The Connecticut labor news., 1921-03-04
LEGISLATURE WILL PUT ITNEYS UNDER
 FULL REGULATION
One Man Trolley Cars Scored as Unsafe by Operators-Big
 Labor Hearing March 17.
Especial to The Labor News. )

Especial to The Labor News.)
 Hartford, March 4.-Winding up with spirited hearing on the safety of the "one-man" trolley cars, the week in the Legislature turned out several things of interest to the workers. First and foremost was the report of the com mittee on the judiciary of bill, sub stantialy as the one introduced by Sec retary I. M Ornburn of the Connecticut Federation of Labor, and by which Jlt- ney busses will be put under the regu- lation of the public utilities commission, same as trolley cars, be regulated as to routes, hours and fares and in fact be so ruled as to ensure their giving full service on designated lines. A license must be procured but right of appeal IS given to the Superior court for any re- fusal by the commission. Public hear ings will be held to establish the neces- sity of such routes.
 On Thursday, March 17, one of the most important of the labor bills will be up for hearing and in anticipation of large gathering the House at the session Tuesday gave permission to the committee on Labor to use the hall ot the house for the hearing. The bills LID will have to do with the wages and employment of women to protect the1r health and ensure able motherhood ot the future women of the state. It has the support not only of Labor but of many other humanitarian organizations about the state.
 The bill proposed by the journeymen barbers in the interests of public health and safety, by which bootblacks and like business would be prohibited Tn barber shops, met a speedy death, the committee on public health and safety reporting it unfavorably on Tuesday. The barbers argument that germs and diseases are spread by the dusting and whisking of shoes and clothes in bar Der shops didn't weigh heavily with the committee.
 While it doesn't seem possible, yet it is true that there are two judges in the state who actually requested reduction in their salaries and got 1t. They are the judge and deputy judge of the town court of New Milford who asked that their salaries be cut to $250 a year. The request so astounded the commit tee on the judiciary that it had reported the bill favorably before it was cold and it was promptly passed by both branches.
 The time worn scheme to have the legislature return to annual sessions
 
 resolution was offered for amendment and be passed by both again and then provision for annual sessions. The amendment would take five years i'll passing as if adopted by the house this year must lay over two years, be passed by the senatt, lay over two years more and be passed both again and then sent sent to a referendum.
 When the proposed jitney bill was presented by the committee House Lead CT Buckley and Representative Wall of Torrington got into a row because MT. Wall, although on the judiciary com mittee, knew nothing of the bill to be reported He inferred snap meetings were held of which he wasn't notified and demanded that the bill be referred back to committee until he could get chance at it. Mir. Buckley, however got endorsement of the House for it's report and it went in. The bill, if adopted, will be substitute for all other iitney regulating bills offered. It is said to contain all the essential points urged by trolley employees, labor men, trolley company and even the jitneymen them selves.
 The proposed soldiers bonus bills were dropped at the hearing on Thurs day when the different organizations of war veterans couldn't agree with each other on what they wanted. This IS a victory for certain wealthy members of the American Legion who have opposed a general bonus and wish the fund for disabled soldiers, which the legion IS distributing, continued instead. Much criticism of the Legion's method of dis tribution has been made and more may crop up out of 1t before the session o.l, y,,;%1o u,o1 0f tha hon11c bills leaves only one bill for soldiers aid pending. This is a bill to double the $2,500,000 fund, the interest from which is now used for soldier aid.
 Charges that the so-called one-man trolley car cannot be operated with safety when the motorman is forced to combine the duties with that of con- ductor, were made yesterday by trol- leymen at hearing before the commit tee on railroads at the capitol. Hear ings were given on two bills calling to1 safety appliances in street cars. Frank O'Meara of Hartford, chairman of the conference board of the state trolley mems union, spoke for the bills and in troduced John Touehy of Bridgeport who said he had operated one-man cal for more than six months.
 He said in the case of the regular crew cars. the company provided speci fc regulations which the men were obliged to master and which provide for emergencies and accidents. He saie no rules governed the operation of one man cars, chiefly because it was impos sible for one man to do the necessary things. The one-man car which wa: first introduced to meet war conditions is now being multiplied. He spoke ot an accident recently on Southingtor mountain and said the car could not have run wild had there been a crew o1 two.
 General Manager J. K. Punderfore of the Connecticut Company spoke or the financial side of the question anc said the safety car is the result of in' creasing labor costs.