New Britain herald., 1925-07-31
THE RAILROAD BATTLE
 AGAINST BUSSES

arc not permitted to run, f2INSalS of mayors and seloctmen of towns along routes to grant permits 10 traverse their cnvlrons, and a batch of petitions that mysteriously dis appeared upon the eve of the last day for their presentation with tho secretary of state for q referendum upon the late bin of the legislature requiring certificates of necessity and convenience before bus lines can be established.
 There are stories of legal talent from the railroads approaching po- lice officers in cities and inducing them to stop the drivers of inter- state busses, stories of persecution and prosecution of bus owners, and d general melee all around.
 The railroads and the street car systems are not in a unit against the independent bus owners in Massachusetts. as is largely the case in Connecticut; in other words, the street railways want 10 operate busses between towns served by the railroads, claiming to have the right 10 do so when their electric lines already ply between the towns, The ruction therefore comes down to a three -corncrcd contest between the railroads electric lines and indc- pendent bus lines -- with the sym pathics of the people divided, eX- Cept that a large portion of them appear 10 prefer 10 travel upon busses when they can.
 The mysterious disappearance of 5000 signatures for referendum on the bus law -- 1 5,000 signatures being needed - was not only a sen satonaI episode in the fight of the bus interests but d rather suspicious circumstance. Had the missing sig natures made their appearance the state would have had d referendum upon the bus business and thus the people could have settled it 10 their : liking; with the signatures disap- | bearing the law went into effect and | the referendum cannot be held, at least at this time. The incident was i too much like old-fashloned rough and tumble politics 10 suit the poo- pie aud if q referendum upon the bus business is ever held in the state the disappearance will he like ly to influence large numbers ot people who otherwise would have been on the fence in the contro- ycrsy.
 The New Haven and the Boston X Maine railroads arc putting up an anti-bls fight in Massachusetts that suggests their officials think the future of the two sySims de- ponds atogothT upon N " the . struggle terminates. Th' u..Fr oi their fight that doesn't uupr.s the public fae ordbIy s"rms tO hy based Dpou their effort to maintain ihe transportation monopoly in their territories which they have eHer- csod for y,W~. The bus industry Laa tended 10 put a dent into this laooopo0y, which Ias not always 1oou 'o ,n, best interests of thG pInu and fine 1u la not yet Th' ms nduNry ,m h, said 10 be il Us mluurv. and If the future la [, D, l muou9i as. t is difficult i' ,r,. 0uw tln. uI.roada uan maintain their monopoly mOrss they aJDrrco' m ,\t,nlius U over tho bus hnai. u,s@. This Ie tlr rruN of th" nIh and tlo paDro should hesitate he. ,or. it ahEus usr,r with ,l" ra'I roal ,ourJulc, I'll" arnH |, of th' .u3.or Nrw EngIlnI railways to. ward I1c l.uJr, when th" latter uus a orn w1ry uoci moi br for aurrn n tiGa uu,wro II tn" bussr' .uc.,l gu .r..aJng lujs monopoly ,,a .r'a, t >a0 la m in" in 1.r.st o. fu p3hsw. For t"e rail ra.ds 10 ,>'.m their mouopoN Jrrou-n eowru O, bus routes voul' not ouiy lnmr tn1'r'n1'nt inter prise in tuo hua business. but "oui' .LIua Blowing chanc" upon thr par of tho public to force better con sheraton by ,hr railroads.
 Tl,,o are u1ys,mrn's a, stake il this hattie. ol courso; but all th' money invested is moi entirely pn,c'7 in jeopardy hy tao bus m<lncss The total investment in road an' .4u.pm.nt of u rllrowI romN'un
 in Couurcuut totals &%42."ont.o 
 according 10 tAo Inst r'Folt of ih' Public UHHu-s Commission of th' s.alc, and of the railroads r'pr" sen,ci in this m,srm,nt. only 'h' c,nrat Nv Ergard paid " d,Ni a.uI upon ifs stock Last year per c,ul upou is common all" ," cent on is preferred. + "a- 'a' only operating company p'>'os dividend. although three non-opsr a'ng corapauics paid dNidrnls- Tn investment in road and cquipmcn of electric railways in Conu"cficu