The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-06

would have cost to purchase new ma terial or had the work been done by the manufacturers.
 Tn the track department We be- licve We have kept pace with if not led many properties. in the purchase and use of labor saving and economi- cal devices. We have purchased cleo uic and steam shovels by which we have excavated material at q cost of : cents per cubic yard instead Of 6G cents per cubic yard for hand work. The use of these shovels has also largely decreased the time lost by teams waiting for loads. We have purchased various form of rotary ana reciproCating grinders by which We have saved corrugated rails, Large savings have been made by the use of welding machines. In five years we have reclaimed rails which would have cost over $200, COG to renew plus a large additional saving for new ties and pavement. Broken rails have been repaired at about 1-1O of the cost of replacing. Also much special work has been required instead of being replaced; in one instance for example, at an expense Cf $9O, whereas under former uleth0us the expense would hate been over s. 600. We have also purchased pneu- matic tie tamping machines by the use of which one man can do tha work of six using the old method oe tamping. These machines are also available Ter the economical breaking ur of old concrete pavement.
 Through the usa of power say ing recorders and awards made to motormen making the best records power consumption.
 We are now about to put In ser vice a few Safety Cars, so-la'lad, in an endeavor 10 lessen power ana 3eve that relief must come in the major part from other sources than economies within our control
 Some of the larger items of ex- pense to The Connecticut Company are street paving. cont buttons to- wards bridges and the state tax
 '"The item of street paving for a recent term of years has cost on an average $31O,O00. per annum but this
 
 to such paving as in many cases the rails and ties had several years remaining life when it was ne cessary to tear them up and put in new construction incident to the new paving.
 "The large pavement costs imposed upon the company and ultimately paid for by the street car rider seems | against the public interest inasmuch as the street car rider is paying for | pavements to be used by Jitneys for | private gain and by persons able to | own automobiles for their own use. l
 The State Highway Commissioner normally spends s2,197,263 for the maintenance of highways to be used l by automobiles and other vehicles | and the state is reimbursed $1,O59,- 066 in taxes on these vehicles. this | making a net expenditure by the 1 state of $1,13S,197 to afford transpor- : tation facilities for those able to use automobiles. Therefore, why is it | unreasonable to ask that the state | bear a portion, at least, of the ex- penditures borne by street railwayi companies which have rails in the highway oyer which operate the poor mans vehicle?
 "The company's contribution to the cost of bridges varies greatly per year, but for a term of years it might well average about the same amour. as for pavements, namely, $500, ,0CH
 "On the basis of 1-2 per cert. on the gross earnings of approximately s10, 100000 per annum, the company pays to the state about S450,0 600 tax es.
 Taking the total of the above three items, it is virtually a tax of $2,100 per car per annum and it seems at this time proper to call attention to competition which seems to us as unfair to the street railway and which may lend to ul-- innate disaster to the residents of the state, namely. the Jitney. TheseI