The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-10
Adherents of Jitneys
 Take Capitol by Storm
Continued from Page one.)

they would be held responsible only by the Public Utilities Commission They would not have to pay fees or taxes or other local costs required of the jitneys and would not be subject to local police traffic regulations
 The third bill introduced on behalf or the jitney men, provides for an insurance, etc, and practically all the provisions of the original bill with the exception of control by the Public Utilities Commission. In place of this 1t asks for supervision by the police department of the locality op- erated in.
 In making his report at the start of the hearing, Senator Dillon intro duced new bill, practically a repe- utlon of the original measure It provides for the bonding of drivers to the extent of $5,OOO for each car carrying seven passengers or less, and $500 additional for each passenger, up to S1O,O00, and asks that jitneys be forced to operate on certain routes, stipulated in the certificate is- sued them.
 Senator Dillon in explaining the favorable report made by the com
 
 Jitney has cut into the revenue of the Connecticut Co. $1,5OO,OOO in the past year. He said it had been es- tablished that by law a jitney bus was common carrier and therefor 1t should be subject to the same rules and regulations as other common carriers Senator Dillon said the commission was not trying to "Iegis- late the Jitney'' out of business, as had been charged by certain news papers in Connecticut, but were at tempting to place them on the basis of healthy competition. He said he could not see how the Public Utilities Commission would bring about the death of the jitney.
 At this time, Representative Shaw said that he thought the jitney men and their representa- tives should be heard, reserving for the commission the right to have the final say of the day.
 Attorney Davis opened for the jit- ney interests. He spared neither the Connecticut Co.,, the Public Utilities Commission, the General Assembly. or the committee.
 Referring to the law ta give the Connecticut Go. powers to operate jitneys he said:
 If this law goes into effect, the Connecticut Co. would withdraw their cars and go in the jitney business to- morrow. They would have forced the jitney men out of business, by the law placing autos under the utilities commission and then they would pro- ceed to buy up over-dela lapidated Ford cars in the state.
 'I know from whereof I talk" said MT. Davis. 'Norwalk has dealt with the Connecticut Co. and with the Public Utilities Commission and there is not a citizen of that town having any respect for either.
 we are practically certain that the trolley company Is bankrupt. We know of their rotten service in the past, and yet we hesitate to let them go into bankruptcy, have a receiver appointed, and have them turned into competent hands. instead of being managed by officials who draw big wages. They apply to the General Assembly for a loan of $2,0O0,0OO from the state. Who ever heard of loaning a bankrupt concern $2,00O,- 900?
 "The entire stock of the Connec- ticut Go. is watered," said MT. Da- tyis. and as for the Public Utilities Commission, it is little better than inc old Railroad Commission, and most of you know what that was"
 When MT. Davis had finished, Sen ator Dillon asked if he might ques- tion him. The consent was given and he asIzeF the South Norwalk man, If it is true that trolley concerns in v states are in financial difficulties, would you say their stock was Wa tered toO?'
 CT know nothing about positions in Kalamazoo or elsewhere" said MT. Davis, I'm talking about Connectl- cut"
 Do you know how much the salary is of any official of the Connecticut company" questioned Senator Dillon. "To be frank with you I don't said MT Davis, ''but I will say this. II they are getting five cents a year 1t is too much They are not worth it., and their treatment of the people CT Connecticut, after the generous grants given them by this General Assembly is proof of that"
 Attorney John T. L. Hubbard of this city was the next speaker. He attacked the placing of the jitneys under the commission. ''Ne admit
  Hubbard, "but we maintain that all common carriers are not public utili- ties An express wagon, and the so- i called taxi, are common carriers. No | one suggested placing them under the | commission"
 James D. Hart of New Haven said 1 the Public Utilities Commission was nothing more than an adjunct Of the | trolley company and would do .heir bidding. They will kill the jitley or anything else if the trolley company says so," said MT. Hart. T am strongly in favor of the bill that will place jitneys under the Jurisdiction | of local police authority. What does a member of the commission who 1 lives in the upper part of tn 3 state 1 know about conditions in New Ha. ven? I beg and beseach you to con- l sider this matter carefully and not tC | let the trolley company pill gc through, but pass the measure whtcl would put the jitney under tHe juris' diction of the local police and Moto 1 Danartr1n11+'