The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-11-21
TROLLEY CARS
MAY RUN AGAIN
TO NORTH ADAMS
Road May Give Trial Service of
Thirty Days
FARES MUST BE ADVANCED
Meeting of Public Officials and Manu-
facturers Held at Bennington
Club Rooms Thursday Night

There was an informal meeting at
the rooms of the bennington CLUB
Thursday evening called for the pur-
pose OF considering methods to bring
about n resumption of traffic over the
Bennington and North Adams branch
of the Berkshire Street Railway sys-
TEN which has been suspended since
the strike of trolley men last summer.
Present at the meeting were mem
bers of the village board OF trustees,
the board of selectmen, representa-
tives Of the different industries in the
village and members OF the Bennington
board of trade.
1t was the consensus of opinion
of the meeting that every possible as
sistance should be extended TO the
Berkshire Street Railway company to
bring about restoration of service.
The suspension has created much in
conyience 10 the travelling public.
Autobuses have made it possible
to make connections in North Adams
and at Pownal with the Boston and
Main railroad With the coming of
Geld weather it will be necessary to
suspend automobile traffic.
Negotiations with c. Q. Richmond,
general superintendent of the Berk-
shire system, have been in progress
for some time and at the meeting
Thursday evening resolutions pledging
support for plan that would restore
traffic between Bennington and North
Adams were adopted.
1t was stated at the meeting that
there was a possibility that Mr.. Rich
mond might be persuaded to try TO in
duce the company 10 attempt a trial
of one month S duration to ascertain II
it were possible TO operate the line with
out q loss of revenue. To do this it
would be necessary to increase both
fares for passengers and the rates for
freight,
Under the statutes the ordinary
course for putting into effect an in
creased schedule OF fares is by a
notice filed with the Public Service
Commission thirty days before the
increase takes effect. The Commits
sion has authority TO waive this
notice and in this instance 1t is hoped |
will waive it, so that
service may be resumed without a
delay.
Citizens of Bennington who nave |
taken an interest in the project to re-
store traffic on the line have been in
formed by Superintendent Richmond
hat a few repairs on the road Will be |
necessary before cars could be run as
before the strike. The trial plan. If
carried out, means that the service
that prevailed during the past year up
to the strike will be resumed for the
period of q month. The company
gives no assurances that the cars will
be run longer than a period of 80
days if it is found that traffic does
not warrant continuation OF the ser
vice
Owing to the shortage of houses and
tenements in Bennington there is
acute needs OF the car service. AT
Springfield. this state, situated much
The same as Bennington. II is esti-
mated that more than 500 people come
IN every day by trolley and automobile
10 work in the mills.
Here the number is fewer but there
has been a good deal of ii for years.
The North Bennington line transfers
both ways and the North Adams line
will increase if service is assured. 1t
works both ways because several sum-
ners ago, when there was dull spell
n building, large number of Ben
lington carpenters found work in
Williamstown
Merchants miss the express service
md also the trade from Pownal and
which has been increas.
ing as the public learn that in many
ines Bennington offers a better line
han North Adams.
The Valley line has grown to be an
outlet and inlet for Benning-
ton and it ought to be retained if it
can possibly he done.