New Britain herald., 1921-08-17
FIGHTING TROLLEY EXPERTS.


 meeting of the special committee ap- l pointed to investigate the trolley sit nation in New Britain, held last night. One could not lay one's finger on any . special word or act that made this significant situation felt, but it was l Ahere.
 Today not only are the workers who l have to use some means of transpor- tation to get to and from their work l vltally interested in securing better or cheaper service or both; not only are tAe public officials whose duty it is to study such matters, interesed, but the mo nufacturers and men who practical ly never use the troIeys or jitneys are l Interested to degree that they will do / al in their power to aid any efforts made by the committee to get at the facts; to ascertain whether it is not possible for the Connecticut company to give cheaper and better service, and side but to aid the people in getting Service that will benefit the people Belonging to the general working class. It is from such men the suggestion Connecticut company in a way that will give us anything like 6 chance, we will have to have in our possession facts that will justify the stand which a.l believe is proper-that tho com bany could do better by us if it willed land that it should be made to un- dergo the operation of having a *change of heart" by being confronted Dy facts gained by an expert in such matter who is just as clever and wise DIT more clever and wiser in such mat sers than the trolley company experts are themselves.
 It is with this end in view, and with the silent but nevertheless powerful moral backing of men who, ordinarily, matters, that the plan was made last night to send Alderman Gipatric to Boston to the Massachusetts Institute nf Technology, where he hoped, Through information in his possession, Io get in touch with an expert, as yet Unknown, who would come to New Britain for day, look into the situa- ion and make decision whether or not we would be able to make case against the Connecticut company, knowing that they could afford to run rn lower fares and still give better Dervice. The expert would be hired but for day. should MT. Gilpatric be able to find the sort of man he is After, by the committee after hearing vestigate the situation here; report tt yhe committee and would undertake tn; york only if he found that there wa strong probability of being able t. make the company come down in thei iares and furnish better service.
 In this way, and in this way only do the practical men-the men in thi city who are accustomed to handlin tig matters-believe that we will hay ! chance against the company. A lay nAn-a man not expert in cost o Transportation, valuing physical hold ings of the company, such as cars plants, etc. would be made to loo foolish appearing against a corps o rhe best experts of the Connection
 
 sEuld tell remarkable tales of cost 0 maintenance, for instance, and W would have no one able, through stud Ind experience, to come back at hir and to tell him wherein he erred Eherein he had falsified or how COS could be reduced. If we are able gel man of the experience and tn ype desired, he. fortified by the stud of conditions here and by his pre- giously gained knowledge of other tro ley companies, would be quite apt reverse the situation and be able | make the Connecticut company's e1 pert Took foolish"
 An encouraging tale was told at tt meeting last night, where a sim A; mutation arose in another city, tn lime it being the price of gas that WE sle protested matter. The expert W; ound. He spent a day looking in he situation and reported to the con nittee in charge that the rate of tf as company was outrageous He w Employed, gathered his facts and a @rared against the gas company. howed the injustice of the char
 nade and why; gave all the facts aI
 Pasons- He overpowered the cor
 Rny and brought a low rate to u
 fty. saving thousands of people