The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-22
ASSOCIATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF
 TROLLEY SERVICE
ORGANIZED IN NEW HAVEN SAT- UIRDAY TO SWEEP STATE WITH CAMPAIGN FOR REFORMS
 AND CONCESSIONS.

Saturday. presided over by Alderman John E. Lyddy, an association was formed which will seek to secure six trolley rides for a quarter and other reforms in trolley riding The move ment Is the outcome of resolution offered by Alderman Lyddy in the Common Council some time ago under the provisions of, which legislation of this nature was sought Alderman Lyddy,- Alderman McFayden and AL german Cederholm, the latter the only Socialist in the Common Council. were named as committee to look into the matter. The movement has taken state Widesignificance.
 In New Haven Saturday Ii cities and towns in the state were present at the conference called to take some sdennlte step. toward securing the six fares-for-a a-quarter. Alderman Lyddy presided. Resolutions were adopted which specify other desired reforms and concessions and it is the inten- ton of the association which was tion by the state The next meeting of the association will be held in New Haven, Sept. 2.
 Alderman .Lyddy declared today that the fight to secure such concessions and improvements as desired will be carried on until the concessions and improvements are obtained. All can dfd&tes for places in. the state legisla- tive body will be asked to declare themselves before nomination or elec- tion as to, their attitude on the various improvements and reforms.
 Tie association voted to secure a competent lawyer to advise and di- rect it in the, fight and to prepare the proposed statutes in legal form. Resolutions passed at the confer ence Saturday were as follows:
 Resolved. That we recommend that the several boards cof which we are the representatives adopt the follow ing resolutions and present them to our representatives and senators. Resolved, That the senators and representatives of each town and city are urgently requested to favor and do all in their power to secure the passage of statutes upon the follow- ing subjects:
 | A statute which will give to the several municipalities charged with public streets and highways, a more complete and adequate control over said streets and highways, and over all public utility corporations granted the right to use said streets and high ways. ?. A statute to prevent passengers from riding between the seats of open street cars, and limiting the number | of passengers to be carried on closed cars in excess of the seating capacity. | No person to be without a seat. 3. A statute providing that the Pub 1 lie Utilities Commission hold it's hear 1 ings on matters pending before it, in l the community which is affected by l said matters.
 l 4. A statute requiring street car | %n civ fc l ty-fiye cents.
 l g. A statute that shall require al | companies engaged in the street cal \ business to give transfers that art good on all lines in the town or city .I in which issued.
 The association proposes to make campaign of education to interest the people in the five measures which | it hopes to get through she legisla- ture. A temporary organization was
 perfected and a couple of committees l were appointed N l Throughout the day it was evident l that those. who attended the meeting particularly the upstate men. were | far from satisfied with the service o the Connecticut company, or of the way in which the public utilities com
 mission judged railroad matters. s D.. Bingham of Naugatuck took -tht | hardest slam at the trolley company
 MT. Bingham said, after declaring that a corporation had no rights, only privileges and that all the charters l granted to such companies were in I herently unconstitutional:
 f'In paying the present fares to tht trolley company, we are being forced to pay the dividends. not on legiti
 mately invested capital, but on gross II ly watered stock Investigation ha: proven that the trolley company car transport a passenger at an expenst l not exceeding a thirdeof cent. Thes l claim that it costs them for the aver age passenger one and one-half cents
 The, rest of the nickel goes to pay the dividend on the watered stock of tht Connecticut company"
 | For ~over 10 minutes MT. Bingham 1 dilated on the capitalized fea l lures of the Connecticut company: finances and then he concluded:
 l What we need is an organ1gat tlor big enough and strong enough to gt before the public utilities. commission and demand that they give us hear ing. In instances almost too numer-
 ous to mention they have refused the T people of towns and cities, particular T ly the small ones an opportunity o1 even being heard before them anc when granted. the character of the
 commissions finding was known by l the wise ones before even the sessions
 began. But worst of all, under pres
 ent conditions, it is only with diff
 
 the right. indeed it has become priv l ilege, to be heard before this commis sion. And only by sjourneying to + Hartford can person attend theil
 sessions. Occasionally they move else
 where, but only when they are look
 ing into some railroad matter at the | request of the latter. When cities
 want a hearing, the public utilities commission always has a special af-
 finity for Hartford. What we wan
 to do is to organize and compel thi; commission to recognize our cases When we are organized and public T opinion is marshalIed behind us, tht
 Connecticut company will get it's jus due and it's just due only from the state utilities commission
 In speaking of the resolution to have the commission meet in the town: where matters of local interest were before it, Mir. Bingham remarked:
 "The pressure of the utilities com
 mission in Hartford is something aw
 full have been there and seen tht
 influences working. The difficulty fol . us is not so much to get the commis
 sion away from Hartford as it is tt
 get the railroad company away iron 4 the commission
 Charles H. Dillworth, city clerk o ;, Norwalk. was another speaker wht l hurled heavy lance at the trolle! l company and it's commission HI scored the company bitterly for it
 failure to provide the universal trans 1 i,, 1Ix 0d 0fb of 60