New Britain herald., 1922-02-15
WHAT oNE.MAN CARS MEAN

WHAT ONE-MAN CARS MEAN
 Tho decision Of the Connecticut Co., to operate one-man cars within the city limits means, first of all of course, . reduction in operating expenses Some twenty men probably will be laid Of.
 The plan suggests immediately that the company has decided to reduce the fare to five or six cents. It does not seem possible that the company, in addition to charging ten cents, or eight and two-thirds cents as it plans to do March first and after, for these shorts ruins, would have the courage to reduce the quality of service. Quite possibly the introduction Of the one man car was determined upon ire spective of the question of fares.
 There are arguments against the one-man car. There may be argu- ments in favor of it, especially when viewed from the company's position. At the moment we have no concern with such arguments with the excep- ton of one-and with that we have very much concern.
 The introduction of the one man car means, of course, less ability to handle ha
 The adoption of the five or six-ceht fare would mean crowds upon the cars-witness Norwalk and thetest of the low fare there.
 If the adoption of the one-man car means that the company does not ex- pect to lower the rate to five cents, which act, the company should know by this time, will bring more than double the travel on the trolleys, we are opposed to the adoption of the one-man car.
 It has been iterated and reiterated that the only way to find out what the result of such reduction of fare would mean here, until the test should be made, would be to sound public feeling.
 A sounding of the public feeling would disclose the belief, among those who travel on the cars now-such persons being in position to tell how others feel on thematter-that morethan twice as many people would ride on the trolley under the reduced fare as the number riding at present.
 The Herald has not made a canvass of the conductors and motermen of the trolley to find out what they, per- sonally, think as to the travel that would result from reduction in the fare. The Herald would not use such information if it had 1t, realizing that employees of the company would not be at liberty to tell exactly what they thought because of possible harm xMWS Htl6 Ii SoHlt to tilNill "SiS thNy 0 say, for instance, that reduced fare would benefit the company. For this is not yet the policy of the com pany and it is not well for an employe of any company to suggest that an- other policy by the company for which he works would be wiser policy.
 The Herald asserts confidently that if the company itself called it's New Britain conductors and motormen into conference and asked their honest opinions on the subject the company would be able to get the best of in formation as to the probable results of the adoption of the five or six-cent fare. In this way the company would be able to sound public opinion would be able to hear just what is said on the cars daily--would get un- preiudiccd evidence upon which it might work.
 And The Herald believes sincerely that, outside of a few employees, so preiudfced against the people of New Britain because they are so loyal to the company and because those peo pie do not ride on trolleys more gen erally. the testimony of those motor men and conductors Of the company would be that if the five or six-cent fare were 10 be adopted the travel would more than double and the re- ceipts of the company would increase over the receipts Of the present.
 An extra man would be needed to handle the crowds that would travel on the trolleys in rush hours if the five cent fare were adopted.