South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-30
HOLD JITNEY BUS
BILL TOO DRASTIC
Expressions of COunCiImen May
Cause Seebirt to Draft
New One.

City Atty Seebirt faces the respon-
sibiity Of drafting a brand new jitney
bus ordinance within the next two
weeks-the third to be prepared for
the consideration for the common
council OF the city-if the expression
Of a majority Of the council mem
bers holds until after the meeting of
the committee or the whole next
Tuesday night.
Jitney bus regulation in this city
was asked for by jitney bus drivers,
who suggested that q nominal license
fee be fixed and that the city forego
the formality Of compelling them to
place a bond for damage purposes
with the city controller Admitting
that regulation was necessary. the
council ordered prepared a jitney bus
ordinance, placing the license fee at
$40 annually, and containing the slip
ulation that no one under the age or
Il years be allowed to operate bus
in the city.
Wanted Bond the Feature
When this ordinance was intro
duced, COuncilmen Lang, Hagerty.
Miller. Hagey, Buechner and Seifert
talked against it upon the principle
that bond should be the paramount
feature u HuCn q Jill. IldoNA ~ CT
the meeting in question declared that
he would vote for a bond so high as
10000 The result of the discussion
was that the council committee on or
dinances-Smogor, Hagey and Miller
and City Atty. Seebirt, were directed
to prepare an ordinance whose pro-
visions would be more drastic, and
which place the personal safety ele-
ment directly upon the jitney bus
owner.
Such an ordinance will be discuss
ed at the next meeting of the COM
mittee of the whole. having been re-
ferred to that body from that last
meeting OF the council.
1t provides for a $1,000 bond. a $40
license fee, and other provisions taken
from ideas expressed by various coun-
cilmen.
The following criticisms and views
of the present ordinance were obtain
ed Wednesday morning:
Against Big Bond.
Councilman Hagey-"I do not IA
vor so large a bond, telling that it
would be unfair to the drivers to
compel them to pay such a large
amount | will ask for a bond of only
$1,000, and license free of $40, and
will not vote for an ordinance which
sets forth that jitney busses shall
traverse only on the streets desig-
mated in their licenses. Regulation
is needed, but In regulating the traf-
fic, there is no need of driving re-
spOnsible men from their means of
obtaining a living"
Councilman Personally /
don't think there should be a bond
at all. There have been no serious
accidents, and the bus drivers are
evidently doing their best to live up
to the present state and city laws.
Regulation Of a light nature should
be imposed, and TO that length / adj
vocate a license fee of $40 annually.
that should be enough. If
the problems in this regard which will
develop later make it necessary, @
bond might then be imposed"
Let EN- AIOne''-Smogor.
Councilman Smogor - Let 'em
alone for a while. is my viewpoint.
The jitney bus traffic hasn't yet hurt
South Bend, and / don't feel that the
time is ripe for regulation of any sort.
1t is true that eventually we will be
compelled TO draft an ordinance, but
that is a matter of future Importance"
Arthur l.. Miller, president Of the
council-"The ordinance as it stands
is a little too drastic to meet with my
approval. l would vote for a bond of
81, 200 and a license fee Of $40. How
ever, | do not feel it fair that the city
should designate the routes TO be trav-
elled by the jitney buses"
Councilman Lang favor restric-
tion and regulation but not SO drastic
in tone as is set forth in the latest
ordinance. A thousand-dOllar bond
is sufficient. as is a license fee of $50.
I advocate regulation, feeling that IL
is a necessit'-."
BE L air Says GOebel.
Councilman Goebel-'We need reg
ulation but by all means we sho I'D
be fair This matter should be taken
seriously by the council, and threshed
out until the fairest possible solution
has been reached. 1 would favor a
nominal bond and a small license fee.
However. these things in the new or
dinance are too drastic. and 1 will
not vote for them"
Mayor Keller will not discuss the
matter from any angle. preferring. az
he puts il. TO allow the council 10
wrestle with il for a while" Mr..
Seebirt said that in drafting the new
ordinance he had merely attempted
to follow suggestions as made at the
last meeting OF the committee of the
whole. and that the ordinance, there
fore. did not embody any particular
ideas OF regulation or his own.
The jitney bus drivers themselves
are planning TO wage a fight against
the ordinance. They have engaged
two attorneys, Isaac Kane Parks of
Mishawaka, and Donald DrummOnd OF
this city. These men will appear be-
fore the next meeting OF the COM
mittee of. the whole.
IOIIIOC GAM DE- CENT