The Penn's Grove record., 1923-07-27

vears. Maybe a strike and grant OF
the demand might be an element OF
consideration in it's effort to get a 10
cent fare by application to some u
after the Utility Board has refused II.
George A. Seymour, who has been
one of the foremost fighters for the
iitneymen in and around wv eVer
since that mode of conveyance began
to figure seriously in the affairs OF the
neople, has gone so far g to state that
fhe combined owners could and would
buy the trolley lines of the Public
Service Company in the three popu-
lous counties if a price based upon
physical valuation could be fixed. NO
such price. however, could ever De
reached because of the fixed charges,
due to stock issues of doubtful values.
Slowly but surely the power of the
notorious owners will gain in this new
order of things, and it is bound 10 De
exercised in the sessions of the legls-
Iature. Nobody who keeps watch upon
the legislature as it has been consti-
tuted in recent years is ignorant OF
the influence exerted by the Pubic
Service.
Satisfactory transportation has been
one of the biggest problems to which
the people of the state have been CIV
ing attention for years. The existing
service, with a virtual monopoly, has
not aroused any degree of enthusiast
tic Endorsement that any ordinary OBJ
server has been able to discover. The
fares have been boosted, but the sery-
ice has not improved In the same ra-
ito.
The people have not responded to
the appeals of the Public Service Off
Gals for cooperation, displaying un-
canny preference for the notorious
wherever that form of transportation
is available. The appeals came long
after the people had been peeved by
the and Indifference Of the
company when it did not face the bus
problem.
What, then, will future legislatures
do with the situation when the power
and influence of the united interests
in the notorious industry are exerted
over it's members? 1t is very Irob-
able that this question will come to a
tryout in the very next session, be-
cause there is every indication hat
the operators will appear with pro-
posals for revamping the present laws
to give them a little more leeway.
Maybe a trolley strike would hasten
the crisis and settle the problem for
all time.
Lightning Destroys Bridge
The old six spa wooden bridge over
the Delaware river between Stockton
and Center Bridge, Pa, was struck by
lightning and destroyed.
AS soon as the bolt struck the old
bridge, which was so rotten that it had
been condemned by he Public Utili-
ties Commission, a burst of flame shot
up from a point near the center. The
fire spread rapidly through the old
structure and had gained great head
way before iremen and volunteers
from a half dozen towns were able to
get there.
A squad of Is men went out on one
of the spans, which they believed they
could save, when the weak understruc-
ture gave way and dropped them rs
feet into the river. Some swan out
and others we're pulled out. Soon it
was seen that the old bridge was
doomed, and an hour later virtually
nothing was left but the stone pillars.
The bridge was about % miles north
of Trenton. The nearest bridge below
is six miles, at Lambertville, and the
nearest above is at Byron, opposite
Point Pleasant, Pa. The bridge was
one of many that were built owe the
Delaware river half a century ago