The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-29
RECEIVER IS
APPOINTED FOR
BERKSHIRE LINES
Will Continue Part of Lines at
Higher Rates
SOME CHANGE IN POLICY
Line Between North Adams and Ben
nlnston May Not Renew
SOME CHANGE IN POLICY
Line Between North Adams and Ben
nlneton May Not Renew
Operations

Operations
Pittsfleld, August 49, Reopening of
sections CT the Berkshire street rail
way system depends now upon the
adjustment of the labor trouble be-
tween the company and its employees.
AT a conference of the executive COM
mittee of the Berkshire county trans
portaticn board at city hall this after
lnoon, General Manager Clinton O.
Richmond of North Adms, who yes
terday was appointed receiver of the
company, told the eInployss' repre-
sentatives he would ask the court for
authority to give them a IL per cent
increase in wages provided the pub
lie service commission grants fare
increase The only statement the ex-
ecutive committee of the operatives
would make after the conference was
| that they we're willing TO submit their
sides.
Mr.. Richmond previously as general
manager and now as receiver, declines
to accept arbitration, saying, as he did
/ at first, that the company is in no
| financial way to meet an adverse de-
cision. AS the men are demanding
33 per cent increase TO place them
on level with the Springfield sched-
ule, they are not inclined to accept
the offer of the receiver In view of
! thisse q to agree with the COM
sss1 sss5,sss sssss,sss Jloyes contend the oniy
r * settlement is by arbitra-
-. l1e men were in conference
! this morning with Walter J. Raymond
and City Solicitor John Barker OF this
city who are members of the county
transportation committee.
AS a receiver OF the road Mr.. Rich
mond will post new schedule of fares
early next week retaining the nickel
as the unit. He hopes to obtain waiy
/ ers ef notice from the city councils OF
Pittsfield and North Adams and the
selectmen Of towns served by the com
pany, whereby new fare schedule
may go into effect at once instead
of waiting for the 80 days required
ordinarily by the public service board. |
With Pittsfield and North Adams as
centers he proposes TO have a nickel
fare for a radius of two miles in
stead of three miles as previously
At the end OF the two mi'e limit the |
arbitrary rate will be 2 1-2 cents per
mile, in which probably all previous |
zones established TO accommodate
certain sections of the towns will be |
obliterated Under this schedule the ?
fare from Pittsfield to North Adams +
will be 55 cents from Pittsheld to !
Dalton Is cents Git is now 10 centsl, |
from North Adams to Williamstown1
and Adams each IS cents. 1t is pro.
posed to open at present ony sure |
paying lines. all those in Pittsfeld and |
North Adams, with Williamstown the |
limit on the north, Adams on the south /
from North Adams, Pontoosuc lake on |
the north from Pittsfeld, Lee on the |
south and Dalton on the east. II the
receiver is assured the road from Lee |
10 Great Darlington will pay Ii Will |
be opened soon thereafter and the |
same is true of other extensions The |
attitude of the towns toward the COM
pany will probably have a bearing.
Mr.. Richmond does not propose 10
issue receivers certificates, but Will !
depend entirely upon the dai receipts |
for operation. Those receipts before !
suspension averaged $2500 day. The
court order gives Mr. Richmond "au-
thority TO take possession OF all the
property of the Berkshire street rail
way company and all leased lines
operated by it and to maintain ana
operate the railway under order of the
court from time to time The com
pany officials say the wage increase
proposed will give the men the same
wages as the employees of the Con-
necticut company in Connecticut cities
have voted to accept. They also say
il will place them on level with
Troy and Albany emp.oyes.
The receiver is directed to file with
the court within so days an inventory
of the property and to report to the
court at least once a month on its
condition. v%1HEEEA
Mr.. Richmond was appointed tenn
porary receiver of the company by
Judge Frederick Lawton in Suffolk
county superior court equity session,
Boston. AS soon as Mr.. Richmond files
see. 900 bond he will take over the
property. lHIee pctltiOio AVi -
tceiver were filed in the Berkshire
superior court at Pittsfeld on August
%. The petitioners were the Berk-
shire street railway company itself,
{ the New York. New Haven & Hart
ford railway company, owner of all
the Berkshire street railway stock and
wv. F. Gilbert and company of New
Haven, coal dealers and creditors to
the extent of S4S,00O. The appoint
ment was made on the petition of the
| Berkshire street railway company it.
sell.
Some new and interesting facts re
garding the financial condition of the
company are brought out in the bill
of complaints filed here This com
plant says that the capital stock of
the company is $5,S9S 100. In addi-
tion to this stock the New York, New