FACTORY HEADS HAVE ONLY PRAISE FOR LOCAL JITNEYS
Industrial Chieftains Report Almost No Tardiness On Part of Employees.
MANLEY AGAINST EXCESSIVE FARES
The trolley strike has had no adverse effect upon the larger industries of New Brunswick and vicinity. Almost complete satisfaction with the emergency jitney service was expressed this morning by the manufacturers, who report ed practically no tardiness among the employees. The strike hasn’t affected us at all. “We have more hands at work today than we had on Tuesday,” and “We had fewer tardy workers today than we have had at any other time this year.” were some of the reports given by industrial heads. One official said so far an conditions indicated at his plant, there was no strike The Jitneys are making it a point to start shortly before 6 a. m. and every available bus is in operation between 6 and 9 o’clock. Many buses are also in operation during the noon hours and in the evening, while throughout the day A smaller number of machines are on the streets. The manufacturers had no hesitancy in declaring this morning that the trolley strike is not at all noticeable at their plants. They said the buses were giving excel- lent service and some employers declared better service was being given by the Jitneys than the trolley cars gave. “We are depending entirely on the buses of Mr. Lyons, as we have in the past. for the transportation of our employees,” said John Sokoloff of the Squibb Laboratories on George’s Road. “We are getting the best of service and there has been absolutely no lateness at the Squibb plant. We don’t even know there is a strike on. so dependable is the service at-c forded by Mr. Lyons.”
At Cigar Factory
A similarly cheerful report came from the General Cigar Company on Somerset street, where several hundred people are employed. “We have no particular trouble at our plant because of the strike,” said Jesse Strauss, general manager. “We have a large number of employs living in Piscatawaytown. Berdine’s Corner. Lindenau and other places but they have had no trouble thus far in getting to work. We are getting fine service and the employees during the past two mornings have arrived earlier than usual. The buses have more speed and are maintaining an excellent schedule and I have only praise for them.” said Mr. Strauss. The question of fares was raised by John A. Manley of the Johnson Johnson plant, who declared the city should prohibit excessive charging. “We have no real cause to complain as to the service,” said Mr. Manley. “It is comparatively satisfactory.” Mr. Manley pointed to the charge made by two Coney Island bus owners who made a trip from Bound Brook yesterday morning and charged fifty cents for a single trip. He also rebelled against the position of a ten cent fare in other cases. “You must remember that the Public Service asked for a tenement fare and was denied it. I believe the Jitneys should be stopped from charging this excessive fare. We should be fair in the matter and give the Public Service a square deal,” said Mr. Manley.
Musical String Report
O. U. Page, general manager of the Musical String Company, declared that the service given local employees was of the best and there was absolutely no room for com- plaint but difficulty was being encountered in transporting employees from Berdine’s Corner and Mill- town. As for three employees residing in Bound Brook they were absolutely up against It. There is no service between Milltown and our plant and the buses operating to Berdine’s Corner do not go far enough out George’s Road to accommodate some of the employees. We plan to operate a truck for the transportation of our help to these two points. As for the employees living in New Brunswick and Piscatawaytown, excellent service is provided for them by the jitney,” said Mr. Page. Leslie P. Johnson of the employment department of the International Motor Company declared a few of the employers were inconvenienced but on the whole, the strike hasn’t affected this plant There is comparatively no tardiness and with the exception of the inconvenience to a few hands, we have nothing to complain about.” said Mr. Johnson. Between 500 and 600 employees) are being transported to the Raritan Arsenal by the buses and J. F Armstead of the arsenal declared this morning that the officials there were perfectly satisfied. “Buses are operating to our plant from New Brunswick and Perth Am boy and they are giving the heat of service, in fact better than the trolley cars for the buses are maintaining a better schedule. Tardiness was not as prevalent today as it was during the operation of the trolley cars.” said Mr. Olmsted.
Michelin Tire Plant
No trouble is being encountered at the Michelin plant, it was stated today by H. R. B. Meyers, employment manager and mayor of Milltown. He declared that the service provided by Commissioner Connolly of New Brunswick, the Raritan River Railroad, private autos and the Michelin cars for transportation of the Michelin employees was satisfactory. “Outside of the extra work of arranging the transportation, everything is lovely at the Michelin plant.” said Mr. Meyers. “All our employees are being provided with transportation and there is practically no inconvenience being experienced.”
SIDELIGHTS ON TROLLEY STRIKE AS SEEN BY SCRIBE
Thousands of people who were strangers to jitney rode on buses yesterday, some with an air of curiosity, and some as if to say “I’ll go wherever the jitney takes me.”
Every pedestrian was able to be taken for an Information bureau, for one person after another approached people along the curb watching the constant stream of motor vehicles, and asked if this or that bus stopped there, and how to get to this place or that.
Jitney riders apparently paid no attention to the big signs on the cars. At the Jitney stand, many e would get aboard the first Jitney to pull into the curb, only to learn later that they were on the wrong Jitney. It was a case of getting off and waiting until the right one came along.
