New Britain herald., 1921-08-01
Same View Taken in Hart ford and Waterbury - Judge Says His Ruling Applies Only to New Hav- en County.
Jitneymen Now Hope For
 Similar Decisions Here

S1 V No word has been received in New Britain concerning the issuance of a | federal injunction and there is con- 1 siderable comment among jitneymen, lawyers, who are interested, and members of the police department In commenting upon the injunction Chief Rawlings said he had re- ceived nothing except a letter from Robbins B. Stoeckel, commissioner of | motor vehicles, to commence tomor- row to arrest and prosecute every person operating under the old public service marker.
 | Will Enforce Law.
 | Unless I receive official orders to the contrary" said Chief Rawlings
 "I will obey the orders of the com- missioner and begin prosecuting all violators of the law.
 II know nothing officially of any such injunction, said Assistant
 Prosecuting Attorney Joseph G. Woods Of course,'' he added, If we receive notice of a federal in- junction which applies to us we will proceed to act in conformity with the terms of the injunction. |" When asked if a general injunction issued to restrain state officers from l interfering with local jitneymen would affect city officials automatic ally, without further explanation, Attorney Woods replied, "The city officials are, in effect. only agents of the state. An injunction affecting all state officials, necessarily would affect city officials
 i MT Woods did not say what his plans were in case he failed to receive notification of the injunction, but from the statem ent of Chief of Police
 Rawlings that he will go ahead with arrests, it is inferred that Attorney Woods is prepared to push prosecu- tons until, ordered to stop.
 l Edward F. French, the largest local i jitneur was in Hartford this after moon consulting with his attorney, Josiah H. Peck on the question. 1 Warned In Waterbury.
 1 Waterbury, Aug. 1.-Gome of the 1 city's unlicensed" jitney men re- suned business today, evidently as,
 suning they would be immune from
 ar5 est. They were notified tv quit un- der orders from Supt. of Police Beach,
 who said he had received no notice
 of the injunction reported signed by
 Judge Thomas of the federal couc: 1 and kne wnohing about it. A Nau. satuck jitneynan arraigned in court
 nere for carrying passengers withou.
 a franchise was discharged when only the policeman who had arrested him l appeared as witness. The court
 ruled. that the officer should have l summoned the passengers into court
 as witnesses. Judge John F. McGrath
 aid it would be extremely difficult to convict any driver on the unsupported
 testimony of one police witness. l Will Enforce Law
 Hartford, Aug l.-Chief of Police | Garrett J. Farrell said today that the
 issuance of a federal injunction by
 Judge Edwin s. Thomas would have ! no effect upon his plans to enforce the 1 jitney law beginning Tuesday morn :, l inS. The chief said that no jitneys
 were operating here anyway but that
 'if any P. s. markers come along 1 we'll take them up."
 Neither Chief Hurley of the state 1 police department nor Public Utilities
 Commissioner Joseph Alsop had re-
 ceived any official notice of Judge l Thomas injunction up to noon al- l though both had been informed that
 one had been issued. Commissione i Alsop said that Commissioner Elweu
 had called him on the telephone from
 New Haven and told him that Judge
 thomas had granted temporary in- l Junction but he could not say what the
 scope of the injunction was.
 l Only New Haven | Judge Thomas said over the te1e l phone from his home in Norwalk
 today as he recalled the papers which
 he signed on Saturday the writ of
 injunction applied only to New Haven
 county and that Supt. Hurley of the ] state police was named in the writ
 only with respect to hia prospective enforcement of the law in that coun- ty. ! It is claimed by Jitneymen, how
 ever, that Judge Thomas must of
 necessity, grant similar injunctions for the whole state, if requested az
 whatever constitutional right; are
 denied to New Haven jitneymen by the new state law would be equally
 abrogated throughout the state
 1 Officials Not Reached
 Although no state official who could | OO iOdSi1cu tOOdy IIdO IISdIu OlICldlly
 of the injunction granted on behalf of :, New Haven jitneymen, it is under stood here that Attorney Gen. Heealy will represent the public utilities com mission before the U. $. court in New Haven on August 16, to oppose the Jltneymen's contention that the state violates their rights under the fed eral constitution. Whatever decision ,I the court may make, the case is a1-
 most certain to go .o the U. S. Su- lpreme court for final review, accord ing to reliable authorities.