The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-08-31


were transported without delay"
| Continuing Frank said that all the
business men of the city were afraid
of the trolleys pulling off and the jit
neymen also feared to have them
| cease operation, Shut thank God the
1itneys were able to handle the situa-
ton with a fair degree of satisfaction
to the public. Just imagine 1t, gentle
men, were are giving one, two and
| three minutes service on the Milford
| and Walnut Beach lines and when you
consider that it is an eight mile run
| it is nothing short of miracle that
we are able to do this. The only rea--
/ son that we have not brought more
new buses into the city is we do not
feel safe in advising our friends to go
to the expense of buying new buses
and after to have them ruled off the
streets by an act of the Common
Council. We cannot feel safe that we
will be allowed to continue to run.
| We are yelling to give the tro1leys
the main streets in an effort to COM
promise the situation and further we
are ready to concede anything that
will relieve the situation for the ben
| eft of the public, but, gentlemen, we
must have a. square deal The Con-
| necticut Company knows that the peo-
| pie VIII stick by the jitneys and will
walk the one block as ruled by the
4
| The trolley company realizes they are
beaten, not only in this city but in
other cities we'll because motor
transportation is evolutionary. Ser
vice in Bridgeport since the trolleys
ceased operation is 1000 per cent. bet
ter than we expected.
There have been no serious acct
dents in the past five weeks and each
and every jitney owner is bonded to,
the amount of $4,000 to cover any
injuries sustained by the riding pub
lie who patronize the buses. Seventy
five per cent. of the buses have al
ready been paid for by owners. We
do not know where we stand but if
we had the assurance that we would
be allowed to continue operation we
are willing to go ahead and put be-
tween $50 and 400 new Day-Elder
buses on the streets of Bridgeport
which is sufficient to handle the riding
public. Nobody realizes more than
the jitney association that the sit
uation now stands we are unable to
cope with the matter, but let us have
the assurance of the Common Council
and the public that we will be allow
ed TO continue operation and we can
make improvements in the service that
will clear up the matter
Neil NJ. Muirhead, representing the
Business Mems association, was the
next speaker and made a few brief
remarks that the whole affair could
be settled by the Public Utilities
Commission and the General Assem-
bly, who have the power to regulate
the traffic in cities.
Following Mr.. Muirhead the chair
then asked President Frank if he
!, had the assurance that there would
be no interference by the city would
he apply to the legislature for a
franchise that would give the public
the assurance that the jitneys would
run and could be forced to run I'M
der the same conditions as the troll
ley company operates? And if he
would be willing to so. construct the
buses as to provide accommodations
for aged people and children? And
if they would agree to form a COR
poration so that in case of accidents
the injured person might have the
proper redress? The chair then
asked if President Frank, as the
representative of the jitneymen
would be willing to sit in at anoth-
err conference between the Common
Council, the ordinance committee,
the Connecticut company, and as a.
result of the conference to submit
, report to the next meeting of the
Common Council on September Z, to
guide the action of the Board of AL
dermen in reaching a medium to solve
the transportation problems of the
city. Mr.. Frank expressed himself
as willing to do this. The mayor
then ordered that this meeting be
held and the chairman of the COM
mittee reported that it would axe
place in a few days with,-the definite
date to be set towards the latter
end of the week.
John Massoth, another jitney Off
| cial, then spoke and told of how he
had stood at the corner of Main
street and Fairfield avenue during the
evening rush hour between 4:45 and
o'clock and said that he never had
| seen the crowds CLEANED up" in such
quick time when both the trolleys and
jitneys were running. intimating that
| the tro1leys were in the way and
| blocked traffic at that poipt. He also
! told how the traction companies. had
| had a Is year monopoly of the SER
| vice in the city and when the situation
reached a crisis the trolley company
| had been found wanting for enough
! cars to transport the public.
| The extreme heat of being confined
| for tire hours in the stuffy hall at