New Britain herald., 1920-01-31

on trolley service, residents of the , north end of the city have started 4 landslide that promises to become an avalanche It is doubtful whether patrons of trolley lines in any other city of the country are treated with
 such lack of consideration bN the
 management aS arc the people of New Britain.
 Nearly every line in the city is ;tG- fCcted and the system is in d chaotic condition. It is so unusual to lind cars on time that patrons express sur- prise when the schedule is followed. Connections at Central Park have al me OSt ceased to exist. Consequently. the companN's revenue is falling of
 because passengers simply refuse to wait overtime for cars to arrive only to miss cars that are supposed to con- meet at the transfer points It is hardly of any use to complain to the crews. as in many cases insulting re- plies are received Motormcn are more offensive in this respect than conductors, and. if the intentions Of several citizens are followed ouj. some of the men in blue on the front end are in danger of needing the services of q physician unless they mend their ways.
 There is considera ble ill-feeling be- tween the management and the crews. Discipline is q forgotten word. An idea of the contempt with which the trolleNmen regard the manage ment is gained from the fact that they report for work when they please. or remain away if they do not care to report. A number of cars have been forced to remain idle in the barn at different times because of this situation. passengers being al lowed to stand out in the cold until the next scheduled trip. On morn ingS following heavy snoWstorms the absence ot employees is especially noticca blc. After one heavy storm recently several of the men remained at home and those who had been ou duty all night on snowplows worked many hours overtime.
 While the lack of discipline pro',- ably is at the bottom of the situation. the public suffers also from the in efficiency and stubbornness of the substitute car-starterS at Central Park who have been known to hold ears over for no apparent reason and 10 dispatch other cars while trOlleES on connecting lines were in sight heIe uOeS not SeSln 10 pc '3nN hGdtt or tail to their methods and the ave- age patron who complains receives >srant courtesy. Even the crews admit 1hat the substitute starters have q total disrcga rd for the convenience and rights of the people whose money goes to support the operating com pany.
 The writer was told recently by d member of crew that the cause of the miserable service on he Ar.n street line was jealousy and ill-fcelinS between the local management and the Meridcn management. -Ar'h street is the tail end of the run from Meriden and it is no unusual sight to see the starters complacently shu1t cars from Mcriden around the spur at the south end of the park back onto the West Main street line. leaN- ing patrons of the Arch street line shiN criug in the cold. There has been talk recently by aggrieved patrons of Inc Arch street line of using force on the starters and compelling them 10 give Arch street the service which they believe if deserves.
 Before the situation becomes worse. if such thing is possible. the c should be a thorough investigation by com pclcDt dulIlOillICS. hc ttoIiNS company has certain privileges, but it has certain responsibilities, also, and these responsibilities should not be overlooked. Increased fares have been met with decreased service. The time has arrived for the public to learn whether the people who now direct the dcstinicS of the lines in i tend to try to improve the service. 1 If no effort is made along this line. ! steps should be taken to replace them with managers who are really inter- i csted ia transportation. Public pa- i tience is at an end. Those who ride on the cars now demand something !: in return and they insist on schedules being maintained. The Connecticut l Company is digging it's own grave. If we cannot have trolleys when We ] want them. il is only na atural for Es | to seek other means of tranSporta- !, tion.