Putnam patriot., 1925-10-02

the corporation but were not on Che board of five directors The origin of the service now rendered Was stated and the route from Springfield e. Providence was spoken of as now cav cred but without the right Co do an lutrastate business in Connecticut The fact that people from the Wood stocks were anxious for the line Co continue and Co have the legal right Co carry passengers from Woodstock Co Putnam was emphasized
 Charles N Perrin of North Wood stock stated that the people of that community wanted the line to operate and were in favor of the present line When pressed by counsel for the New Haven road, Judge Perrin admitted that the people were mostly interested in having line and did not care who operated 1t. Later he again said they favored the present line.
 Road Not Finished
 George L. Gary wanted to cover two routes, but when he found that the \. E. Transportation Company had a pc tition in from Wlllimantie to Putnam he withdrew his petition covering this route. Applicant wanted to make a circuit from West Wilmington through Union to Southbridge. to Putnam, to Pomfret. Abingdon and Phoenixville and back to West Wilmington. lie said that he could not start the route imme- diately as section of the road was not finished. He said that most nf his patronage would be through traffic from Rockville, Holland to points east.
 No Need For Jitney
 F. L, Warren asked permission Co operate from West Woodstock to South Woodstock and Putnam. He said he intended to operate whenever the neighbors wanted to be carried When asked fl he knew that he would have te take out insurance he said he did not and that If that was so he could not afford 10 operate Asked if he wished to withdraw his petition ho said he did
 The Acme Line
 W c. Haggerty of Webster explain ed the inauguration and growth of the Acme line. Worcester and Webster to New London He said that people beg. ged him to stop and take them on in- trastate but he could not do so. He said ii.4.. me had gone so far as to drive to Webster Co buy tickets to New London to be used from points below Putnam He said that he was well able to give good service and that there was demand for such service us he proposed to give if allowed to operate. Asked if he did not take passengers 0u intrastate trips he said that if pas senger bought ticket interstate ana insisted in getting of the bus before crossing the state line he could mol very well stop them.
 After the hearing was ever Mf. Haggerty spoke at seme length. stat ing that he felt that aS he was already in the field he could operate at once If permission was granted. whereas, he said. chat fl the petition of the \. l.. Transportation Company was granted it might be a year before they could begin operations.
 New Haven's Innings
 The two requests for permits made by the N F.. Transportation Company took well into the afternoon, as ad- journment was taken for luncheon at one o'clock.
 General Superintendent Began of the New Haven road was the first wit ness and outlined substantially the same plans and stated the same req sons as to why the petitions should be granted as he stated to the citizens committee meeting the day before.
 Mir Began was followed by officials of the passenger department of the road to show by figures how passenger traffic had fallen of following the ad vent of the motor bus lines. Assistant General Passenger Agent Edward A. Burtis of New Haven, for instance. told how in during six months in 1924 a total of l ,S27 tickets were sold on the Southbridge branch. while in 1925 for the same period sales dropped to 4O3 tickets.
 J P. Thorndike, district passenger agent at Providence, said that in April 1924, 1924 tickets were sold from Providence Co Springfield via Norces ter, while in 1925 but 425 tickets were sold There was considerable more testimony of this statistical nature.
 Support Petition
 C. L. lronson, representing the Con neeticu. Manufacturers Association, spoke for the organization supporting the petition of the railroad company, as did James c. Hammond, secretary of the New London Chamber of Com merce; John J. 0'Rourke, representing of the Jewett City Chamber of Com merce; John J D 'Rourke, representing the Norwich Chamber of Commerce, and W. G. Norris of the Willimantie Chamber of Commerce. A. $. Maedon- aid, secretary of the Putnam Chamber of Commerce was called upon and said that, while not authorized to speak for the Chamber. whose members did not know that petitions of the New Eng land Transportation Company were to be heard. told of the citizens meeting being held and the resolution being passed, and offered a copy of that re.o- lution for the record
 Informal Arguments
 After the taking of testimony there were informal arguments for brief period. when the meeting adjourned.
 In adjourninR the hearing 1t was stated that the hearing at Norwich, Friday. of the petition of the Conneeti- cut Company to substitute busses for their trolleys, was closely related to the present hearing and that no de cision would be given on that account and also on account of the commission