New Britain herald., 1915-10-25
NEW HAVEN DENIES
 FARE BOOST RUMOR
Official ContradiCtS Story Regard ing Increase on "Dinky" Trains
PLAN CONSIDERED ONCE

\ AI1N SVANSAA1ANA
 But It Has Not Been Thought of Re
 gently, According to First Assistant
 Passenger Agent-Howl Sure to
 Follow Such an Imposition.
 Reports that the New York, New. Haven and Hartford Railroad com peny is to petition the public utilities commission for raise in rates on the so-called "dinky" line between Hartford and Bristol, az direct result of the com missions recent order against the backward operation of locomotives on that line, have been current lately, but so far as the Herald could learn today in a conversation with officials of the road at New Haven the matter has not been given consideration of late. First Assistant Passenger Agent F. c. Coley admitted the matter had been under discussion from time to time ever since the steam service was re- stunned following the abandonment of the old third rail system.
 Line Doesn't Pay.
 The railroad company has claimed for a long time that the service is not paying one and that 1t was a conces- sion to popular glamour for cheap communication with Hartford when the third rail service was first installed in 1897 When the trolley company then a competing line, built the troi- ley line to Hartford and installed ten cent service, the railroad company re- sponded by the construction of the third rail and met the trolley rate with a ten cent fare.
 Dinky Not Popular.
 When the third rail was finally dis carded as the result of strong opJec- tions owing to the number of fatal accidents, some of which were or q most tragic character, the dinky service was installed. The popular Crv for the ten cent rate was so stroht | that the company permitted it to stano with comparatively little ob1ection 1 but for a long time the service Wal l not popular and the trolley line
 fiourished. People did not take kindl!
 to riding in the stuffy cars, which were hauled by locomotives burning soft coal and from which poured
 dense choking fumes and pail oi
 black smoke which proved the ruina' i ton of white wearing apparel. The company only abandoned the third rail service after strenuous ob- lection, which was led by the old New Britain Business Mems associa- tion and the people felt that the rail- 1 road was getting square by the sub- stitution of spite service. However. the "dinky" service, due to the quick running time, eventually regained some of it's lost traffic and the kicks | gradually subsided.
 Public Will Object.
 Although patrons of the line have never felt that the service was great ly to be praised, 1t is putting 1t mild ly to say that howl will go up to the high skies if the railroad at- tempts to jump the rate to the reg ular steam schedule. Intimation that such an attempt might be made was first given by railroad officials at the hearing before the utilities commits sion last month when the question | of operating the "dinkys" tender first i was heard.
 General Manager C. L.. Bardo was chief sponsor for the company at that | hearing and he based his objections to complying with the new law on 1 the ground of expense. He made several startling statements at that time one being that 1t would take an
 hour to uncouple a locomotive, travel | to the turntable, reverse and return.
 Representatives of the city govern
 ment. who were present at the hear ing regarded the statement as pre-
 posterous but in view of the source
 from which it eminated made no com
 ment. MT. Bardo maintained that 1 the line Is a losing one and that ex- tra expense. which would be caused
 bv the installation of turntables,
 would probably make it necessary to demand an increase in passenger l rate.
 Whatever the outcome, one thing is certain. the railroad company will
 never be allowed to change the rate
 upward without objection of the most
 strenuous order. Patrons of the ser
 vice feel that if any change is to bs made they are entitled to better ser
 vice than they are now getting and the company will have to go some to convince them that the dinky service i is a losing proposition.