The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-03-31
ATTORNEY CANFIELD CHARGES
 CRANE GO. WITH FAILURE TO x
 PLAY SQUARE" WITH PUBLIC
Firm Wants Street Closed Just Keep Public Out De- clares Member of Park Board-Eames Explains At titude and Says His Fellow Commissioners Always Agree

lay out the street. I don't think that by this is meant filling in.''
 "No. It would have to be graded MT. MacF'ayden interjected.
 That industrial railroad on South avenue cannot be used to the detri- ment of the public." MT. Canfield con tinued. ''I don't know if the public and MT Flames know this. Public convenience is the dominant right there. If public convenience demands that the tracks be relocated they will have to be relocated. Highways are for the public. They are not for the individual or for the corporation. We all have rights in highways.
 F"Then there's another condition. First right to the railway is given to the Connecticut Railway & Lighting Go. They attached a rider to the law giving them the right to use the tracks for the carrying of passengers, if they so willed, and if they could not agree on the usage, an arbitrator is to be called. The right of the industrial railroad is not the dominant right. It's the subserVient right.
 '"The land of the Crane Go. wants to get rid of is way out in the water. It's no good to them. It's not a fair exchange. There'I be an uprising in this town if that street is closed, such
  people look to you to protect their rights. "I have said privately and now I Say, publicly, that the Crane Co. does not want this room for additional buildings. MT. Bennett said it is not the purpose to close the street. They will leave it as it is. They'll just put ] a gate on it and tell the people to keep out. They have acres and acres : of land if they want to build. The purpose of closing the street is to keep the public out.
 1 Blue prints showing the land that | the Crane Go. proposes to exchange for part of what now belongs in the bark, also the effect of the closing of South avenue were shown by Pres1- dent Flames of the park board. MT, Flames said he wanted to correct an | impression that the park board was quarreling over the matter. He said mo vote had been taken on the matter but that six years before the board had voted down the proposition made 1 by the company at that time This proposition is new one
 He said the company agreed to leave Barnum dyke open so that a bridge could be built from it toN the Third district. He said the company offered | to give right of way over part of its 1 land near Atlantic street and to ex- tend and to make the necessary filling
 
 street. He said that the triangular piece of property that the Crane Go. offers to exchange with the city was offered without any strings and would make a good industrial dock front or dock for motor boats. He said the Hand trade was an even exchange.
 "A great amount of objection has Ecome indirectly from Park avenue res fdents,' Mr. Flames said. who fear trolley cars will go that way and niekel-people will ride on that street. 1 'NThe Crane co. plans to erect a stor- age building at Atlantic street. If we Ihad money we could condemn the right of way at that point, but we haven't the money and the city is not going to give it. If we don't accept the Crane Co.'S proposition now and they build we'll lose forever and there'n be no trolley lines to the baths. believe firmly in proposition and IT believe it is a good trade for the city.
 My father was a park commis- sioner and he laid out many of the roads in the park. I was in the park when was 12 years old. am in ear- nest about this matter. I have no other aim than to get transportation for the people to the bath houses. Those of us who believe in the propo- sition believe in it thoroughly.
 "The papers talk about South ave- nue being a boulevard and I went down there three times last summer and, no one was making use of the street for vehicles. It's not a highway 1 to the baths" ' Commissioner Philip L. Holzer said the logical way for the trolley line to run to the park was through South | avenue. He is opposed to closing the street. He said in part:
 l There is much opposition to a troll. ley line from Park avenue through Atlantic street to the, park. The line l through South avenue is where the people live and where the money will come from. T am told that in the summer time this street is filled with jitneys carrying people to the park. I am opposed to closing this street. "It seems to me that P. T. Bar num's ghost would rise before us if we close this street." declared Com missioner Wesley F. Hayes. q cannot see why we should give this street away People living in that vicinity have protested to me against it. Let the Crane Go. move the railroad on it's own land. Let us keep this street for the jitneys."
 l "As for the ghost of P. T. Barnum,' said MT. Eames, I've are carrying out his intent If he was alive he would be in favor. His grandson, c. Barnum 5eeley. favors the plan.''