Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-01-04
FORD ADMITS
Service Is Not What
Road Officials Desire
IS Witnesses Heard in Big L. A. &
w. Hearing Before Public Utilities
Commission-Bath People Present
Their Grievances


Bath, Me, Jan. 3.-That the service
Of the Lewiston, Augusta & Water
Vile Street Railway is faulty and al
most anything but what it's officials
desire was admitted by Albert H.
Ford. vice president and general man
ager, in answer to the complaint of
DR.. III. A. Bates and "a others in a
hearing before the Public Utilities
commission in the Supreme court
room this morning. Mr.. Ford however
attributed practically every deficiency
to lack of power and suitable equip
ment and asked forbearance until
new transformers and a switchboard
are Installed in the Bath sub-station
when he agreed Vat within a week all
power troubles would be overcome.
The entire commission, consisting of
Chairman Benjamin F. CleaVes, Hon.
William B. Shelton and Hon. John E.
Bunker was in attendance, also the
clerk. George +. Giddings. and Stem
ugrapller Connor. Officials of the road
pi esent included President William Nj.
Bradley. Vice President Ford, Assist
ant General Manager Alfred Sweeney,
Gen, Supt. q. w. Bowie and Div.
SUPP: Fred A. Fuller. Mr., Bradley
conducted the case for tn railroad
Hon. Edward W. Hyde conducted the
case for the complainants, and the en-
tire hearing was conducted in the
same manner as Il usual court pro-
ceeding. The commission reserved it's
decision.
The general complaint was the al
legged irregularity Of service, many of
the petitioners living in West Bath
and East Brunswick whose business
calls them to Bath daily, claiming that
they can put but little dependence in
it and their business is injured as
result. They told of crowded cond-
tons and one witness testified that
he had seen passengers riding on the
roof of car while it was no uncom-
mon thing for them to ride on the
cowcatchers, outside ratings and any
where else where they could get
hold.
John A Foote, who lives about two
miles out, said he depended upon the L.,
A. & w. to get to and from his work but
couldn't put any reliance in them and
said that the car due this morning at i?
didn't arrive until after 9. "If the Texas
Steamship Co. and the Bath Iron Works
had to depend on the electric car service
to get their men to work, God knows
where the government shipbuilding pro-
gram would be IL it wasn't for the Maine
Central Railroad" graphical W reclaimed
Mr.. Foote. He also told the commission
that the company ran closed cars through
warm weather and then when it was time
to put on fur overcoats they were run
ming open cars.
Charles Laing. an employee OF the Texas
steamship Co., said at the outset he con-
sidered the l., A. & W. st. Ry. the poor
est he had ever ridden on. He said he
lived in West Bath for six months las,
year and that it was from May to July
before he was able to get a seat. He said
that he had reported these congested con-
dltlons to the Public Utilities Commission
and that the commission in reply had sent
him its passenger sheets which did not
SHOW any heavy traffic and stated that on
one occasion when the PASSENGER sheet
recorded only ~ passengers he ..ad count
ed III. He said he was one who had rid
den on the cowcatcher and said he haiI
seen passengers riding on the roof. He
said that passengers getting on at Tru-
fants Crossing were seldom able to Oh
tam seat and the loss of time meant
great deal to the employees of the indus
trlal plants because their wages were
docked when they did not get in on time.
lie said that on account of tho service he
would not return to West Bath to live.
AS the testimony of the other witnesses
summoned would be along similar lines,
on suggestion Of Mr.. Hyde the commits
sion decided it would not be necessary
TO add anything further along this line.
Nj. Hyde took the stand to give =
little detailed testimony from a MEM
orandum he had prepare and which
ne SAID had come under his oDsery3
ton. While the complete list is nor
appended some of the principal points
were the following: Nov. 3, South Enc
local at 9.15 Z. NJ. an open car with
temperature down to %; Nov. 6. work.
mems car, open, temperature "A de-
Srees: Nov. 10. car 314 left square at
Us with no head or rear lights: Nov.
%, l.30 car had to back up for freight
car from Oak street, then 10 minutes
late; NOV. y. at 2.10 T. NJ. passen-
gel car was held up by train OF two
freight cars at corner North and High
streets for 10 minutes; Dec. Q. three
inches OF snow, road tied up all day.
10 men walked to Brunswick; Dec. IA.
four inches of snow. road tied UP
again; Dec. 10. L. NJ car arrived OF.
time. was neld until 430
In addition to this Mr.. HYDE said
that on Wednesday the supertntenc-
ept of schools in West Bath 'telephoned
him that several children coming TO
Bath schools had been obliged to wait
at the Trufant's Crossing station 80
minutes with the temperature 90 be-
low zero.
At this point Mr. Hyde created
something of a surprise by calling upon
Vice President Ford, who was evil
IDENTIFY taken unawares. He was sworn,
however. After telling of hrs 20 years
experience as a railway manager he
told the commission the road derives
its power from the Lewiston and Au-
burn Electric Co. in Lewiston and the
Central Maine Power Co. and stated
that the source OF power is INSULT
cient to operate the company's lines
but stated that local conditions were