New Britain herald., 1915-04-22

SIVcu is ConlpaIatlfely snort anu lne headway very irregular and as 8 rule operated only during hours of heavy travel. In fact. the average length of ride given by the jitney service m New Haven at present, as contrasted with the distance to the first fare limit given by the trolley is 56 per cent, in Waterbury 45 per cent, in Meriden Al per cent, in Hartford 55 per cent. these being the relative distances to radial points out from the center of the cities which are given by the jit- ney servce compared with trolley, by transfer or direct route this dis tance can usually be doubled in riding from one side Of city to another in D trolley car, so that as a matter of fact IT passengers desire to take the ride. the jitney instead of giving 50 per cent of the trolley ride is giving but one-quarter
 In many cities the drivers of Jit- neys have been young men with very little experience. In several of the western cities iitney service was sus- pended entirely after a snow storm and only resumed after trolley companies and municipalities had cleared the streets of snow. In general the jitney Is actually doing work of a common carrier. each machine as a rule owned oy different individu but without the regulation and supervision of any authority such as the public utilities commission. passing upon it's meth ods or operation and the qualification of the operators thereof and paying to the state or municipality much less than the average owner of a private automobile.
 Heterring to the second class affect ca by the Jitney service, namely, the employes of the company, many of tho employees of the Connecticut com pany, especially motormen and con- ductors, have spent years in the ser wee and cannot earn at any other avocation, a wage equal to that now enjoyed and of which very large proportion is spent in the cities where 1t Is earned. If the operation of 8 considerable number of jitneys should necessitate retrenchment upon the part of the trolley company in discon- tinuing the operation of many of It's cars, the incident hardship upon the employees and the loss of business to the communities, will be considerable.
 For the last fiscal year the payroll
 
 100000, practically all of which was undoubtedly spent in the municipal ities where it was earned.
 With reference to the third class, the equity in the situation, as far at least as the effect upon the trolley company is concerned, the conten- ton is often made that trolley com panies have paid nothing for their franchises or for the use Of streets through which they operate and that they have exclusive franchises in such streets. With regard to the last claim, in practically every city where there has been more than one trolley com pany, it has worked out to the dis advantage of the patrons, due to lack of mutual adjustment of schedules and to loss of transfer privileges.
 During the fiscal year ending June 30 1914. the Connecticut company paid for street pavement (not con- sidering the large amount for. the incident track work) S4o4Ito,Vo saving a like amount to the state and municipalities As matter of fact the trolley compaines in this state, on streets where they have double tracks, pay for and maintain the pave ment of half or more of every street not in excess of 5S it. between curbs. The law matter under which the trolley companies are called upon 10 keep the streets in repair between their rails and ? fl. outside thereof, was passed in 1893, when horses drawing the street cars made furrows fin the pavement and at which time pavements cost. if there were any, be- tween $2,6OO and S7.0O0 a mile of street, whereas now the cost of pave ment only to the trolley company Is oftentimes s35,00o.00 a mile. At the present date trolley companies are the only users of the highway be- tween curbs who do not use the pave ments, cars running on rails provided by the company. and although wear and tear upon permanently paved highways by jitncy service may not be considerable, it certainly will havo a disastrous effect upon all water bound and bituminous macadam roads, or such roads as are not pro- vided with even these types Of pave ment.
 For the year ending September 90, 1914, the Connecticut company and in taxes to the state $47s.514.65. With reference to this amount paid the state in taxes. if it should be contend cd that each trolley car occupies as much space in highway as three jit- neys, then on the present basis of tax ation of jitneys. namely S7.Q0 per year. the trolley company would have paid the state s12,600. or if based on the seating capacity of trolley cars as compared with jitneys. the company would have paid s63.000 instead of being taxed in various manners to considerably over one million dollars per annum.
 The Connecticut company also paid rar uty-aat Snriy pl oftYr-w y.. .t-.