The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-02-01
Measure Pending in Gener-
al Assembly Would Give
Fac h Person Detained
More Than 5 Minutes at a
Railroad Crossing Right
to Collect Damages Of $25
Droege and Railroad Lawyer
Declare Measure Would
Result in Blackmail Of
Road and Would Paralyze
It's Efforts to Handle Ev-
er Increasing Traffic.
Especial to The Farmer.)


Hartford, Feb. 1.-Considerable en-
ljghtenment for the general public as
to the methods of the New York, New
Haven & Hartford Railroad Cos
handing Of it's transportation prob
lens came through hearing before
the Committee on Judiciary at the
Capitol vest erday, on a bill relating to
the obst1 uction by trains of the pubic
highway.
That to absolutely prohibit the
blocking Of a highway for more than
five minutes-the aim of the bill
would be to demoralize the handling
of freight and passenger traffic Of the
road was the purport of the state
ment of J. "A. Droege, the general SUI
perintendent of the western division
of the road, who, with w. L. Barnett,
a railroad lawyer, were the railroads
representatives at the hearing.
7 Mr.. Droege, explaining the prob
lens that the road faces in its in
creasing freight and passenger traf-
fic, with facilities not proportionately
increased, argued against the enact
ment Of the proposed measure, which
he termed, ''little better than black
mail"
Another opponent of the measure
who discussed railroad conditions.
was Charles D. Moore, the legislative
agent of the Brotherhood Of Locomo
tive Engineers. His discussion of
Notwithstanding under the con-
ditions imposed by the bill proved of
interest, especially his relation of
specific instances of the blocking of
highways by trainsI under conditions
that he argued were justifiable.
Of ro n
occurrence, in Meriden where a
freight train from Harlem river, stop
ped on an up grade. on a white frost
rail, couldn't get under way. The
sand had been exhausted. It was
more than 20 minutes before the
train got under way.
Moore argued that the railroads
system Of disciplining it's crews was
such that in event of the enforcement
of the proposed measure, it was fear
ed among the employees that they
might be called into the Office of their
superintendent on each alleged VIOLA
ton, with the prospect of losing pay
for time lost in such inquiries; also
that dement's might pile up against
the employees ~
The measure was favored by States
Attorney Hugh M. Alcorn at Hart
ford county. He explained that the
present law provides a penalty of SIS
for conviction of the railroad for OBJ
structing the highway for more than
five minutes. The proposed measure
would grant to a complainant per-
sonal damages of $25 Off such a vio-
lation.
He said that under the present con-
ditions, a person held up at high
way crossing far from his home town
would not go to the trouble of caus-
ing a prosecution to be instituted in
the town where the violation occurred
because Of the time that would be
required, and the annoyance to which
he might be subjected by repeated
continuances of the case.
Pointing out the repeated instances
of distractions, he argued that it was
desirable that some change be made
to put an end to such distractions.
Attorney Kendall Pierce of Bristol
vigorously favored the measure,
pointing out that in his section Of the
state the railroad, without ample
sidetrack facilities, uses one Of it's
double tracks for siding purposes and
that repeatedly delays of more than
five minutes occur. He said that he
spoke for the Automobile league,
with a membership of $4,000.
Attorney Hungerford of New Bril-
tain spoke in similar vein. He recall
ed the history of a test case made by
Attorney B. I. Spock Of the railroad,
under which the supreme court rul-
ed that a train that stood Tor less