Putnam patriot., 1921-07-08
ASK THAT STATION
 BE MAINTAINED
County Citizens Say Removal of Railroad Employe Will
 Cause Inconvenience
Reply Is That Service Cannot Be Con
 tinue1 With Profit

tt#SA esteF4 N4apeBEs values aHd sdIeNN were dependent upon the railway com pany maintaining the station at Fl. liott, town of Pomfret. as 1t has been maintained untii recently. a number of Windham county citizens petition ed Charles C Elwell of the public utilities commission that the Elliott station agent be not removed The petitioning WAS made 1t the hearing held Saturday morning in the little Elliott station.
 The railroad company contended that the continuance of an agent at the Elliott station would mean finan- eial loss to them They tried to show that under past conditions the main- tenanee of the station had meant a monthly loss of Ss7
 The little building was crowded with residents of that section of Wind ham county who were interested in the decision The hearing was the af- termath Of notice gwen by the New York. New Haven X Hartford railroad that the Elliott station Was to be made flag stop only. and the agent re- moved
 Attorney Charles L. Torrey of Put nam. representing the residents of Elliott. read q deed. dated lS6S. by which il was shown that the land upon which the station stands WIS sold to the railroad by Ira Elliott with the un- derstanding that the company should erect freight and passenger depot there While the deed said nothing concerning the discontinuanee of the station, Mr Torrey maintained that the spirit of the document was that il should always be maintained. and that the railroad was under moral con- tract to do SO
 Miss Ernestine Hoguet. a summer resident, told Commissioner Elwell that with the station closed freight, baggage and parcel post has to be left at Abingdon. two and half miles away. which was great detriment to her as well as to the other residents of the neighborhood
 Walter Bryden. a member of the legislature from Pomfret and town officer. told the commissioner that land values in Elliott would shrink 90 per cent if adequate service were not given by the railroad. He also stated that while the railroad claimed that they were closing the station because lf economic reasons. he knew that they had taken the Elliott agent and transferred him to Abingdon. a sta ton where formerly one agent had done all the work He could not un- derstand why two men were needed at Abingdon. and suggested that one man be kept at each station. with ser vice to both parts of the town. He also testified that the agent at Elliott had acted as guard at the grade cross ing near the station, and with the agent removed great danger would re- sult from the unguarded crossing.
 Mrs Kate Goffe testified that she had seen one accident averted through the work of the agent, and thought that the crossing should be guarded Mrs. Winema Hoffay told of the fn- convenience of having 10 go to Abing- ton for freight and baggage. also of the extra cost involved because of trucking charges.
 H. F. Bennett. poultry raiser stated that if the station was closed he might just as we'll pick up and get out" !" for his business would be hard hit Mrs Martha Sinclair. Joseph Elliott and Robert Elliott substantiat- ed what had already been said.
 F. s. Hobbes. superintendent of the district. appeared for the railroad and submitted figures to show that, while 1t was costing the company s37 a week for payroll at Elliott station, the income from freight and passenger service was only S6i for the entire month of May From January to May. 1921. the payroll amounted to SI.04773. while the receipts were only S5I7.I4 And business is now running 10 per cent lower. added Mir Hobbs.
 Summing up. Mr. Torrey argued that the Elliott station was one point of a great system maintained for the public, and that while this particular point might not be paying, still the company was under q moral obliga- ton to maintain it. and not penalize the community through lack of ser vice. He emphasized that at present there is depression. but that pros perity is coming. and the railroads should not cut of this locality simply because of the depression.