The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-07
TrollcyConapany Trying ToForcc
 State To Aid Ii
Mayor Fitzgerald Says That is the Purpose of the Withdrawal of the Trolley Cars While President Storrs Com plains That the Legis- 1ature Didn't Pass Aid ing Laws.
Special to The Times.)

New Haven, Aug. That state aid for the trolleys is the ultimate aim of the Connecticut company, was the opinion expressed by Mayor Fitz- gerald of New Haven, in discussing the trolley situation with a represen- tative of the Times at New Haven, yesterday.
 In his opinion practical relief for the trolley companies from the finan- cial difficulties in which they find themselves is not along the line of ever increasing rates. and special privileges but by the tablishment of the competitive principle and a flat five cent fare without transfers. These changes he believes would re- suit in an increase of riding with corresponding increase of revenue sufficient to meet all the just needs of the trolley people.
 Mayor Fitzgerald is qualified to pass on the trolley situation as he sat for several years on a state board of arbitration before which the claims of trolley employees for increased wages were submitted and in this way became familiar with tie details of the costs of trolley operation. When the situation in New Haven be- gan to be strained the mayor in communication to the Public Utilities Commission at Hartford recommended that they "allow the Connecticut. Company as experiment to estab- fish a. five-cent fare in the city limits of New Haven for trial pepiod and during this period a committee of cit izenS composed of men in whom the public have confidence make an in vestiSation of the affairs of the com pany and report to the public the truth of the situation from the finan- cia1 standpoint" This suggestion was ignored both by the Utilities Commission and the trolley com pany.
 Both Mayor Fitzgerald of New Ha- ven and President Sltorrs of the trolley company see state aid as the aim of the Connectiut company in its stop page of the trolley lines in Bridge port. President Storrs doesn't say that directly but he says what amounts to that while Mayor Fitzgerald says so directly. A
 The New Haven situa ton has not yet become as acute as here in Bridge port for the Trolley people did not present the city with an ultimatum of no jitneys or no trolleys. The matter was, however, brought to the official notice of t.se city by a communica- tion from the Connecticut Company and a petition of the trolley employees. , "A committee was appointed to investi- gate the matter, hold public hearings ard report back to the aldermen. It is anticipated that their report will be followed by the passing of some sort of ordinance regulating both jitneyS and trolleys. In this connection the Mayor emphasized that whatever New Inx in ftn tor "a done in a strictly legal manner.
 President Storrs of the Connecticut Company seenf at his offices in the Second National Bank building and questioned regarding the future of trolley conditions in the state said it was a matter for the next session of the legislature to deal with and re- ferred to the fact that by refusing to enact the legislation asked for two years ago the state threw the burden of the trolley company's troubles back on itself. He also called attention to the fact that the trolley company al- ready owes the state a million and a half dollars in taxes which it now has no means of paying; that the coming session of the legislature will be obliged to consider the matter and ii 1t does not see fit to grant the com pany any relief the people of the state will be faced with a choice be- tween paying a fare sufficiently great to take care of operating expenses and pay off the accumulation of solG debts or the abandonment of the troll ley lines.
 In regard to the local situation MT Etorrs was non-committal, intima ting 1t was something with which he had no concern as long as matters re- mained as at present.