Norwich bulletin., 1917-11-10

stance, if 8 dry goods dealer sees his
 business expand and concludes that
 he needs his neighbor's adjoining lot,
 or which to build an addition to his
 store, he cannot procure it unless the owner is willing to part with it. On
 the other hand, if a railway company finds private property necessary in its business, it can, take 1t against the will
 of the owner by paying him reason able compensa ton therefor.
 Again. If all meat dealers in Norwich raise prices 20 per cent. except one, wbo raises his 40 per cent, that one his former customers will patronize the other meet dealers.
 i, When a railway increases it's rates 3cu cannot patronize another because there is only one trayersing the same territory. A railway is in the nature cf a monopoly. 1t is a public service corporation.
 That the duties charged ey such a corporation must be reasonable and moderate was declared by Lord Hale l in his treatise, De Rortibus Maris." This doctrine was recognized by the United States supreme court in tae 1 turned on what Lord Hale had declared | to be the common law; his declara ton was approved in the learned opinion by Chief Justice Morrison R.. Waite. I occupied that high, and honorable 1 bench. It has since been approved and 1 applied by hundreds of cases both in 1 England and America. It stands to- i day the undisputed law of the land. l A court will enjoin a railroad from I charging unreasonable rates. See High on Injunctions.''
 l T suggest to MT. One of the Common 1 People that he call meeting of all l the common people in favor of the in- 1 creased fare and see how many, be- 1 sides himself, attend.
 I When Secretary of War Newton D. Baker was fighting for the three cent l fare in Cleveland the railway people eet up the cry that it meant bank 1 ruptcy and ruin If the majority of | the people had taken it for granted Cleveland would, never have had a three cent fare. The result there
 showed that railway judgment is not l lr.fallib1e.
 The Connecticut company. which op- ! crates the street railway lines in the 1 greater part of this state. increased the I fare to six cents or 20 per cent. Inn 1 nediately the city authorities of New 1 Haven. Bridgeport. Hartford. Water bury and other cities took action to paotect the rights of the citizens. Is Norwich growing faster, more pro- gressive and wiser than the cities I named?
 1 Here the increase has been from 4G to 80 per cent. and we have been get a favorable decision why do we delay? Every day means more money 1 out of the peoples pocket. The re- 1 sponsibility for delay in the city o1 ! Norwich rests with the common coun- 1 cil. We may not get favorable de cision,- but everything is to be lost by
 delay and, nothing gained.
 i In my proposed compromise I said 1 to the company: Increase us 20 pen cent. and we will not complain, al ] though they have in New Haven 1 Bridgeport and Hartford, but 40 pei I cent. and over Is too much, even fol l Norwich" s-.
 l There is no reason why Norwich 1 slaouh not expand and grow; why il should not keep; pace with the fore l pqost cities of the state. It ought t 1 be the center of progress in easterr
 Connecticut. Too much conservatism
 is as deadly and destructive as tot much radicalism.
 I consider myself one of the com
 n, onest of the common people and
 sign my name so that no one may sus
 peet I am an investor in the railroad I JOHN l.. HUGHES.
 Norwich, Nov. g, 1917.,