
ence to the attitude of the company
in connection with the question CT
reduced fares for school children,
and free transportation for police
men and firemen:
"Prior to the passage Of the recent
Public Utilities Law, the Company
was obliged by provisions in ordi-
nances, to carry school children to
and from school at a reduced fare In
thirty-three municipalities. 1t had
voluntarily extended this privilege to
some seventy other municipalities,
making a total of more than one
hundred municipalities in the state,
In which this practice prevailed,
Immediately after the act took
effect, on May 1st, last, the company
notified the Public Utility Commits
sion that it had discontinued this
practice, having been advised by
counsel that the same constituted an
unjust discrimination, prohibited by
the act, the continuance of which
would have rendered the company
itself, and it's officers and directors,
liable to indictment for misdemea-
nor, If the opinion Of its counsel was
correct. In this same communica-
tion the company stated to the COM
mission that as a dtscontinuance of
this practice was tantamount to an
Increased rate of fare, the commits
sion, under the provisions of the
act, If 1t saw fit, could make an order
forbidding such increase which
woufd thus furnish a method for the
speedy adjudication by the courts Of
the whole question. The commission,
acting upon the suggestion contained
in the letter, thereupon made an or
der prohibiting the said increase in
the rate of fare, with which order
the company at once complied, but
sued out writ of certiorari to test
the propriety of the commission s
order.
"The supreme court, acting
through single justice, has now sus-
tanned the order of the commission
in this respect. AS a result thereof
the company feels that it has suf-
ficiently protected itself and its di-
rectors from any criminal prosecu-
tion for a violation Of the act In this
respect, and is entirely satisfied to
let the matter rest and the order of
the commission will be obeyed with
out further litigation on the part of
the company.
with regard to the free transpor-
tation of policemen and firemen, the
facts are these: In only eight of the
municipalities served by the company