Norwich bulletin., 1917-03-12

charter TOT DullOfe1S the Or1Sina1 line through the city-that if a charter were granted that, within four months after the completion of the line. a loop would be built over the route where 1t is now wanted. and that the primise never has been redeemed. Senator Macdonald further stated that during his administration as mayor he had taken up the matter of building the loop with General Manager J. K. Punderford of the Connecticut com pany, and that Mir. Punderford had promised him that the loop would be built. Just after this however. the Connecticut company leased the East ern Connecticut lines to the Shore Line Electric Railway company, so the matter has since remained in abeyance, although Mir. Runderford, within the past few days. has recall ed his promise to Senator Macdonald. Petition For Loop. Mayor McGarry explained to Mr. signatures, has been received by the common council. asking that action be taken to secure the building of the line at once.
 President Perkins Explanation. President Perkins was frank in dis cussing the proposition. He would have to present the matter to the Connecticut company he said. for. un- der the lease through which the lines came to the Shore Line Electric Rail- way company the Connecticut com pany is obligated for 10-year period to furnish money for all capital in- vestments, such as new line construc- l ton.
 Increased Cost of Building. Also there is to be taken into con sideration the extreme high cost of building a line at this time. this cost being not much less than 75 per cent. more than it would have been two years ago. MT. Perkins also called attention to the fact that the street at the present time, and that during the past year not one line in this state that IS engaged exclusively in doing a street railway business paid a dividend. He further mentioned that the Shore Line railway never has paid a dividend. On account of the increas- ed operating cost on the Shore lines during the past year the difficulties of making earnings meet expenses has been greater than ever.
 An inopportune Time.
 eff the matter were left entirely to l me" MT. Perkins said. 'T would dis 1 courage you in every way from urg- | ing the construction of the line at this 1 time. Putnam people have been very the matter to the Connecticut com pany. As MT. Punderford has promis- | ed you the extension. I feel that he 1 will be prompt in presenting the | naLtef to the trustees or ms com
 | pany."
 Will Have Route Surveyed.
 | MT. Perkins further stated that he | would have engineers go over the pro-
 posed route for the loop as soon as
 possible, make survey and get fig
 | ures that will admit showing just 1 what the extension would cost. He | thought that some action might be taken within two weeks. MT. Per
 kins made it clear that public uti1-
 1Tzc7
 l investments such as would be made in
 building the loop should show req l sonable return to the investor, and 1 that the fare charged would have to
 be sufficient to show such a reason Might Cost s75,ooo . Mile. | Asked by Alderman Johnson what 1 it would cost to build such a line as l is wanted here, MT. Perkins said that I exclusive of bridges and under nor about s30.00o a mile; under present 1 conditions it might be as much as | S75,005 a mile. It is exceedingly diff | ficult he said to get investors to put
 money in street railways. because so I many of the lines have proved losing propositions. It takes $7 invested to i reduce $1 of gross revenue in the
 l street railway business today. MT. Perkins said.
 k It was stated to Mir. Perkins that 1t lis believed that the proposed loop and
 other city lines that might be oper- ated in connection with it. f. c., the | present loop through South Main,
 Center, King and Grove streets. would
 tsproduce enough business to prove
 l profitable.
 F Various features of the proposed plan were gone into at the confer
 I ence, which was very harmonious.
 l------> Al the Conferences.
 Those who were present were Mayor
 i J. J. McGarry, Senator s Archibald l Macdonald, Representatives E. B. I Kent and A. A. Brodeur. Aldermen 1 John G. Johnson, George L, Padgett, | J. J. Dupre. City Clerk T. F. Ryan, Street Superintendent Frederick Du-