Norwich bulletin., 1916-05-15
SAYS TROLLEY COMPANY
DIDN'T PROVE CLAIMS
Senator Hewitt Represents Patrons of
G. and S. Road Before Commerce
Commission.


Senator B. H. Hewitt was in Wash
ington Friday where he is arguing in
the case OF the protest against the M
crease in trolley fares on the Groton
and stonington Street railroad before
the Interstate Commerce. commission.
In. the original complaint Miss
Nellie NJ. Edmonds of westerly
petitions relief because certain school
tickets in use prior to Nov %, 1915,
have since been taken away from the
school teachers and they are COM
PEELED to pay regular fare.
Referring to the condition of the
Norwich and Westerly and the Groton
and Stonington, Attorney Hewitt says:
"On Page SO Of Mr.. Perkins testi-
mony before the Public Utilities COM
mission he stated that he never heard
Of any one who claimed that the
Norwich and Westerly was a good
business venture In the present case
he testified that it had never been a
paying proposition. The Groton and
Stonington on the other hand had al
ways been considered a very good
proposition. Its common stock has
never been gilt edge. for it represents
an original investment of only s42
per share and the par value rs 100.
This was sufficiently attractive, how
ever to induce the present holders to
ferred stock has always paid dividends
of six per cent, and one year paid
seven and a half. The interest on this
bonds has always been promptly paid.
The section through which the Groom
and Stonington runs is thicl1ly settled
and its population has increased about
80 per cent in a few years. Business
conditions have never been as -four
| ishing as now
Attorney Hewitt makes a COMPARE
son of the old rates and the new under
the present copper zone system,
! showing for some zones an increase
as high as over 4S per cent. on inter-
state rates. which is all that the IN
terstate Commerce commission has to
do with.
Referring to the new copper zone
system, Attorney Hewitt says: "On
the Groton and Stonington no two
zones are of the same length but are
arranged so that all possible revenue
will be yielded thereby. Only Stoning-
ton has fare zone in its center. 8ys-
tic, the largest community, is treated
the worst of all the zones. range from a
third Of mile to a mile and a half
in length. The patrons of the road
sincerely trust that the old system OF
fares shall be ordered back into effect:
but if they are to be subjected to this
experiment, they certainly ask that
the zones may be arranged and made
made by Mr.. Perkins to justify this
inequality and difference in the
length of the zones, except to say that
the longest zones are at the terminals
where the traffic is heaviest and
shortest in the middle, where the
travel is Iightest. But this statement
| is very Inaccurate as will be seen by
| the defendants exhibit No. 1 and the
cross examination of Mr.. Perkins.
| Many patrons of the road have be-
| come SO disguested with this new sys-
| tenn that they have ceased to ride and
for this reason it is seriously ques-
i toned if the road will obtain any more
/ gross revenue by the change No
railroad and especially no small cleo
| trio railroad can afford to incur the i'll
viii of the public and the inevitable
/ result of such condition is being
observed right now along the line of
| the Groton and Stonington. The new
| system is extremely unpopular. This
feeling was greatly increased by the
steaIthv manner in which it was put
in force.