New Britain Herald Newspaper, December 8, 1916, Page 5

{EW BRITAIN DAILY HERALD, FRIDAY, BECEMBER 8, 1916, ‘A FEW OF THE REASONS WHY THIS IS THE BUSIEST SHOP IN TOWN I have more woolens than all the rest of the tailors put ‘together in New Britain. My volume of business permits me to sell lower then the. other tailors, and give better merchandise. 1 have built my business so pecple have my confidence. I have systemized my shop where I can turn out my wrork with full satisfaction. My business experience has taught me that people want to see how their garments are made on the premises. OTHER REASONS that are too numerous to mention here, bait I'll be glad to explain them when you come into my stere if you will put 10 minutes +of your time against mine. Tomorrow, and all next week will be the greatest opportunity :to select a tailor-made Suit or Overcoat of any style, made to your measure with skel & ton:try-on. 315.5 “Tom” Mur TRANSPORTATIONSYSTEMSIN | STATE GIVING POOR SERVICE Public Utilities Commission, in Annual Report, Criticizes “New Haven” Road and Connecticut Company for Year Ending June 30, 1916. Hartford, Dee. 8.—The public utili- ties commission has transmitted its fth annual report to the governor ' covering the year ending June 30, ! 1916. The report contains a general | review of the work of the year to- | gether with certain recommendations ' and suggestions and detailed sum- maries and analyses of the financial condition of the several classes of companies under its jurisdiction. A | R g brief abstraect of the report follows. | FEanSDoEtation Ergbies. One hundred and eighty-seven pub- | Jic service companies are under . the jurisdiction of the commission: twen- iy-eight electric, two express, twelve gas, fourteen gas and electric, eight railroad, twenty-four, street railway, Jhree telegraph, ten telephone and efghty-six water companies, One hundred and thirty-nine for- mal petitions have been heard and orders entered relative thereto, and seventy-eight informal complaints ad- justed. Five thousand four hundred and thirty accidents have been report- ed to the commission during the year. <Twelve hundred and ten persons were killed, five thousand six hundred and fifteen persons injured and there were two hundred and nineteen accidents tn which there was no personal in- jury. This is forty-nine more fatal- ities and one thousand and two hun- dred and seventy-nine more persons injured than were reported during the previous year. Of this number of fa- falities one hundred and ffty-two were on steam railroads and fifty on street railways. Two thousand five bundred and twenty-two persons were Injured on steam railroads, two thou- sand and. five hundred and forty-nine in street rallways. Two hundred and seven of these accidents were made the subject of special investigation. | The greatly increased volume of traf- | fic both in passenger and freight ser- vice during the year caused by the unusual industrial conditions has cor- respondingly increased the liability of nccidents of all kinds even with the! most careful supervision and intro- duetion of signals and other devices for the protection of passengers, em-‘ ployees and others. Twelve million | more passengers were carried by street railway companies in Connecti- scut alone during the year than dur- ing the previous vear. The constant- 7y increasing number of automobiles crossing the tracks of steam railroads iness equal to that of the previous and street raflways has also been & | year, although to a limited extent they - contributing cause to these acoidents. jare better equipped. The annual examination of the steam railroads was made in October and November, 1915, and of the street railways in May and June, 1916. Com- plete detailed reports of these exam- inations are on file in the office of the commission. During the year a uniform system of parking poles has been adopted and satisfactory progress made towards establishing uniform methods for joint use of poles. Freight. passenger and express tfransportation on the railroads of Connecticut during the past vear, was much below the standard of good ser- vice. 