Norwich bulletin., 1920-03-13
REFUSES 10 HEAR PETITION FOR
 ABANDONING THE TROLLEY LINES

Two applications presented in the i superior court at New London Friday morning by Receiver Robert w. Per
 kins of the Shore Line Electric rail- way were heard and granted by Judge | John P. Kellogg, but the judge de-
 clined to hear an application for an l order to authorize the receiver to abandon and sell certain sections of | the road which the receiver claims l cannot be operated except at loss. Judge Kellogg ruled that the towns | to be affected by the withdrawal of
 the trolley lines should be given op- portunity to be heard and inasmuch as they had been given no notice of the hearing, he declined to hold it Friday.
 Permission was granted to the re- ceiYer to sell the equity in the prop erty formerly owned by the Groton l & Stonington Street Railway Co. sub- ject to the approval of the court, to sell the freight house in Water street, New London, and also to sell freight car and four passenger, ears. Judge Kellogg passed an order approving the account of the receiver showing results of business from January
 to February 1.
 The sections of the road which Re- ' ceiver Perkins asked authority to
 abandon include all the trackage in
 the southern part of the state from
 New Haven to Saybrook, thence to Chester; the line from Gulford Green to Stony Creek the line from Say
 brook to Flanders Corners and the line from Pawcatuck to the Hallyille
 car station.
 The line in which he was granted
 permission to sell the equity runs
 from Groton to Westerly with a
 branch line from Mystic to Old Mys- 7'f tic.
 Attorney Benjamin H. Hewitt of Mystic appearing as a, friend of the
 court, opposed the petitions of the lreceiver for the sale of the equity of the Groton and Stonington line while Attorney Hadlai A. Hull of New Lon ' don also interjected some opposition to the applications.
 When the applications were called
 up for hearing, Attorney Hewitt ob-
 Liected on the grounds that permiS- l sion to abandon the lines would be g 1 taking the arteries through which l runs the life blood of the community
 away from the communities and he saw an attempt on the part Of the I receiver and his attorneys to speed I ily and quietly get permission for i abandonment of the lines before the public became aroused to the extent a CfldC IL IllSnI OppOS0 lIlS dCtlOlS.
 Attorney E. Day for the receiver, F declared the receiver was facing a serious problem in the operation of o the road, in that the road was being run at continual loss and while .the lines may be the arteries through - which the life blood runs, there is , no blood.' He denied that there was | any attempt on the part of the re- ceivers or attorneys to foresta1l in
 1laiy, ,r-6 e No Notice Given to Towns : Judge Kellogg stated that the towns
 through which the lines which the k receiver seeks to abandon have had V no notice and no opportunity to be
 heard. He considered the matter ot : too much importance to be dealt. with ' on such notice He also refused to :. consider the matter at all this session S because there is no time. He stated ,. that the remainder of the court ses- s sion is taken up and the matter prob n ably would develop into such . lengthy hearing that he would be un- e able to stay to conduct it.
 . Attorneys Day and Charles B. Whit
 tlesey, repr esenting the United States
 Trust Co. of New York and others
 urged the court to hear the applica : tions for authority to sell the equity l in the Groton and Stonington lint IS and the freight house, freight car ani l. passenger cars It was pointed ou lei that unless something was done be -t fore, April 1 to sell the equity in the
 Groten and Stonington line, the mort I. gages on the lines would be foreclos l. ed and that the receiver now. had al $ opportunity to sell the freight house y and freight car and passenger car IS which would be of no use to tn m company after the Connecticut Go
 took hold.
 To Attorney Hewitt declared that h. ': saw no difference between the aYowet l. proposal to abandon the lines and sel S. them for i,,-71- an-,d tIo selling off tn. s. equity to some one who would dis
 continue the opera litt g the line. l 2 M0 equity was sold there ~-ollld be n
 assurance to the public @eA1t the lin T. would be run. .s "The receiver declares he is unalJl
 to operate the lines without money
 said Attorney Hull won't it be jus as haSd to run the road if he sol stt the cars"
 at Concerning the sale of the freigh lS house. Attorney WhfttIesey state ln that the receiver had had an offer fo it for $20,000 over the purchase price T. that the fFF..sflt car was one ~inic ld had never been used and that tn D. four passenger cars were cars wiic 5S were not adopted for the road. le Judge Kellogg agreed to hear tn
 applications for authority to sell tn i. freight house in this city, the freigl
 car and the passenger cars and tn ed equity in the Groton and Stoningto in line.
 er Receiver Perkins TestiHes. y, MT. Perkins was questioned frs a regarding the freight house, freigh he cars and passenger cars. He said tha h. the freight house in Water street wa
 first bought by the Storage and Leas : ing Go. controlled by the Shore Lin . in 1914 t2 De used for storage pur pises. In 1916 the Shore Line Ct bought it for $43,ooo with a mortsag of s35,ooo.
 He tesAied that the Shore Lin
 Electric Railway Co. does not own tn
 Il New London lines, which it lease
 from the Connecticut company an
 recently he was granted permissio to abandon the lease so that whe : i, the Connecticut company takes owe 2 the local lines. there will be no. phy
 sical connections with the freigf ! house and it would be of no use t
 the company MT. Perkins stated tha
 he had an offer of $65,00O for tn i. property subject to the real estat i. agents commission. He thought ths an excellent price for the prepert 4 and he had been unable to secuf a anything anywhere near approximat te ing that figure. He expressed tn l opinion that selling the propert ! would be benefit to the connpan 3sIr Perkins said that he had irouil