Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-08-16
No AGREEMENT
ON BUS ROUTE
Aldermen Postpone Final AC-
ton Until Tonight to Hear
State Street Merchants
CLAIM BIG INCONVENIENCE
Reports Fail to Show Any
Loss of Business Due to
New Route
CLAIM BIG INCONVENIENCE

The question of whether or not
the buses operating in this city shall
continue to give service along state
street as far as Broad street was not
settled last night at the aldermanic
meeting although considerable time
was devoted to discussion of the
subject and a petition signed by one
hundred and forty-five Smith street
merchants protesting against the
continuation of the present route
was received. The aldermen eX-
pected that the bus owners and the
State Street Merchants Association
had gotten together and decided
upon some sort of a compromise in
the bus fight, this having been the
understanding reached at the COM
mittee session of the aldermen Fri
day night.
Assistant Prosecutor John r.
Toolan, who represents the bus own
ers in their endeavors to go back
to their old routes which do not
touch State street. said that the
State street association had declined
to meet with the bus men and as
result the owners of the various lines
looked to the aldermen for settle
ment.
In speaking tor the bus owners
Mr.. Toolan said they had been losing
money since forced to travel over
the State street route and conse-
quently wished to be allowed to re-
turn to the schedule which they had
adhered to for several years. In re-
ply to this assertion Alderman AL
bert G. Waters, chairman of the bus
committee upon whose shoulders
falls tho bulk of the responsibility
in adjusting bus matters. brought
l. rJc in daily nv
the bus owners showing that in prac-
tically every case the buses had car
fied more passengers since going
over the State street route than they
did when going out Smith street
only. Mr.. Toolan maintained that
these figures did not show that the
buses did that much business on
State street as they reached their
old routes eventually on each trip
where the additional customers
might be picked up.
Alderman Waters then declared
that the bus owners only protest
seemed to be against going out State
street as the figures showed they
We're not losing any money and were
far from going out of business. al
though such were the stateme ents
made by them.
Mr.. Toolan maintained that the
travelling public. the city ;.j a who'
and the bus owners themselves were
not receiving the proper considera-
tion in permitting this new route to
continue. In many instances, he said
the busses go ever the entire State
street route without picking up on
passenger. During the last several
years, the attorney contended. these
b,Isscs have secured regular Glen
sel", but these can no longer be ac-
commcdated because of the change.
He pointed out that those persons
coming into the city for the purpose
of catching a train, trolley or boat
are now put to disadvantage in that
the busses go in roundabout way.
In reply to this last statement Alder
men Waters said he was of the opin-
ion that no time was lost as fewer
stops are made over the new route
than if the cars were proceeding di-
rectly down Smith street.
If State street could support a bus,
Mr.. Toolan said, the cars would have
been operating over this route long
igo. He continued that although the
aldermen owe a certain amount OF
consideration to the State street |
merchants. they should not advance |
their interests when it Is detrimental
20 the interests of the rest of the city
A request was made by the attor-
ney that the aldermen rescind their !
action in establishing this new route
and that the buses be permitted to
return to their old schedules. Mr.. |
Toolan said the Carteret buses were
willing to serve State street using |
Maurer as a terminal. He also said |
the bus owners were willing to have |
every bus entering the city turn at |
state street, proceed north to Broad, |
thence to High to Smith and the |
Water street terminal.
Alderman John j. Clark, a mem
Der of the State street association, |
said that that body never made APP |
plication for bus service to Broad |
street, but asked that buses in com
ing into the city arrive by way OF |
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