The Connecticut labor news., 1923-02-02
Citizens Outraged By Presence
 Of State Police On Guard
Railroad Officials Promise That By Spring Train Service Will Be, Improved Materially, and
 Ask Shippers and Passengers to Be ; . Patient, But Fail to Inform Patrons ..I
 How Conditions Can Be x.
 Bettered Now.
Especial to The Labor News.)

.ss1
 Hartford, Conn, Feb. I-As pre- vionsly announced the first hearing on the railroad situation was held in the House of Representatives yester- day afternoon. Senator DePeyster, chairman of the Railroad Committee, called the hearing to order at p. m. and announced in a mild manner: "The committee desires information to assist them in best judging what laws will be best for the General Assembly to enact in aiding the rail- road to return to NORMALCY." The chairman announced that the side of the railroads would first be heard, then the public utilities commission and then the public.
 The first speaker to address the committee was Vice-President Buck land of the N Y N H. & H. R. R. Mr. Buckland gave a resume of the history of the road from the time that he first became connected with 1t until the time of the strike and then said that he would relinquish the floor to General Manager Bardo who had been Tn complete charge since the strike took effect July Ist, 1922.
 General Manager Bardo, in testify ing before the committee, stated that the road had quit recruiting labor last December and in four months he ex- pected that conditions on the road would be better.
 The peak of locomotive deficiency was reached last September. By a special effort, the road succeeded in handling the football crowds, record of which 1t IS very proud. The holi- day travel rush during December was such that the road was just able to keep the equipment from going back farther.
 Mir Bardo told of the sabotage on the road and discussed the lateness of trains, explaining that 1t was costly to the road and that the pay for overtime caused by the lateness of passenger trains, normally $Io,ooo a week, had been $4o,ooo week re- gently He said that the road had tried importing coal from abroad, but this coal was not suited for loco motive firing.
 You will seea convincing improve ment in the road after winter lets go its grip" he said "We have the. fullest and most complete co-opera ton of the men now in our employ and at least eo per cent of them are 100 per cent true. We want your help; we want you to feel that this is your railroad The officials of the road are working oo per cent for the public and are not working to make for the stockholders"
 After General Manager Bardo had concluded his statement of glittering generalities Senator DePeyster asked a number of questions from a pre- pared statement.
 Do you know William H. Johnson, president of the International Asso- ciation of Machinists?"
 "I have the pleasure of the gentle l mans acquaintance"
 "Has he made any effort to inter i fere with the traffic or operation of your railroad?"
 Well, he probably knows more l about some things than 1 do."
 In response to a series of ques- l Manager Bardo said that he did not l court, after he had been arrested for | making infammatory remarks dur ng the strike substantially as fol- ows, according to Mr. Bardo: Things are going altogether too vell Get out and get busy. Go out md muss things up. Beat up few nen." In reply to a direct question ,y Senator DePeyster, MT. Bardo said hat Schleifer had threatened bodily Iarm to employees of the road.
 "I don't know about it and I don't believe 1t. I wish you would report my instance of it to me and I will top it," was Mir Bardo's reply to Iuery as to the necessity of tipping ailroad men in order to have freight moved.
 Speaker Nickerson, who, with Lieut.. Governor Bingham, was pres mt at the hearing as guests of the committee, asked about the report of :oal on sidings made by the state | police MT Bardo replied that the -oad was doing all possible to move