Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-08-21
FIGHT AGAINST NEW Il
JTTNEY ORDINANCE
PLANNED BY OWNERS
Monster Meeting in Philadsl.
phia Jitney Association
Rooms Decides on Test
Court Case
BILL IN EQUITY PROBABLE

The bread-and-butter issue has -.
Injected into the iltney situation ~
bers from two organizations, the ph1
adelphla Jitney Association and the so,ss
Philadelphia Jitney Owners Assoclstsou
met today at 673 North Broad street ~
work out a cooperative plan for rale,av
funds and providing test case Of ~
death" ordinance. There will alao ~
n mass-meeting AT the Parkway R,,I,a,r.
on Monday afternoon at O'Clock Srhs,.
plans for the hRht will be completed =
II was agreed that each member of Al. 3
associations contribute s. toward ~ 4
legal expense of a suit which will M ,
started to test the ordinance.
Fully two score of those present coo. p
tributed their money on the spot wors Z
came from the West Philadelphia Asso.
tribute to the fund.
A plan OF legal action was discussed Al
a meeting of committees of the organlza.
tions this afternoon at the headquarters
of the South Philadelphia AssocIatlon
Broad and Porter streets.
Both organizations guaranteed to havs
10 cars each at the gates of League Island
Navy Yard on Monday afternoon at /
clock and they will carry the worh
men as far as skunk street free of
charge in the hope of arousing interest
of the public in behalf of the jitneys.
The men of all organizations reaizs
that unless something is done soon their
families will suffer. This was pointed
out by several speakers at a meetins
held by the Union Notorious Company.
at the Parkway Building last night
They said that they had either gone into
the business because of lack of employs
ment In other lines or because of the OPS
portunity to become Independent. and had
invested all their savings in the cars
Charges made by various persons that
the Union Notorious Company was formed
at the instance of irresponsible drivers
for their own personal gain was denied
by the president Paul Randolph He
pointed out that none of the officers were
salaried men and that before they would
accept any more dues or attempt to raise
funds to conduct a test case they would
compel the treasurer. c. Sheldrake, a
property owner of Germantown, TO put up
security in the sum of $1,000. This, it is
understood, Mr.. Sheldrake would have
done yesterday but for an illness which
confined him to his bed.
PLAN BILL IN EQUITY
Randolph stated that they had consult.
ed a prominent lawyer in the matter Of
an ordinance, and had been advised that
the proper method for the men to pursue
is to file a bill in equity, Along these
lines It is understood, a test case win be
worked out, and the members of the other
jitney associations will be asked to pro-
vide equal shares of the funds to cons
duct the fight.
Despite the efforts of the police to en-.
force the jitney ordinance, probably 50
cars were on the streets this morning
and fully the same number were running
last night, although no jitney signs werc
displayed on the cars. A few openly de-
fed the law and picked up passengers III
arcrffa fIn afng sffna
the passengers to take a free ride and j
tip them when they reached their destna- q
tion. Another method was to invite theh
passengers TO ride free of charge, the
drivers saying they did not desire any7
compensation. Invariably at the end OF .
the trip, a neat sum in nickels and dimes
and quarters was found on seats andh
floors of the cars.
The big buses operated by the United
Motor Bus Company, Inc, were running
on Broad street today, and at least eight
Independent jitney owners took out II.
censes and provided bond yesterday.
Ten jitncy owners applied for licenses
today, after filing their bonds, and there
viii be IS jitneys on the streets tomorrow,
running under the new ordinance. This z
is big contrast TO the number of cars
running last Sunday. Then, according TO +
the records in Director Porter's office.
1iGO Jitneys were operating.
Ihat the people as a whole felt In.
convenience caused by the jitneys failing =
to operate, was evident in many quarters 4
The committee of employees to advocate &
the development Of the Navy Yard. undera
the signature of its president. Bert Grows IA
ley, has sent out a statement, declaring
1t intends to hire sufficient automobiles to
take the employees to and from the Navy
Yard on account of "intolerable' transit
conditions.
The committee complains that the
single trolley line to the yard is not
sufticient TO handle the traffic during the
rush hours, and since the jitneys have
been forced from the streets the RAPID
Transit Company should either provids
additional trolley lines or automobiles to
relieve the situation.
Mr.. Crowley's statement in part Is as
follows:
THE Philadelphia Rapid Traction Com
pany can help matters by furnishing suf-
ncient number of cars during the rush
hours In the morning and afternoons.
ana by running the 18th and 18th street.
cars to the yard, as Il is a preposterous
proposition that the Navy Yard should
De dependent upon one line of cars, which
can pe blocked by a coal cart During
such blocks the employees have been able
Wllhln the last few months to take
lltney or automobile and reach their work
h ih Time, but as they have been taken OF
the streets some other arrangement