Norwich bulletin., 1916-07-12
MANY FAVOR FREE
 FERRY TO GROTON
Plan Advocated as Aid to Commercial
 DeveIopnent of New london.

Development of New London.
 Free ferriage, or at least ferriage at | cost, across the Thames river when | the present lease to the Thames Fer l ry Co. expires 8 year and 9 half hence 1 is the proposition advocated by num- eTOus New London business men and | other citizens at the present time In- | cluded in the proposal is the sugges- | ton that the city take over the OpeT- atiOn of the ferry line possibly In con- junction with the town of GrOton, and either esta blish toll charges cOmmen- surate with the running cost or else operate it gratis, in the cause of com merCiaI development.
 It is the sentiment of advocates of the project that eNaCtiOn of fare each 1 time a person crosses the river be- tween New London and GrOtOn is not good business policy and that the abolition of the system would result | in important benefit both to merchants and their patrons. While the taking over of the ferry line would mean a loss of revenue to the municipal treas | Ury, they argue that this would be more than offset by the gain in other directions.
 Lease Expires Dec. i, 1917.
 The ten years lease under which | the Thames Ferry Co now operates l will expire Dec ], 19lT- The company IS no" paNlnE an annual rental of $+,9Q0 for it's franchise plus one per cent. of the gross earnings. The lease referred to is Included in an agree | uenr executed by former Mayor M Wilson Dart and former Aldermen George ". Counor. C. Royce Boss and Charles II. Morris. and the Thames Ferry Co., on Dee. 2. 1901, by which in- stTument the company agreed t0 con- strUct an additional ferry landing in GrotOn near the plant of th0 Eastern Shiphuilding Co. and 10 operate an eE- tra ferTNbOat between the hours of 6 a. m. and p. m. In return for this concession the city authorities grant cd an extension of the lease already in existence for a period of ten years from Dec ?, 1907.
 The history of Jhe ferry franchise replete with more or less strenuous political and competitive features Ser- crai groups have controlled ii from time to time and from nominal ren- taI the value of the concession has in creased 10 it's present considerable amount
 Back in 1875. when former Governor lhCTnaS A- Waller was mayor ten years lease was executed by the city to Edwin a. Delaney for $1 and other considerations. MT. Delaney imme- diatey assigned the lease to the Thames Ferry Co.,. which at that time At it's expiration the lease was con tnued for two years more, bringing the date up to 1887.
 Tn that year a new lease was issued to Benjamin A. Armstrong, W. R. Perry. Fred Sherman and Walter R. DenisOn for ten years at an annual rental of $305. The gentlemen refer red to bought up the stock of the Thames Ferry Co., and constituted themselves that organization. This lease expired in 1907.
 New Lease in 1907.
 On July 30 of that year Mayor James P. Johnston and Aldermen Ed ward N. Crocker, Harris PendIetou, Joseph c. ComstOck Maurice P. Fitz- gerald and LuCiUs E. Whiton, the fer " committee of the court of common council, granted a lease to the Thames Chappell interests. The annual rental was fixed at S2,750 and one per cent Of the gross earnings.
 The agreement made in 1901 already referred to, by which the company es- tablished a second line across the river did not result prOftably for the lessee. With the passing of the East ern Shipbuilding Go. the second line was abandoned.
 Since that time it is understood that the revenue has been fairly luCra- tive but that much of it has gone to liquidate old indebtedness incurred during the early part of the present century. Ultimately there will un- QOubtedly be hl&nWay bridge over the river on the structure now used by the New Haven railroad but while this would in all probability lessen to a marked extent traffic over the ferry, it is considered doubtful if use of the latter method will ever be totally given up
 The proposition to acquire the ferry for municipal use has so far been dis cussed only in a general way and de- tails involved in the project have not been considered individually. The city owns the landings and approaches on both sides of the river but the ferry boats are the property of the company Presumably these would have to be purchased and it would probably be essential to issue bonds for the pur- pose.
 Notwithstanding the fact that the expense entaiIed would be of substan- ttaI character, conservative citizens have already expressed themselves as heartily in accord with the idea and give it as their opinion that it would be one of the most generally benefi- cial moves which could be made. Dur ing the IS months intervening before the expiration of the lease, it IS an