The Penn's Grove record., 1920-11-12

the trolleys. Mr.. Jackson further ex-
planned:
1t is plain from the facts on the
cost OF bus transportation that
rush-hour relief service would GER
tainly not pay in itself. There
fore, it is out OF the question to
expect it to be conducted by an
Independent operator. 1t must
be conducted by the electric rail-
way at an apparent loss but a real
gain because of the greater eff
cheney thereby permitted to the
car system.
Predicts Jitneys Extinction
In recommending greater use of the
one-man car, Mr.. Jackson prophesied
that although the jitney bus has
struck deeper root at Bridgeport than
anywhere else except Newark, N. j.,
it is doomed to disappear against fas-
ter and more frequent electric car SER
vice, as in other communities" Mr..
jackson failed to point out however,
how the company, whose ability
to borrow had long since been de-
stroyed, could finance the purchase of
auOlIlOllat Sal0 VI tlllo ~ RCs
At the conclusion of the meeting,
the Chamber decided to take a refer
endum of it's membership On the ques-
ton of the elimination of the jitney
from direct competition with the troll
ley. Ballots were mailed to 1000
members. One thousand votes were
returned and the result was $50 to
$50 in favor of restricting the jitney.
Restricts Jitney Routes
During the Chamber of Commerce
meeting, the City Council was hold
ing an open session and listening to
representatives of the jitneys and the
trolleys. Following a number of i'm
passioRed speeches the Council adopt
ed an ordinance eliminating the jitney
from the principal streets of the city
where they were in direct competition
with the trolley. The ordinance was
effective July Is and President Storrs
of the Connecticut Company would
postpone discontinuance of service for
n month in the hope that the ordi-
nance would be strictly enforced and
prove effective.
Nothing daunted the jitney men de-
clared the ordinance illegal and began
raising a $4,000 fund to fight its en-
forcement. Upon application to Judge
John W. Banks, of the Superior Court,
a temporary injunction was issued on
July Is restraining the city from en-
forcing the ordinance and hearing was
set for July II to decide whether the
injunction should be dissolved or made
permanent.
On July % Judge Banks refused to
dissolve the temporary injunction,
pointing out that the ordinance was
defective in that it prescribed routes
over which the jitneys were forbidden
to operate, whereas the power dele
gated to the city by. the state law is
the reverse in that it gives the city
power to prescribe routes on which
they shall operate. A clause in the
ordinance delegating the licensing
power to the police commission was
also declared illegal.
Cars to Stop July 26
The Connecticut Company had al
ready notified the mayor that mas
much as the injunction had rendered
the ordinance ineffective, the company
could not continue to bear the heavy
loss it was sustaining through jitney
competition and would be forced to
suspend service on Monday morning,
July 26.
This gave the jitney men four days
in which to make preparations to han
die the flood of passengers which was
suddenly to fall upon them. For
warned as they had been for some
time, they realized however, that it
would require the most strenuous
efforts tc marshal the fleet of addi-
tlonal jitneys necessary to make good
their promises to the riding public.
The manner in which leaders of the
Jitney men went about this task and
made preparations to meet the situa-
ton forms n of the most interest
ing features of the trolley itney war.
The number of buses in operation at
that time was between $50 and 300.
Schwartz through statements in the
newspapers, promised to have 300 adj
ditional jitneys in operation when the
cars ceased running. He would prove,
he said confidently, that the jltneys
could serve the needs of the entire
city and that when the trolleys failed
TO appear the people would be put to
no inconvenience, but would be served
by the jitneys better than ever before.
Sc--ry to Secure Buses
There was feverish activity in the
jitney camp. Schwartz and his lieu
tenants made flying trips to Hartford,
New Haven, and other cities in Con-
necticut, and also rounded up buses
in New York and New Jersey. Dur
ing the next Jews days there was a
stream of jitneys pouring into Bridge
port over the roads from all points of
the compass.
When Bridgeport awoke Monday
morning it found the trolleys had dis
appeared. In their place were APP
proximately 500 jitneys. Considering
all the circumstances they did exceed
ingly well in handling the morning
rush-hour traffic. E%everyone who did
not walk rode to work in a jitney. I'm
Ia,. tho cfrpoo,% c,o A.