The Bridgeport times and evening farmer. (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1918-1924, 1922-07-01
Repeal Of Jitney
Ordinance Sought

Kansas City, Mo, July City
ordinances hold no terrors for Jlt-
years the "jitneys'' have been wag-
ing a losing battle to operate upon
the streets.
The most recent 1oophole adopted
to thwart effectiveness of the anti
jitney ssed at a recent
session of the council and upheld by
decision of the State Supreme Court
is the establishment of numerous
livery clubs throughout the city.
All former jitney lines have organ
lied and are giving pseudo-taN ser
vice over their former routes.
The jitneys have been a thorn in
the side of city aldermen for some
time. A little more than two years
ago the Kansas City Railways Com
pany succeeded in forcing the jitneys
there are street car tracks. The street
car company contended that it was
| a violation of their franchise to per-
nit jitneys to use street car thorough
| fares in transportation competition.
| Routes Are Changed.
| Operation of the jitneys over the
various routes then was changed to
| the streets adjacent to street car lines.
| Shortly after this numerous petitions,
| signed by property owners along the
new jitney routes, flooded the Coun-
Gil Chambers reuesting that the jit-
ney be prohibited from operating on
these streets and stating that the jit-
neys were a public nuisance. Resi-
dents also cited in their petitions that
| operation of jitneys along these
streets would Individually cause prop
perty to decrease in value.
Then followed the anti-jitney ordi-
| nance. which prohibits the operatf on
of any jitneys in greater Kansas City
| Prominent attorneys at that time
stated that the deathkneu for jit-
neys had sounded-that the gasoline
k1sr--
passengers over the streets of Kansas
City for a, nominal charge for severa'
years would have to hoist their white
flag.
These predictions have proven in
accurate, however The jftneys today
are operating under a blind just as
extensively as they did before the
passage of the anti-jitney ordinance
Following action of the State Su-
preme court, when it handed down Z
decision stating that the anti-jitnel
ordinance was legal, the jitney mer
ran their motor cars through the
streets without destination signs an6
without any fare placards decorating
the windShields.
''Bootleggers Of transportation"
| When the jitney, which carried nc
characteristics to mark it as differ
ent from any other car using the
downtown street corner the drive
shouted his destination. His patron
age then clambored aboard, and a.
they left the car the majority usual,
proffered the driver a slight tip TO
his courtesies. Jitney men were soo1
spoken of as the "bootleggers o
. transportation"
, For more than two months score
of citizens have thronged the Coun
. Gil Chambers at each meeting in al
effort to present petitions asking re
peal of the ordinance now in vogu
, against the jitneys. An early repea
. of the ordinance is anticipated, par
t ties familiar with the situation state
} A relentless campaign, in which
friends of the jitney men will delive
addresses to the voters in every war;
: CT the city will be under way shortly
and the jitney men are confident tina
this will ultimately result in more ia
vorable legislation for the operation
of their "busSes."