Show DL T ti tin n Co Wants To Q it B B m Wants Bus n T ine J Utility Commission f fo 0 Decide rv H If per permission be granted to anyone to run a ag Auto Line ou through h li the llie County the Residents of Dais Dais county Favo tt its it's s being granted to Bamberger Company The Utah Light Traction com coin pay corn pay Wednesday made formal though indirect application ion to the public ut utilities ut- ut utIlities utilities n for p permission to Abandon its Da S county line mean mean- meaning meaning meaning ing all 1111 that por portion ion of the line north of t the e north boundary of Salt Lake City nd serving ervins the towns of Centerville Sr d nd Bountiful and in- in intermediate intermediate in intermediate territory tOlY The application cam came in the form of ofa ofa ofa a petition in intervention before the commission at the the hearing of the ap- ap application ap application of th the Bamberger Electric Railroad comp ny which is asking permit to operate to an automobile pas pas- passenger pas pas- passenger passenger and express line between n Salt Lake and Ogden The bus line it is explained in the traction company's petition parallels parallels closely the streetcar street streetcar streetcar car company's company s tracks as far as Cen Cen- Centerville Cen- Cen Centerville Centerville terville and is never more than a qu- qu quarter quarter qu quarter arter of a milc mie from flom them in that dis- dis distance distance dis distance tance The prayer cf f the street car com com- company company company pany is for an order authorizing authorizing- it to discontinue its its street car service over the Davis county line and to remove the trucks tracks tr poles and other equipment used in rendering service thereon The petition i is tied up with thE Bamberger application by a request that if the order abandonment is permitted to the street car company the bus line a application of the inter inter- interurban interurban urban inter urban should be bf b allowed provided the th thebus thebus bus service sh ll n not pick up passengers gers ers in Salt Lake for discharge within the corporate limits of the cit city If however the commission should re- re refuse re refuse fuse rase the n n i in intervention it is isi i sled th it the the petition of the Bam Bam- Bamberger Bamberger Bamberger berger company be denied The petition is erti ed by E A West rt t ener manager of the Utah Light Ter 11 r- r n and md was presented to the commission by JohnF John JohnF John F MacLane l and George R Corey Corcy at- at attorneys attorneys Mr Ir MacLane supported in oral arguments tt t the hearing th the al- al allegations allegations al allegations legations of th that petition Th These set forth that the Centerville line was placed in service jn w 1912 and that ever since 1920 the gross r ss returns from open of the Davis county line has been insufficient lo to io meet cost of oper oper- operation oper- oper operation operation and maintenance For the year 1925 the gross ross receipts of the line were k hile wa was paid out for operation and maintenance maintenance ance mcc according t tip the petition leav leav- leaving leav- leav leaving leaving ing a de deficit cit citI citto to over Cover cover operation and I char alone of 9 9 It is pointed yut ut t that at the linc line is alre already subject Jo 10 o active competitIOn from the ger Electric which I Jives gives a frequent service and at a aI faster schedule than han the street cars I can make j I Competition I with the said Bam Bam- Bam geTter line and with present priva privately tely i owned automobiles automobiles it is is alleged make increased rates of fare which would pay operating expenses and any return on investment or value of property on the th line impracticable The further m maintenance maintenance of the line must be a burl burden n upon the balance of the intervenes intervene s street railway ser ser- service service ser service vice in Salt La Lake Lage e and environs en- en environs en environs All of s h his service is being rendered at a deficit below fair hir re- re return return re return turn upon the value of the total street I railway property The operation of the Davis county countyline countyline countyline line increases the Uie deficit and if in- in intervener intervener in is required to continue such operation the def deficit cit must necessarily be taken into c consideration in deter deter- determining determining determining mining the rates of fare for the en- en entire en- en entire en entire tire street railway system and will willbe willbe willbe be a direct bur burden n on the system as asa asa asa a whole j The street car car car company confesses to a deferred n maintenance on the Davis count county lin line in the total amount of about Regardless of the fact that no allowance is possible for depreciation or a fair return on the value of or the property the expenditure expenditure expenditure of the additional it is assessed cannot lon longer er be bo deferred which will increase the losses by just that amount if the service is to be continued Since the bus line lane would be in di- di direct direct di direct competition ion with the Centerville street car line lipe should the latter be continued in servi service e it is ur urged ed that the street car com company pan should be per per- per per- permitted permitted to all all the traffic offer offer- offering offering ing ing ingo between S Salt lt Lake and Center Center- Centerville Centerville Centerville ville if the line is to be continued and should not be obliged to surrender surrender surrender der any part of its revenue producing business to a new carrier People of Davis county the public utilities commission was told Wed Wed- Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday representatives by their aut authorized tives do not want additional and bus traffic on the hi highway hway between Salt Lake