'Many passenger trains failed to make schedule time, freight shipments were delayed, and in many instances | held back for weeks, by reason of embargoes placed by the railroad companies. When these embargoes were raised from time to time, there resulted group deliveries, in many in- stances involving delays in unloading, with consequent demurrage charges. While no embargoes were placed on expre: shipments, serious delay: confusion, and unsatisfactory deliver- ies, were experienced. Many elements entered into the of this unsatisfactory service, principal of which may be mentifoned, an unusual amount of freight and ex- press business, for which the trans- portation companies were unprepared, lacking sufficient motive power, freight cars, and track and terminal facilities to handle the large volume of business expeditiously and advan- 1ageous| Added to this, the scarcity or lack of efiicient help, and adverse weather conditions, caused congestion and delays. Financial limitations of the New Haven road are also assigned by that company as among the seri- ous obstacles in overcoming the diffi- | culties | During the most congested period i the commission had frequent confer- ences with the railroad officials. Daily reports were filed with the commis- | sion, showing the embargoes placed and the number and actual movement of all freight cars in service. There is reason for serious appre- hension pertaining to railroad trans- i porfation during the coming winter, | The railroad companies operating in Connecticut are still unprepared to handle satisfactorily a volume of bus- 394 1y O With a $5.00 Pant Free With Every Suit or Topcoat AIN STREET NEW BRITAIN, CT. ray The New Haven road, which is the largest ‘ transportation company in Connecticut, had on hand at the be- ginning of the fall months about 500,000 tons of coal for its own use as against practically none the year previous. It has added to its mo- tive power during the year preceding the date of this report, eighty-one large engines of the Pacific and Mi- kado types, and deliveries on 500 coal cars, ordered in December, 1915, are now being made. Most of the freight and express shipments are interstate, subject to the regulation of Federal authorities, but this commission has, endeavored far as possible to assist in bringing about better .service, and has urged the companies to enlarge and im- prove their facilities as rapidly as their financial condition will permit, {and to render the hest service pos: |sible with the limited facilities they i have, ' ‘We believe it possible for the New | Haven road, with the additional en- gines, cars and track facilities enu- merated, to render much better ser- vice than maintained during the past | year, but this will require most care- ful and intelligent operating manage- ment, more thorough and prompt re- ' pairs of engines and other rolling stock, more loyal and interested co- | operation and support of officials and {employees, and more active and co- | operative interest on the part of ship- | pers and consignees in promptly load- {ing and unloading cars. Street Railway Service. Passenger service on electric street | railways, especially in the large cities, has been inadequate to the reasonable needs of the public. The rapid and almost phenomenal growth of some of the industrial centers created a de- mand for additional trolley service which the companies were unable to meet, and as a consequence, over- crowded conditions on electric street railway cars during rush hours be- [ came the rule rather than the excep- tion. ! During the year ending June 80, 1916, the Connecticut company" put {into service ninety-two new double | truck cars, adapted for summer and winter use. At a conference with the officers of this company in the spring of 1916, the commission recommend- ed the immediate placement of an or- der for 300 additional cars, to be ready for service during the coming winter. Subsequently, on application of the Connecticut company, the com- mission approved the type of con- struction of 100 additional double truck cars. for which an order was placed, and which were expected to be ready for service by ‘the first of November, but present indications axe that actual deliveries will be very much later. The 100 additional cars will not be sufficient to remedy the overcrowded conditions, particularly during rush hours, but should afford materfal relief. Service of the Shore Line Electric Railway company on lines of sald company supplied with edectrical en- 1€ w8y from its power plant at Saybrook, h: \s been very unsatisfactory, and for th 4 past six months has been partial- ly u€suspended. 1% he company undertakes to gen- era.t > and supply electrical current at this j dlant for the operation of its cars and # or lighting in Madison and sur- round\l 'ng territory, and to supply the Essex Light and Power company with electriy ity for distribution by the lat- ter cor, !Pany. Owin ¥ to the unsatisfactory service renderet. 