15
r
ix-Cemt Fare. I
o
1
Effect In Many CommLta
THE MORXIXG OREGOXIAX, TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1918.
LARGE CITIES AFFECTED
"When, on October 1, last, the
Connecticut Company raised
its fare from 5 to 6 ceftts, it be
came effective in every city
and town in the state, except
two, and included all four of
the largest citiesnamely:
New Haven, with a population
of 144,505 (1914)
Bridgeport, with a population
of 115,2S9 (1914) ,
Hartford, with a population of
107.03S (1914)
Waterbury, with a population
of 82,517 (1914)
Here, then, are four large
communities, with a combined
population of approximately
450,000 (three years ago), all
served by the same company,
which are now operating un
der a straight 6-cent fare.
The increase' affects more
than SO other smaller cities
and towns ii Connecticut and
a total of 692 miles of electric
railway lines.
ARE GIVING IT A FAIR
TRIAL
Ever since last July, the Bay
State Street Railway Com
pany, of Boston, Mass., has
been operating on a 6-cent fare
basis over its entire-system.
Permission to do this was
granted on July 3 by the Public
Service Commission of Massa
chusetts, and this company is
now charging a 6-cent fare in
86 different communities in
Massachusetts, 4 in- Rhode
Island and 2 in New Hamp
shire. Among the larger cities in
Massachusetts affected by the
increase are the following: .
Fall River, with a population
of 124,791 (1915)
New Bedford, with a popula
tion of 109,568 (1915)
Lowell, with a population of
107,978 (1915)
Lynn, with a population of 93,
803 (1915)
Lawrence, with a population of
90,259 (1915)
Why a Six-Cent Fare
The principal causes for asking for an
increase in fare are that in the last six months
the price of labor, influenced by the higher cost
of living and reduction in hours, has increased
more than 50 per cent and the prices of materials
more than 100 per cent.
That for more than five years the street rail
way has been unable to earn sufficient to pay
the cost of operating, taxes and fixed charges;
and the traffic handled is still less than was
cared for five years ago:
Five-Cent Fare Is Now
Insufficient
In his recent address to the American Electric Railway Asso
ciation, President L. S. Storrs declared that increased revenues
.were an absolute necessity to the continuance of the electric street
railway industry. ,The association of which he was the president
until a few weeks ago represents'companies having an investment
aggregating more than $5,000,000,000.
"We have gone as far as economy of operation and improve
ment of methods can take us," said President Storrs.
"We must now seek relief from those within whose power it
is to grant relief. It is our duty to lay our cases before the repre
sentatives of the public authorized to limit these conditions, before
the Public Service Commissions, municipal officers or Legisla
tures and before the public to whose will these special representa
tives are responsible and to demand of both that we be given a
living wage. In this way we will be doing our duty to the owners
of property whose trustees we are and at the same time placing
the responsibility for such conditions as may arise to the detri
ment of both public and owner where it rightfully belongs."
READING, PA., HAS 6-CENT
FARE
On November 6th last, the
Reading Transit & Light Com
pany, of Reading, Pa., in
creased its fare to 6 cents in
both Reading and the various!
smaller communities served.
Reading had a population of
103,361 in 1914.
WHEELING, W. VA., HAS
IT, TOO i
' . The .West Virginia Traction
'& Electric Company, of Wheel
ing, W. Va., raised its local
fares from 5 to 6 cents on De
cember 1. i
Wheeling had a population
of 42,817 in 1914.
AND IN LEXINGTON, KY,
On November 20, 1917, the
Kentucky Traction & Terminal
Railway Company, operating
in Lexington, Ky., raised its
local fares from 5 to 6 cents.
- Lexington, Ky., had a popu
Jation of 38,819 in 1914.
P IT'S 7 CENTS HERE
More than a year ago, in
October, 1916, the Manchester
& Nashua Street Railway
Company, operating in and be
tween the cities of Manchester
and Nashua, N. H., raised its
local fares from 5 to 7 cents.
Manchester had a population
of 75,635 in 1914, and Nashua
26,901 in the same year.
HAVERHILL, A SIX-CENT
CITY
Haverhill, Mass., a city of
50,000 population, has been on
a 6-cent fare basis since Octo
ber, 1916. . v j
ONE -CENT INCREASE
CLEVELAND
In Cleveland, 0., the straight
cash fares have been increased
from 3 to 4 cents or an increase
of 25 per cent.
Relief Needed Everywhere
Some protest has been raised against the appeal of this Company for immediate relief in the way of increased revenues, on the
ground that no other city of its size in the United States is now on a 6-cent fare basis.
While that objection is literally true, at the same time a very, large number of the electric railway companies operating in the big
metropolitan centers of the country are praying for relief, either in the form of an advance in fares, a charge for transfers, establish
ment ?f zone fare systems, or abolishment of reduced-rate tickets and relief from unjust public charges, and in many cases the various
companies are praying for several of the above forms of revenue building.
Among the most important cities where such requests for additional revenues are now pending the following may be mentioned:
Boston Elevated System, Boston, Mass., wants a basic 6-cent fare.
Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company, New York, has applied for
permission to charge 2 cents for transfers.
United Railways & Electric Company, Baltimore, Md., has applied
for a 6-cent fare.
Pittsburg Railways Company, Pittsburg, Pa., has asked permis
sion to go 'on a 6-cent fare basis, basing its application pri
marily upon, an increase of 2c per hour recently granted its
employes. ,
Springfield Street Railway Company, Springfield, Mass., has
applied for permission to charge a straight 6-cent fare on a
zone basis which would bring some of the present 5-cent car
rides up to 8 cents. ' .
The Rhode Island Company, operating all streetcar lines in the
State of Rhode Island, including the important cities of Provi
dence and Newport, has applied for a 6-cent fare on all its lines.
The United Railways of Detroit, Mich., have announced that it
will probably be necessary in the near future to abolish the
sale of its special 7-f or-a-quarter tickets and go to a straight
5-cent fare. Detroit has a population of 16,346 per square
mile, while Portland has only 3800.
The street railway systems of Milwaukee, Wis.; Kansas City, Mo;
Trenton, N. J.; Oakland, Cal; Salt. Lake City, Utah; Buffalo
and Rochester, N. Y., are only a few of the other important
companies that are facing financial disaster unless their appli
cations for increased revenues are granted.
Portland Railway, !
gli
Power Co,