and Ogden more than 70 per percent percent cent of or which lies Vi within thin Davis county But if a bus lint line lin must come they would prefer that the business should be operated by an interest which pays a large amount of taxes in Davis county part of which h goes to the up- up up keep of the highs hi highway ay The Bamberger company is is such a taxpayer and on witness W P Ep- Ep EpI Epperson i Ep-i I person from K Kaysville asserted that I it would be aI a I calamity for such a aI aI I franchise to go o t to tp any Imy other than the I railroad company The I Denver Rio Grande Western reser reser- reserved reserved ved the right tofile to file filc a petition later I This was beca because s so the he b bus s line would then be in competition with the rail rall- railroad rail railroad road taking froDl its reven revenues es instead i of adding to them the n An the interurban I is hard enough I he intimated intimate although it is tie the t only interurban in inthe in the he state which s paying the interest I on its bonds I Iwas The matter forc the commission was the t ion ort of the Bamberger line for a certificate of public con con- convenience convenience con convenience and n necessity permitting it to operate an an automobile passenger and express ser service lice b between Salt Lake president md and Ogden Julian JuHan Bamberger ger dent and general manager of the rail rail- railroad railroad rail railroad road company was vas the the chief chief- witness of lie He gave ave a Kist hist history ry y of the enterprise which now represents he said an in- in investment investment in investment vestment of 4 It h his b bean built up on the policy of keeping keeping- just justa a little ahead of o the public demands and requirement requirements as to service and fates fares andI I From an initial service of five trains a passenger day it now off offers rs one forty passenger passenger ger trains and additional frei freight ht trains between Salt alt lt Lake and Ogden At the same tine time the fares have de- de decreased decreased de decreased creased to a point where they are arc the lowest in the the state and among the lowest in th United States Not once in its his history he said had top com com- com complaint plaint int been filet filed as to service or fares t Speaking to the necessity for oper oper- operation oper- oper operation operation of the bus line he pointed to a decrease in passenger revenues in the past five years from f om in 1920 to in 1925 1945 this in spite of in- in increased increased in increased creased service reduced time of trains large larg-e expenditures on the and adequate to terminal mural facilities The Th number of passengers were carried had dropped from fron 1 in 1920 to population in 1925 although the tion in the territory ry served had heavily I heavily ily increased and although more in- in inducements inducements in inducements had been offered to increase the business than on any other suit suit- rail railroad road Fares vary vary from a mile mi e for school children to a mile with a great vart ear variety ty of special rates for Sundays ends w ends ek-ends holidays J t coi commutation tic is and the like The steam lin li lines s had practically abandoned the field so far as car car- carriage carriage car carriage of local passengers passengers was con con- concerned concerned con concerned Mr Bamberger said The rea- rea reason son rca son for the decreases ded ases was the in- in increased increased in increased creased use of automobiles and the preference the they hold in the public mind He lie felt that tl at if a deluxe auto auto- automobile automobile automobile mobile service were provided with I reasonable schedules and rates a large part part of the people would use the public conveyances as cheaper than using their own along the the line the line Proposed The company compart is investigating investigating gating various various various types of trucks and the policy will be if the permit is a- a a- a al allowed lowed to buy bay the latest kind of equip equip- equipment ment id to develop this in quantity as fast as the business obtained would warrant t-I t Coordination of bus and railroad service would insure to the benefit of the public public he said and the bus line bui bu isS ss c could be h handled economically economically with cally an an organization already built up for transportation purposes Lafayette Hanchett Beverly S Clendenin as president of the Salt Lake chamber of r commerce J S Richards secretary of the Ogden chamber of commerce and J Walter Ellingson also from from that body were on the stand in support of the application application application cation and pointed to the popularity of automobile transportation with the general en ral public N S Wiltsie super super- superintendent superintendent superintendent and R B Needham Necdham traffic manager for the Bamberger Electric also discussed phases of present con con- conditions conditions con conditions and the proposed ed service The standpoint The standpoint of the Davis county people was expressed by W W Evans G E Holt chairman of the board of count county commissioners Mr Epperson C G Gardner mayor of Farmington J E Williams mayor of Centerville and L E Ellison mayor of Layton They opposed he application on the round ground that th the present facilities of- of offered offered of offered by public public- carriers are adequate that the road is s already overcrowded and costs of maintenance high The Salt Lake Ogden Transportation Transportation Transportation tation company company which has a permit for an automobile freight line be- be between between be between tween the two cities appeared to pro pro- protest pro protest test against a allowing owing the proposed line to do an c express press business Protestants have jave ave ten days in in which to file protests if they care I to and the hearing will be resumed February 11 |