1 and after repeated confer- ences w Ith officials of the railway company. Without results the commis- sion ha& & thorough investigation | made. T\ his showed that the unsatis- | factory sy 'rvice was due to the run- | down and dilapidated condition of the power plaa 1t at Saybrook, particularly the steam engines and boilers, which, although ¢y © standard type and ample capacity, ha d been negligently permit- ted to becoy me unserviceable. In July, 1y 16, by virtue of an agree- ment with : the Shore Line Electric Railway con pany, the J. G. White Management. Corporation of New York assumey ! charge of the rehabili- tation of the | Savbrook plant, with in- structions and ' full authority to put the same in § "00d serviceable condi- tion. The won k has necessarily been slow, and subs tantial relief may not be expected bed ore the middle of De- cember. (‘,erta);\ 1 electrical apporatus required by the | commission to relieve fluctuations in th 1e lighting system at Madison and s§ rrounding territory has been ordereal. by the company, but may not be obtd:nable until next spring. I ¥are Zonmes. The Shore Liney Electric Railway | company and the . N’orwich & Westerly Traction company have adopted the so-called “copper z ¢'me” as a basis for passenger fares in : & ubstitution for the ordinary five cent .zone system for- merly used. This .aYstem was made effective on the Sajy%>rook and East Lyme division on Seg tember 1, 1915, on the Norwich & VV esterly Traction company, including 4#he Groton & Stonington Street Raf lway company, | on November 22, 19 W5, and on the New London division of the Shore Line Electric Railway :company Feb- ruary 24, 1916. Patro.a s of the Gro- ton & Stonington Street |Railway com- pany petitioned the ccw nmission in December, 1915, alleging 1 1nreasonable increases in rates incidem'tal to the change to this new plan a.m d the towns of Stomington and Groton\ also inter- vened as petitioners in the case. After numerous hearings and in® Rection of i the system the commission issued a tinding requiring some adjiw tment of | | zones, but the general plan a:nd rates { were not herwise disappros's d. From | this order of the commissio.n an ap- | peal was taken to the superi¥s I' court which is stil} pending. Grade Crossings. Three grade crossings werel elim- inated during the year. The lawm ' Te- quires the direetors of every rtil 'road company to remove or apply f.pe * the for everyt fifty miles of road operated by the cympany in this state, and up- on failurt to do so the commission is authorizedl, if in its opinion the fi- nancial ccuidition of the company will warrant, t.o order the removal of such crossings ays the directors should have applied for. The number of elimina- tions during the year was very much Jess than thy> legal Tequirements and the commission did not order the ad- ditional removals because, in its opin- jon, the finamcial condition of the companies did not warrant such order. [ 1t is hoped tAat the finances of the companies will so improve that they will be able duning the coming vear. to eliminate a number of the more dan- gerous of these crossings. Recommendations and Suggestions. The commission recommends: 1—A law directing the commission to presoribe uniform systems of ac- counts for the seweral classes of re- porting utilities, congideraticn to be given to the systems preseribed by the Interstate Commerce Commission for companies reporting to that com- missdon. 2—~A law whereby the commission may require companies to make re- turns for the calendar year instead of for the year ending Jume 30th, as at present, such change in reporting vear to be made if and when the In- terstate Commerce Commission shall, as is now contemplated, require com- panies reporting to sald commission to report for the calendar year. 3—That Section 3921 of the General Statutes, Revision of 1902, and Chap- ter 149 of the Public Acts of 1905, requiring a certificate by the presi- dent, treasurer and an engineer of certain companies, be amended by re- quiring a certificate of this commis- sion 4—That Chapter 192 of the Public Acts of 1913 be amended so as to in- clude a requirement for companies therein described to report to this commission all changes in name of such companies and the acquisition of any plant, which would, under Section 1 of Chapter 128 of the Public Acts of 1911, make a reporting company out of an heretofore mnon-reporting company. 5—That Section of Chapter 128 of the Publie Actsg of 1911 be amended by eliminating, limiting or more ex- pressly defining the phrase “all com- mon carriers.” 6—That Section 1 of Chapter 128 of the Public Acts of 1911 be amend- ed by removing the exception of mu- nicipal utility from the operation of the Public Utilities Commission Act, to the extent of giving the commis- sion jurisdiction over municipally owned utilities operating outside the corporate limits of the municipality. 