Norwich bulletin., 1919-04-17
Another Committee Hears Trolley Troubles

lieve public necessity. In answering ]
 other queries Mr Perkins said he had
 no fear of the motor bus competition,
 as trolley car travels 60,009 miles a i year and after a bus travels that dis tance it is ready for the scrap heap. He did not consider fair the competi- ton of jitneys on short ioauis opeTat- ed by men engaged in o;aer business who operated during the pay.ng hours of the day. The companies cannot l abandon unproftable, fines, but the I bus or jitneys can select their own
 routes and operate at will. The troll i ley companies must operate at loss
 under the present state control.
 1 Senator John NJ. Diifon favored the
 bill which would aid the trolley com panies for two years. Then the exact condition could be ascerra:ned and the i future of the industry determined. He l favored the loaning of the money by l the state and loaning it to the com panies, with loan on the property or security.
 President Steward of the Connecti- cut company. said that in order to have required equipment and retain service, it was necessary to have cap
 ital to meet requirements. The Con- necticut company would need S500,00o to meet the needs for the next two years.
 
 I Windsor is opposed to the precedent
 of giving state money to street railway companies as it would lead to the
 state making up deficits. Business has
 drifted away from street railways !, since the coming of automobiles and good roads, and the time has come !, when the auto bus will supplant the , street railway. He was opposed to jit- } neyS, opposed to competing over the l same routes, he was opposed to jit- ; neys opposed to competition of the away business from recognized pub ! lie carrier. He believed the state ] should decide as to who could carry : passengers on the state highways and , that the public carriers should con- l tinue to be under state control. The effort of the commissioners seemed te ) be how much they could do for the g street railway companies. The jitneys 9 have no moral right to operate agains f the street railways, and he believed 1T state control of the jitneys.
 l Representative Shirk of Washington I was opposed to the state paying par = of the car riders fare any more thai s it would for their shoe strings. H. : was in favor of the street railwa! ! company operating motor buses bu s against subsidizlng of the trolleys. y J. F. Berry, of New Haven, repre- y senting the Connecticut company, sai s someone had said that someone ough e to take over the property and make i
 pay. and assurance is given that suc s individuals would be welcome. Tn d car riders will not pay his cost o s transportation and when tie compan e raises the fare. in comes tue competi d tion and the car rider goes to the jit r ney. The trolley companies have nc e asked for this loan of g, 000, ,000, bl fl if tho loan bill goes through ii will hei e the company some by the use of tn = one man car. by lease from the Unite 1T States Housing Corporation Tn ,e companies wanted relief by permittin l. them to abandon lines that did not pa t, cost of operation, but this was nc j. favored by the commission That Id the only way to get on a basis ( y. profit, he said. Any money earne > would be for improvement and servic