Putnam patriot., 1930-10-30
ARTIST WINS FIGHT FOR
 PASSENGER SERVICE
Trains on Branch Road in New York State Ord cred Restored Case Parallels That of Our Own N.
 & W. Division

Rockwell Kent, the artist. has won his fight for the restoration of pas senger service on a branch of the Delaware & Hudson railroad be- tween Plattsburg and Ausable Forks, IN Y. The case parallels that of Putnam and the Quinebaug river val lev where the people have been de- prived of passenger service on the | Norwich < Worcester branch of the l New York. New Haven < Hartford Railroad. If anything the case m eastern Connecticut Is a stronger one than Artist Kent fought to a successful conclusion in the Empire state
 Returning from an Arctic trip in the fall of 1929 Mir. Kent found that messenger service had been discon- tinued from Plattsburg to Ausable Forks. where he lives on 2OO-acre ! farm.
 The artist, backed by other citi- gems. declared that the SO called bus service is totally inadequate, ineon- venient and unhygienie and involves physical hardship"
 The branch line was no Bonneville Trolley, MT Kent insisted, but served 1000 persons. and he petitioned the Public Service Commission for an im- mediate restoration of service. He was insistent especially that the com pany had discontinued the trains without the consent and knowledge of the commission
 First Dismissed
 Mir. Rents complaint was dismiss sed in April, however. on the ground that no real necessity had been shown in the February hearing be- fore Charles B. Vanneman chief en- gineer of the commission. Mir. Kent had directed his attorney to write Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt in protest that the commission should have 'supinely submitted" in the be- ginning and a rehearing was gained.
 Commissioner Lunn said in re- versing the first order and ordering passenger service resumed on or be- fore November g. This Is not the usual case of curtailing service, for here the entire passenger service was abandoned and a population of TO- .000 people were left without the IAfitlIftN WHICH f1u bEtH 9t4tA them since 1894"
 Since 1889
 Ten thousand people left without facilities enjoyed since 1894 in New York state. Here in Eastern Con- necticut where. including New Lon don. Norwich. Danielson and Put nam. ten times as many people have been served by the N X W. branch line as were served by the D. & II branch forced to restore service. Passenger facilities on the Norwich < Worcester branch have been enjoy ed. up to year or SO ago, since No vember 1889 when this railroad was formally opened.
 It has been the contention of Att l torney \. Macdonald Jr.. chairman of the committee of the Putnam Chamber of Commerce, that if the people of the section served, or which should be served, with pas senger facilities. would make con- eertea effort and take the matter to the Public Service Commission re- suits would soon be obtained
 The situation is so apparent in Eastern Connecticut, and north to Worcester in Massachusetts. where the people are being denied pas senger service arbitrarily by the railroad company that it could not fail to impress the commission. Like that in Now York state, it is not question of curtailing service for here. as there, the entire passenger service has been abandoned and a population. not only of 10000, but many times ten thousand. have been left without facilities afforded them, not only since 1894, but since 1889.