New Britain herald., 1919-02-25
COMMUNICATED.
TROLLEY FARES TOO Low?

Editor New Britain Herald:
The general manager of the Conn,
Co., in an address before the New
| Britain chamber of commerce, is re-
ported to have said that the Co, is
overbVrdened with state imposed
charges, compelled to submit to un-
| fair competition carries passengers en-
| tlrely too far on one fare"
The trolley lines occupy a portion
Of the public highway. The trolley
company demands and receives the
use of this highway wherever it needs
same in its business These highways
are torn up whenever the company
finds it necessary to make repairs to-
its road bed.
Is it unreasonable or unjust that
it should be required to pay for pute
ting its own road bed in AS good con-
dition as is maintained by the town
or city on the balance of the high
way or street? Is it unfair 10 require
them TO pay a. just proportion of the
cost of erecting and maintaining
bridges which they must have in COM
mon with other users. The state tax
was placed on these lines by legal ac-
ton by our state legislation Witt
doubtless, full knowledge of it's JUS
unreasona BILE redress can doubtless be
obtained through further legisla tom,
1t may be possible for passengers
to ride from nine to eleven miles for
six cents somewhere on the Conn.
Co.'s system. yet for the hundreds who
obtain such a ride there are probably
thousands who pay 6 cents for A ride
of less than q mile. a>t
III :
find that the general manager Of the
Conn. CO.. together with tic other.
high officers and stockholders. We're
in favor of competition as generally
applied 10 the labor market and bust
less. at least the other mans business
Its application TO their own bust
ness seems 20 them to be quite unfair.
We could deduce that their slogan
would be- "Compotition for you, but
cooperation for me-" Taxation FOR
YOU but exemption for m in my busi-'
ness" If I cannot meet competition
why you must help me out" If this
principle was followed in all business
there need never be any failures IF
the nanufa cturer felt he was running
behind, all that would be necessary
would be to appeal to the public and
the great, generous, affluent public
would cheerfully help them out. If
the merchant found business poor and
competition heavy and was running
behind why he could simply state the
fact to the public and assistance would
be forth looming at once, and the labor
ing man who was unable to make
both ends meet could also appeal and
the public with wide open pocket
books would rush to his rescue. No
one need lay anything by as q sinking
fund when business was good 10 meet
hard times or periods of unusual
stress.
Can the general manager Of the
Conn. Co. honestly affirm that the
stocks now owned by that corporation
have never been watered? If so, and
he can prove the fact, it would go far
toward putting the general public in
a more favorable frame OF mind re-
garding his company. If he could al
so prove that none of the millions OF
dollars Of the New Haven SYSTEM
which vanish ed into thin air ca me
from his corporation that too might
help some.
If the Conn. Co. has reached the
point where it must go out of bust
ness because il cannot do it profitab bly,
if might be better to resign said bust
n ess into tno hands of the people who
put all t. value there is into it, Or
in other wcis'H let the public run theR
own business for a while. Indeed it
would seem to be very good business
for the state to take over this proper
ty at its present decreased value and
incidentally relieve M. Punderford
and his associates OF the various bur
dens they are now carrying. It would
make unnecessary the strenuous CAM
paign they find it essential to wage tds
influence puplic opinion so that they
will welcome with joy an increase. Of
trolley fares another 80 Id per cent,
CHAS Ill ASPINNNlA