The Connecticut labor news., 1923-12-22

\ l ing one-man or one-horse town. J. K. Punderford, vice-president ane general manager of the Connection company presented considerations in ia vor of retaining the one-man cars. Quoting electrical railway authorities ! he state that "one-rian cars are inevit- able, don't buck them for it suseless.
 Taking the floor, N J. Scott, Hart ford manager, stated that so far as es- perience has established 1t, the one-man car has proved safer than teh two-man cars.
 MT. Punderford then read a state nent to the committee saying:
 "We operate in Connecticut at this time 472 one-inan cars and 542 two man cars and in Hartford S one-man and 1o7 two-nan cars. Of the total cars operated, 2 per cent. are one-man cars in Hartford as compared with 46 per cent. for the entire company.
 Approximately 10000 one-rnan cars are being operated in over 400 cities i'll the United States and their operation has been formally approved by public utili- ties commissions throughout the coun- try. Tt has been found that in every state where the operation of one-man cars has been questioned the legislature and public service commission have ap- proved the one-man cars.
 Presi Storrs statement follows in
 The common council Is being asked to endeavor to enforce the methods of operation which seemed necessary thirty years ago when practically nothing was known of the electric car possibilities You are not being asked to consider in itiating restriction upon theso-called one-man cars.
 The results would be two-foId First reduction in wage payments to the pre- sent car operatives, to the base rate now established, without the additional bonus paid to the present operatives. Second, as only so much service can be given as can be paid for with the receipts on the cars, reduction intotal service would have to be made to keep the ex- penses within the total now being paid.
 he company has recognized the fact that the original type of safety car was not as comfortable or convenient when used in areas of dense traffic and has just placed in operation number of the very latest type of cars for one man operation. Public approval has been expressed of the comfort and con- ven1ence of these new cars Records nave been presented of the greater afe- ty of this type of equipment, therefore, the actual basis upon which this peti- tions rests is clearly defined.
 Mine months ago the company placed in effect second voluntary reduction in rates of fare in the hope that a suffi- ciently greater use of the cars would be made so that the receipts would not fall of, and also in the expectation that the costs of material and rates of pay would not increase. As a matter or fact cost of materials has not shown any decrease and an increase in rates of pay was made effective in June.
 For the past six months the revenues have fallen off and payrolls have in creased to such an extreme that the net earnings are about half a million dol lars less than they were for the same SIX months of last year At the present time revenues are showing a much more rapid decrease than any time during the past six months
 It has been only by the maximum of effort in affecting every possible econo- my that the company has been able to continue under this last voluntary de crease.
 Unless there is a marked improve