Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1920-01-15
LAKESIDE PEOPLE
WANT CAR SERVICE
Hundreds of Them Protest at
Treatment Accorded Them by
Traction Company and Alder
men Are Called on to Remedy
Existing Conditions

Between trhee and four hundred resi-
dents of Lakeside and others gathered
Monday evening in the City Hall to voice
their protest against the discontnuance
Of the car service to Lakeside by the
Burlington Traction company. The
hearing brought up lot of spirit at
times and the dispute between J. j.
Flynn, representing the Traction com
pany and A. NJ. Young, who took the
side of the residents of Lakeside grew
heated at times. The aldermen who
heard the testimony expressed their opin-
ion. informally. that some action to
remedy the situation should be taken
and Chairman Woodbury. of the board
was authorized to appoint a committee
OF three to confer with the Lakeside
people and the Traction company regard
ing the course to pursue.
It appeared from the evidence that the
people at Lakeside have for nearly two
years tried to get car service to their
station. opposite the Queen City Cotton
mill In his they have been unsuccess-
full and they have finally raised a pool
to engage an attorney to look after their
interests Warren r. Austin was present
at the hearing. having been engaged by
the Queen City Cotton mill. col j. H.
Mimms was there representing the people
The Traction company was represented
by Mr.. Flynn and Superintendent Jones.
John Tobn. superintendent of the mill
was first called. He said that the COM
pany employed 525 people and that 80 per
cent of these had occasion to use the
cars in going to and from work. To do
this the Traction company furnished two
small cars in the morning and only one
I.,t to1,t hat i. bod hnn fro,
| 10 to Is minutes late. with the consequence
that the help was late and this meant
| less money for the employees who did
piece work. as most of them do. At
night, all who possibly could got on the
| cars, but many were compelled to walk.
| They rode on the tenders. in the vesti-
bules, and women who had stood on their
| feet all day We're crowded in and obliged
| to stand Under the questioning of Mr..
| Austin he said that he had seen as many
| as % waiting on Pine street on night
| like last night with no place to go in.
| Sometimes when the car came along 1t
was too crowded to allow another per-
Aon to get on. Affidavits were presented
| showing conditions. On one car which
ought not to seat more than %, two pas
| sengers saw 65 fares rung up before the
car was half way up Pine street and that
was nowhere near the total number of
! fares. The weight was so heavy that the
car rode down its springs and the
scraper caught in one place
John Brown testified along the same
line, He said that Lakeside was little
town of 11S tenements. stores barber
Shop. etc. and more than 500 inhabitants
| They had no car service. IT was neces-
! sary for the women to GO UP town to do
their shopping and they had to walk 70
Pine street to get car In coming back
laden with bundles. they were left more
than 500 feet from the end of the track
and had to hoof it. Until two years age
the cars had run TO tho end of the line
but the company gradually cut this down
until for the past year and n half nc
cars had been run over the line.
Others testified to the hardship 81
walking home in zero weather because NJ
insufficient service. while Park avenue
with only a few residents, got all the
service.
Mr. Young was called on and under the
examination of Mr.. Austin said that the
biggest obstacle with which the company
had to contend in getting help was the
car service. When this city was crying
for tenements he had is down there
equipped with electric light and moderr
conveniences which were unoccupied be
cause people did not want to live wherf
they had such poor access to the center
of the town. His company has spen
about $4,000 in putting in Improvement
at Lakeside. such as a good ball fieid
sidewalks. renovating the houses and re
building them so that conditions there
are all right. A short time ago the com
pany got out booklet to send around II
peoplc to induce them to come to Bur
lington. In it the subject of car service
was not mentioned because the only thint
that could be said about II was that l
was abominable. His remarks were viz
, orously applauded.
Mr. Flynn showed considerable resent
ment of that last remark when he got VI
to speak. He said that the Chocoiat
company had ten fares to Lakeside's on
and that was the reason they ran IN
, cars there. He said that it was impossibl
, to operate the cars to Lakeside. Then n
, went into some other subjects and init
, mated that the cotton company bough
up land in its vicinity to keep rival In
dustries away. He said that all Mr. Youn
wanted was just to get cars for his help
that was his only consideration. The
, Mr. Young admitted readily that he wa
just right and he was going to get ther
, II he could He had no spirit of antagonist
/, against the Chocolate company. such
Mr.. Flynn had suggested If they coul
, get the service away from his people h
would take his hat Off to them. Now tina
? Mr.. Flynn had mentioned It, though. II
didn't know but that there was show
ing of partially toward the Chocolat
! company. He noticed since that compan
, had started down there the cars no longe
, had any sign on them of Park avenue Q
=. Lakeside. Now it was "Waneta."
-, Other witnesses told of the hardship c
being cut off from Burlington at tie
minutes after ten every night. They car
q, not see all of show or make a call o
friends uptown without leaving befor
that time or walking home. A later ca
. was badly needed
A strong argument was made by IN
attorneys on the grounds that the com
pany which for a dozen years ha
Operated cars to Lakeside had ceased t
, do SO without any authority. Mr.. Austi
showed the board of aldermen that o
them and them alone devolved the dut
y of remedying the situation as they hav
, the power to regulate all such matter
pertaining to street railways in the city.
MONDAY IN PROBATE COURT