Show iii O N MA MAN N SAYS COr E Et t Control of Street rays ys Held to Be Pot aing 0 of f P Past ast t llo mas E. E of Executive Committee sip tia Rapid Transit I s 's or of the United I vital part or of the them I m of the business and ands and s rid and if we are to ew in Inter Inter- a re they must be made with the new or order er of li of our street ms ems will b be required Hy city traction lines in the thes s today are I In the hands n tt others are resorting e to In a futile Endeavor to and most of the j. j are the future i of am the opI op- op I has been able to keep Ihas the standard set by the labor board and fares baste basIc charge of 5 cents ibl I I am to be excused out ut some of the causes of chaotic situation and what be bethe the remedies that musto must o Jour our str street et railways peaking the development has been not so indirection of of public good vantage of of property own own- AIN IAIN ties original grants were companies and 11 being built to advance clues and further private here has therefore been a I great duplication of tracks with consequent con con- sequent increased expense of track con I maintenance and operation The high rate of return received by investors in the earlier horse car da days days' s 's proved to be bonanzas for those who II knowing little and caring less of that which might be In store for the future I considered all earnings available for I dividends without regard to the wearing wearing wear wear- ing out of the property and the consequent consequent con con- sequent gradual extinguishment of the original Investment OPERATING COSTS Electricity was later heralded as being the agency to increase speed and also reduce the cost and thus make for greater profit It was with this thought that our cities generally required of their street railways large compensation for the right to electrify f f fy this added charge extending in some instances to a a. complete paving and maintenance of the entire streets on which cars cars' were to be operated Franchises have been granted granted- to politicians for hOldup purposes and have then necessarily been purchased by the street railway companies The sum of such purchase has been almost invariably im added to the cost of the property so that the burden now carried generally is composed not only of actual costs of development from horse cars to the present modern street railway systems but in addition addi- addi tion they have had to carry the cost of duplications the profiteering of I addi-I the promoter and the price of peace to the politicians The remedy largelY lies In the rearrangement rearrangement re- re I arrangement of existing street railway lines so that the public may be properly properly prop prop- I erly served without maintaining tracks on streets not necessary to proper service The prime requisite is of course that the car rider shall receive the maximum possible for tle fare paid TH THE E SOLUTION To correct the Injustice of the car cart I rider being obliged to pay for that which represents private gain It would seem necessary that ownership of street railways be vested In the cities served Dy By this mea is only does it seem possible to apply corrective measures with a sufficiently firm hand to insure the revision of the exIsting existing ex- ex lines and the planning of the new with proper regard for the interest interest in- in terest of all and with special favors to none Municipal operation has not so far faras faras as known been satisfactorily accomplished accomplished in this country The principle of operating with service at cost supplies a well sounding phrase but if the management Is to be either politically politIcally controlled or supplied by inexperienced inexperienced inex- inex or incompetent trustees the result In either case is bound to be I disappointing The successful carrying carrying carry carry- ing of a large volume of traffic with witha a very ery slight margin of profit must necessarily be conducted upon such a aplan aplan plan as will require of the operating management both skill and experience and there should be a measure of reward reward re- re ward commensurate with the service rendered and the results secured COOPERATION NECESSARY Cooperation with labor so much to tobe tobe be desired and so seldom secured is the keystone of all accomplishment In providing satisfactory service to the public The highest wage is the cheapest pay If the men and management unite in a common understanding that the underlying principle of their relation Is a good days day's work for a good days day's pay An assured profit falls fails to supply the necessary incentive to Insure either the frugal expenditure of money or the combating of unfair demands from other Interests In other words the management that has the deciding voice In making expenditures should always stand to lose its reward If guilty of extravagance or I tence The summing up of the foregoing actually points to city ownership and private operation and if the latter be undertaken under fair and equitable terms and the execution effective then the fact that the community served Is in a position to cancel the undertaking and change the management will serve not only to keep the management effective effective ef- ef for the reason that the change can be quickly and easily made is the greatest assurance that such action will not be taken in a hurried or unwise manner by the representative tive of the community served |