7-—That section 4569 of the Gen- eral Statutes, Revision of 1902, be re- pealed or amended and authority given the commission to establish a standard of measure of gas, and that Sections 4571, 4578 and 4574 of the Géneral Statutes, Revision of 1902, be repealed to eliminate possible con- flict with the general provisions of the Public Utilities Commission Act. 8—That Section 3904 of the Gen- eral Statutes, Revision of 102, be amended by giving to the commission | rather than to the county commis- sioners appellate jurisdiction over the location of poles and other structures | of electric and other utility com- ! pantes. 9—That Chapter 24 of the Public Acts of 1909 be amended authorizing the commission to designate the loca- tion of fire alarm and other municipal wires upon poles used jointly with telephone or telegraph companies. 10—An amendment of certain stat- utes which give to the superior court or a judge thereof original jurisdic- tion over administrative matters per- taining to public utilities, or appel- late jurisdiction direct from local authorities, or which require such court to make findings as to public convenience and necessity with refer- ence to the operation of such com- panies. The following instances are noted, in which the jurisdiction would more logically belong to this com- mission: Section 3699 of the General Stat- utes, Revision of 1902—Construction of railroad branch lines. Section 3840—Regulation of freight on trolley cars. Section 8846—Building of parallel lines of street railways. Section 3853—Joint use railway tracks. Sections 8905, 3906—Appeal rela- tive to location of electric company poles and structures, Sections 3919, company extensions. Chapter 276 of the Public Acts of 1911, Section 2, extension of telephone lines. (The advisability of repealing thig entire chapter might be consid- ered, in view of the general authority vested in the commission). 11—An amendment of Sections 2 and 8 of Chapter 36 of the Public Acts of 1909 to permit an appeal to the commission from decisions of lo- cal tree wardens where public utility companies are interested. 12—A law glving the commission authority to permit the abandonment of parts of plant or service of any ;public service company, for due cause shown. 13—A law wmequiring the installa- tion of standar@l advance ‘signs on line of highway, approximately three hun- dred feet from railroad tracks, at grade crossings, and providing for the maintenance thereof, substantially in accordance with resolutions adopted by the National Assocration of Rail- v Commissioners, at Washington in November, 1916. ¥xpress Companies. In view of the legislation enacted by the 1915 Sesslon of General As- sembly, giving the commission juris- diction over the issuance of securities by the New York, New Haven and of street 3920—Telephone For All the Family For All the Year Around No matter how much money youre going to | spend for Christmas some should go for music to.make | your Christmas brighter. A COLUMBIA GRAFONOLA is the gift that will be the greatest source of pleasure both on Christmas morn and all through the year. Prices from $15 up—on special Christmas terms —_——————— | BRODRIB & WHEELER 138 MAIN STREET HALAINAN BLDG. ® Hartford Railroad Company, the larg- est public service corporation in the state, the commission suggests the advisability of considering whether or not such authority should be extend- ed over all the utility companies. Financial Operations. During the year the public service companies under the jurisdiction of the commission, which includes com- panies doing business Wwithout the removal of at Jeast one grade cr()d 8ing,| state-as well as Within the state, de- was $1,017.14. The only ope: railroad paying a dividend was Central New England Rallway clared dividends to stockholders amonnting to $63,814,487.02 as will ¢ be shown by the following summary: Increase for Year $ 100,233.0 808,555.1 129,720.0} 183,087.! 616,000. 1,495,378, Dividends 724,381.00 1,461,895.00 1,075,100.00 609,115.93 1,865,804.00 5,490,915.74 Eleotric companies . Hxpress companies .. GAas companies J........ Gas and Blectrio companies. Street rallway companies . Telegraph companies Telephone companies Connecticut . . ceseas . Telephone companies in Connecticut Water companies . $ 40,285,287.27 702,787.50 839,152.58 2,237,873, 982, 45,876.8 Total . $53,314,487.02 $5,124,188.1 pany. There was an increase in sty The total amount invested in plant ' plus of all companies of ‘$5,242,729 and equipment was $16,077,503.65 and . for the year. Of this amount the the total operating revenue was $4,- | crease of the New York, New Has 346,778.57, an increase of $804,354.45 | and Hartford Railroad company ‘over the revenue of the year previous. | $4,697,454.88, Operating expenses amounted to $2,- tree 849,022.11, an increase of $390,077.83. Steect Rty Ciarason During the year the Williman There was a total increase in surplus of all companies of $412,638.21, e m"‘“fi e The Adams Express Company and | PoD e ol the American Express Company are {::ny & a.uthorh:ed to qugtats a the only public service companies [®V. commencing in Williman carrying on an express business re- pusSINE TUTOUEN fhe t“‘"";ftc"l porting to this commission. Both o i dover Coventry, Bolton companies showed & profit from EOCHeSer mear "",“’b‘”“' operations, the former of §$1,934,674.- | ;1 °€Te connections may be made 74 and the latter of $3,200,825.36. pany. | The report of bus soitl Gas Compantes. 3 4 During the year the Litchficld Gas ' 501000 oy menr ooy ment of Light Company which had operated ... oyt il an acetylene gas plant in Litohfield L octor for bullding the ¥oted to permancntly discontiniie do- g Coieiized In May, 1915, The Ing business. The fotal amOUNt Of serminated its corporate eristsnon investment In plant and equipment of ,ugust 1915, The tetal o oIl companies was $15,788,829.71, an \ Tovenue of all companies includ inorease of $991,126.85 over -the | companies operating Withawt A amount of the investment & year ago. | which report te the commission The. total .operating revenue. of = all | 16,543 860.00, an increase in companies was $4,188,530.99, an in- | revenue for the year of $1,445,3874 crease of $549,277.85. The total b The total operating of operating expense was $2,822,078.58, | companies oas $10.702,447.95, an an increase over the previous year of 068.94 The in $424,168.96. There was o total dn- |inc e, Of 3834 . in passenger revenue was $1,27T crease in surplus of all companies of | 024.48. The only operating roads p $165,742.22. 7 ing a dividend were the Bristol Plainville Tramway company and Connecticut company. There was total increase in surplus of all oo panies of $491,029.32. The total mf! age of single track operated by st railways in Connecticut is 880.47 miles. Thesd companies operate o ! side of the state 341.910 miles, ma ing a total single track mileage op ated of 1172.3899. The aggreg: | salaries and wages paid to emplo; of street railway companies in Og necticut for the year amounted $4,389,801.22, Telephone Companies, There are ten telephone compan under the jurisdiction of the com: sion, Seven are classed as Conne cut companies. These ocom: represent an investment of $15,81 Gas and Electric Companies. The total investment in plant and equipment of all companies under this classification for both gas and electrio equipment was $18,118,528.12. The total operating revenue from the gas division of such companies was $1,082,686.56 and from the electrical division $3,357,486.81. The total operating expense for the gas division was '$827,399.34 and for the electrical division $3,044,899.71, resulting in a net operating revenue from both gas and electric operations of $1,667,874.- 32, an increase of $232,246.46 for the year. There was a decrease in the surplus of all companies of $40,975.53, . Steam Railroads, The total raflway operating revenue of all companies was $85,585,897.95, | J44 55 The total operating reve an incerase of $12,156,88502 over the | 4¢ "yl compantes was $4,321 150 8 resullts (lJlf operations a year ago. The | .. ‘increase o $420,757.70 for total railway operating expenses were | $56,947,438.67, an increase of $7,174,- ! X;;'rs'gs};;e 1:;2?11:’(:6::?&1-;::1 i 890.91. The Bradford Steam Railroad ' sgg} 213.71, an increase of $70 450 Co. whose income is derlved entirely g the year. There was a met i R e e T IR $87,664,88. The Central New Eng- * R land Railway company’s increase in Telegraph Companies. operating revenue was $796,809.18, | There are three telegraph con The Central Vermont Railway com. | Panies under the jurisdiction of # pany had ‘an increase of $328,921.37,|commission. The total operati and the increase of the New York, revenue of these three companies f| New Haven & Hartford Ratlroad com- the year was $56,355,483.50, an | pany was $10,083,671.72. The greatest orease of $8,000,852.36 for the yea increase in the revemus of the latter The total expenses were $45,772,967.0 company was from frelght revenue,|aD increase of $3,908,074.92. They which inoreased $6,268,701.08 and the | companies paid in dividends $5,490 increase In passenger revenue was|916.74, an increase of ~$1,495,376. $2,609,768.38, The increase of the South Manchester Railroad compagy ¥ (Wontinued on PFifth Page:),