Norwich bulletin., 1919-03-19
NO MONEY FOR WEST THAMES ST. WORK

Neither the Connecticut company
nor the Shore Lin eeelctric railway
company has the money, nor is eth
er company in the position to raise
the money which will be needed to
relocate tracks and poles and lay
cement concrete roadway between
its tracks and two feet each side of
them in West Thames street Presi-
dent Robert W. Perkins of the Shore
Line told the members of the com
mon council when he represented
both companies at the special hearing
before the common council Tuesday
evening.
Mayor j. ]. Desmond was not on
hand at the council chamber at s
O'Clock, the time for the opening of
the hearing but was reached by tel
ephone and arrived at $50, confess
ing that he had forgotten the date.
Councilman w. H. Bowen and F. j.
Aubrey were absent
The special hearing was held by APP
pointment of the common council
which gave notice to the Connecticut
Co. and the Shore Line Co. at its
regular March meeting that it was
ready to proceed with the cement
city line, and called upon the trolley
companies to relocate the tracks so
as to bring them to the center of the
street and to do the amount of high
way construction required by law.
There is a distance of 3,700 feet in
West Thames street to the city line
for which the city appropriation is
! $4,000. A turnout near Stetson
street is also planned, and West
! Thames street is to be widened
southerly from the High street corn
er so as to give 4 l. foot highway
! on each side of the trolley track.
! There will be no sidewalk on the
westerly side of the street along this
stretch.
After the meeting President Per
kins said the cost Of the whole work
| expected of the trolley company would
| probably be about $4,000.
When the hearing was opened, Presi-
! dent Perkins addressed the council
saying that the trolley road believed
| the proposed work a very necessary
! public Improvement, but under present
financial conditions the trolley roads
find it impossible to respond to this
! demand made upon them Under the
| terms of the lease between the Con
necticut company and the Shore Line
| company, the former company is obli-
! gated to stand all capital expenditures
| of which this would be one. But the
| Connecticut company has not paid the
interest on its underlying bonds MOI
paid its taxes Both have been paiC
by the New Haven road. The Shore Line
is in much the same situation. Earnings
have not been equal to its taxes ant
these have not been paid for 1918. Dur
ing Mr.. Plants lifetime he was d gooC
enough sport to want to see the roaC
kept running. but now under the exec
utors of the Plant estate it is not pos
sible to secure funds.
Mr.. Perkins said that this would b,
a, very embarrassing statement t
make if this condition We're not gen
eral with all trolley roads in this coun
try and indeed in Europe. Due to thi
condition. the state has asked no high
way work of the road in the past year
There are some highway changes Oh
the PoQuOnnoc road which would meal
an expense of $50, 600 to the Shore Lin
trolley road. The laws calling for thes
expenditures are making it impOssibl
for the companies to fulfill their obi
cations to the public. Two companie
! on the state are in receivers hands
| and if it We're not for the peculiar con
ditiOn Of the ownership of the Con