South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-22
JITNEY OWNERS
ARE UNDER FIRE
C0unCiImen Express Opinions
Of Buses in No COmpIi-
mentary Manner.

iitney bus traffic Of South Bend at
the regular meeting OF the committee
uf the whole Of the common council
last night. The result Of "a lively dis
cussiOn was the abandonment Of the
ordinance recently drawn up by City
Atty. Seebirt. and the committees In
structiOn 10 him and the ordinance
committee to prepare another Ordi-
nance which would be more stringent
in It's treatment of license fees and
bonds-tO say nothing of indemnity
Insurance.
The matter Of installing a light at
the intersection OF College St and
the G. l. a. $ railroad tracks was
indefinitely postponed. the council, af-
ter "A Journey 10 the point in ques-
ton. arriving at the decision that the
NeW York Central lines should not
bC held financially liable for its in
siallation and maintenance. An Ordi-
nance with that proposal was tabled.
Several councilmen maintained that
al arc light. or two or three mean
descent lights in the vicinity of Col
lege and Werwinski SITS. would suff-
ciently light the community. and in
the near future recommendations TO
that effect Will be made to the board
4 public works
Could BE Nasty"
In discussing the jtney bus situa-
ton. more than one member of the
council made il clear that he favored
stringent regulation. 1t was declared
that the traffic i'm this city had pre-
scented more than one problem in the
past few months. and that if such con-
ditiOnS were allowed 10 progress un-
checked. Iawlessness would be a fea-
ture OF the jitney business in South
Bend
There are so many little nasty
ihings one could say about the jitney
bus traffic that one hesitates TO be-
Lin." SAID one member. However, 1t
Is not the desire Of this council TO
drive them completely from the city
Ius,ead we are only too glad to have
them since they are the lesser of two
great utilities evils in South Bend"
Councilman Goebel did not favor
he option given jitney bus drivers
without regulation of driving only on
streets where car tracks have been
installed
1T was an enormous expense to
the street car company" said he, Ito
install the miles and miles of track
nm south Bend and the pavement for
hich they also paid Is being used
by a competitor for gain Personal
equity fl nothing else. should sway the
opinion of this council in this mat
ter. Let there be competition, but
let that competition be waged by fair
means"
Seebirt Shoots Bolt.
City Atty. Seebirt startled the cOun-
Gil members. and at the same time
threw a new light on the situation
with the declaration that there was
not a surety company in the country
which would write such a bond "a
had been mentioned as a necessity In
the new ordinance about TO be drawn
up.
1T is true that they will write In
HaH- IL
rate would be almost prOhlbiuVe. by
this method the bus driver would be
reimbursed for damages awarded a
plaintiff in a court But first he WOULD
be compelled 10 stand the expense
OF the trial. which would not be re-
turned TO him in any event
Councilman Hagerty stated that the
traffic had been given plenty OF time,
and that the confusion of the past
week. and the rapidly increasing num-
her of buses made IL almost impera-
tive that some stringent method of
regulation be adopted. He urged tnar
each driver be compelled TO put up a
bond with the city of $4,000 and pay
an annual license fee of not less than
$50
"A 10000 bond would be more
suitable declared Hagerty. Like
other members of the council who
urged a more stringent ordinance,
Hagerty declared himself not partic-
ularly friendly TO the street car COM
pany, although his attitude In the jit-
ney bus matter was stated plainly.
Time Has Come"
Here we have two public utilities
one Of which Is indispensable, said
one council member. They are COM
petitors. and the city allows one util-
ity such freedom that its profit is more
easily attained than that of the other
We laid back in our seats when this
matter was first preached and said
that we would allow time TO tell. Well
ma my opinion, il has told. and the
time for action has come
Ii was also suggested that the new
ordinance provide routes over which
jitney buses exclusively shall travel.
and 10 take them on the lines OF the
street car company entirely. The
council mem Der who proposed this
provision was emphatic in his declara-
ton that he was not speaking in be-
half OF the street car company, and
that I'm no manner had its officials
approached him on the subject
Councilman Hagerty further sug-
gested that the section i'm the old ordi-
nance barring minors from operating
buses be removed He said that an
age limit OF Is years would be more
suitable.
Councilman lang declared that a
bond with the city should be a para
mount feature of the new ordinance.
and that the old bill was selfish one
entirely. Lang also suggested that the
larger buses of the city should be
compelled 10 pay a higher license than
the smaller ones
To BE or Not Co Be
CITY Auv. SeebirJ declared that any
sort OF a bond or indemnity insurance
policy would drive the j!tney bus from
the city altogether
The biz question before this coun-
cn. he declared. els whether You
want the itney ous or whether YOU
wish 90 drive the traffic on the streets
altogether a drastic ordinance would
have the latter effect
Councilman Miller said that regula-
zion was needed and that he favored
more stringent ordinance
AT the conclusion OF the meeting,
Councilman Seifert whose recent mar
3 10 In.