One aged couple loaded down with a suitcase of the vintage of 1776 waited at the jitney stand for over an hour for a Raritan Arsenal bus. At least four buses for the arsenal pulled away from the stand while they waited. Traffic Officer Wilcox, who inquired as to their destination, found they could not speak or write English. A friendly pedestrian spoke to them In a foreign tongue and learned their destination. It was not long before they were on their way to the arsenal.
The swan song at the jitney stand all day yesterday was “Where is the Bound Brook bus?” They are still singing it today as the local Jitneys refused to make the trip because of the impassable condition of the road. Regular commuters are compelled to ride to Metuchen and take a Plainfield bus and change at Plainfield for Bound Brook.
These taxi drivers! Visions of fur coats, trips to Florida, college educations for the children and Paris gowns for wives hung about them like pleasant halos as they shouted, “Fare! Fare!” Were they busy? They were not.
Many taxicabs were available throughout the day in front of the railroad station, but there were few riders for some reason Or other. People either walked or took to the “its” One woman of foreign descent and of bulky proportions, and carrying a large bundle, had a tough job finding her bus.
Every time a bus pulled into the jitney stand, she got aboard. Learning each time that late was on the wrong bus, she rent the air with foreign lingo, that sounded like real “honest to goodness” scar words. Many suburban couples were compelled to take their wives along on their ride to business. On this account many pretty little misses were left waiting for another car- a jitney.
When the 11 o’clock shift left the Michelin plant in Milltown last night, numerous buses were waiting. These are better than trolleys,” said several passengers to Matthew Hogarty, bus inspector, who was on hand to look things over.
The good-looking girls waiting for a ride to the Michelin plant this morning had the pick of sport cars, with the result that two Big Walter Raleighs nearly had a collision at the corner of Commercial avenue and George street. Commissioner Jaques has issued instructions to the police officers to give every aid possible to the Jitneys in helping care for the public. The cops were on the job and seemed to enjoy the task.
A big gang of workmen arrived this morning to complete the pavement on French street, near the Jitney station, which has been torn up for the past week. It seems that even the Public Service is willing to lend a helping hand to the “it” The blocks between. the rails were torn up a week ago, causing great inconvenience to the traveling public. The workmen today declared the pavement would be re-laid before dusk. For one thing. they were not disturbed in their work by trolley cars.
A Highland Park resident sold his automobile on Monday. “Guess I’m out of luck.” was his cry last evening as he waited at the Jitney stand for a car to take him home. He didn’t have to wait long as a jitney for the neighboring borough leaves every five minutes.
Traffic Officer John Manley at the corner of George and Albany streets missed (7) the rattling of the trolley cars as he directed traffic yesterday and today.
The bus owners are cooperating with the city officials in giving safe and adequate service. The owners of the buses were scattered along the various routes acting as inspectors. They will work with the police and bus inspectors in preventing any excess charges. No authorized bus operator is permitted to charge more than a five-cent fare and violations of this order will meet with prompt suspension or dismissal. The only thing unusual about the Milltown car barns today was the lack of trolley cars switching in and out. Quietness prevailed.
The employees, dressed in their Sunday best, gathered on Albany street and witnessed the buses pull away from the jitney stand loaded to the roof. The office of the Public Service Railway on Albany street was closed to the public yesterday and there was no sign on the door to acquaint the public the reasons therefore. Secretary Atkinson of the Board a of Trade is playing the part of the Good Samaritan by transporting his fair daughter, Miss Lillian, and her Highland Park friends to the Michelin plant. Commissioner Connolly asked today that the public be patient for a few days if the bus service does not immediately come up to expectations.
The additional buses and the many changes in routes which to a certain extent are experimental, may cause a little con- fusion for a few days. This, Mr. Connolly says, will be corrected eventually. Commissioner Connolly rode over a proposed detour through the O’Rourke farm yesterday and found the going anything but pleasant. A force of men were grading and filing the low spots preparatory to building a temporary road. buses will be permitted to travel over this route until it is placed in safe condition.
A bus inspector is detailed on every loaded bus to Milltown to assure the passengers of safety. The detour followed to Milltown is through the College Farm and Ryder’s Lane. The two bridges on the lane are in weak condition and as a precautionary measure. the passengers are compelled to alight upon reaching the bridges. Thomas Lyons, owner of the big Mack bases, gave a helping hand to the Michelin employes when he placed one of these buses: on the line at the request of Commissioner Connolly during the rush hours. Meyer Shift of the Burnet street line has a bus operating continually on the Milltown line in the hope of solving the transportation problem for the borough residents The Michelin office employes were discharged at 4:45 o’clock yesterday afternoon to permit them to make connections with the Raritan River Railroad out of Milltown Upon reaching New Brunswick, buses were waiting to carry them to the center of the city. I
t was believed that the schedule of the Raritan River line would be so altered as to meet conditions. but officials of the road have as yet made no changes. The present schedule doesn’t conform with the working schedule at the Michelin: plant and hence the advancement of the quitting time for the office hands by fifteen minutes. The buses were working smoothly last evening after a day of excitement among the operators and the city officials. The big rush between 5 and 6 o’clock was handled as smoothly as one could expect. No one had to walt more than fifteen minutes for any bus and the city buses were passing up and down Albany street every six or seven minutes.
