The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1920-07-30
Team Batting.
'TROLLEYS WILL
SUSPEND SOON

NSOnllnueu Fdse OHeJ
to take over the trolleys, 81 am not |
in favor of municipal ownership but /!
the State could not make a greater
muddle of the management than you
have DONE"
Percy T. Litchfield, chairman of
Mayor Wilson's Fair Fare commission
said that it was an outrage to have
the management spring their de- |
mands on the public at such short
notice and that any kind of business
management would have foreseen the
situation months ago and have made
preparations to meet it and give the
people time to look into the matter
and find a solution of the problem
and not come before the committee
without sufficient data or information
on which Commission might make an
intelligent decision.
Committeeman Litchfield said he
| thought if time had been allowed so
| that data and necessary information
could be secured a method could be
undoubtedly worked out whereby the
company would be allowed to charge
enough to pay it's operating expenses
and a fair return on it's investment
| and he thought that each division in
| the State should work out it's own
| scheme and the rate should be bas-
| ed on the requirements of the locality
| Commissioner Noon said, do you
! think, then, that Bridgeport should
! be obliged to pay the Connecticut
Power & Lighting Company it's rental
of a million dollars without help from
the other parts of the State?" Chair
| man Higgins objected to this question
and spoke hurriedly to Commissioner
| Noon and the question was not an
| swered or pressed.
Commissioner Higgins then said:
Speaking now, broadly as citizen
| of the State and not of large center
of population, what do you think of
the effect on the business and COM
Imercial life Of the State in general if
the cities and large centers did not
help to pay their share Of the cost of
transportation in the suburban dis
tricts?" This now from the broad
viewpoint of citizen of the state !?
There was no answer.
Most of the representatives of the
towns objected to the short notice
given of the meeting and said that
while they had responded to the no
tice of the hearing they had not had
time to get instructions from their
constituents but that they objected to
| the increases which would result if
the seven cent fat rate was adopted.
| Attention of the Commission was
called to the fact the increases would
compel men to use the Communication
service, of the steam railroads and
would decrease instead Of increase the
revenue of the trolley company.
Committeeman Litchf1eld of this city
said during his remarks that the
regulation of fares in Bridgeport is
5 very closely allied with the settlement,
l of the jitney question.
2 There is an element of unfair
l | competition in allowing the jitneys te
S run alongside of the trolleys. 1t is no
e possible nor to be desired that tn.
. | jitneys be regulated out of business
but they should be so regulated tina
! the Connecticut company can operat,
I and the jitneys used as feeders.
is possible that they can be so regu
lated that the systems will compile
ment one another. 1t is hard to sa,
e what fare would give the Connection
u | company adequate revenue but w
would expect to work out a solution
{ The way the buses are handling tn,
: business in Bridgeport at the presen
: time is hardly a success. Although
II street congestion is much relieved
J. people do not look with ease on thu
y prospect of a winter with irresponsi
>, BILE individual bus owners.
Mayor Wilson said the compan.
n had presented no facts to justify thu
n call for a seven cent fare only tina
- they needed more money.
10 Commissioner Charles c. Elwel
r wanted to know what the effect o.
= jitney traffic would be in Bridgeport
" if trolley fares were put up to cents
l. ''Jitney traffic would be increase
to the loss of the Connecticut Com
pany." replied Mr.. Litchfield
Would the Jitneys raise thei
present fares?" Commissioner Five
=. inquired
Just now self preservation woul
- lead them to maintain their presen
fares" responded Mr. Litchfield
~ do you think the Connecticut &C
at ments showed a gain of 1888 inches