The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-09-30
REDUCED CAR FARES.
New York Passenger Railway Fares Reduced
10 Five Cents.

New YORK PASSENGER Halway Fares Reduced
The New York World to day has the follow
ing
OF the many petty additional expenses and
annoyances which the late war imposed upon
the mass of the people of this city there was
none, perhaps, more generally felt than the one
cent tax on the city railway fares. Like all
otter taxes it of course bore most heavily ON
the poor-the laborer, the mechanic, the clerk,
all, in fact, whose wealth did not allow them
any more aristocratc mode of conveyance than
the street car. Great numbers of these classes
have to use the cars frequently to get to and
from their places of employment, and to many
of them the tax small as it was, was neverthe-
less turdensome, and the odd cent always in
convenient. All such will therefore hail its
abolition with pleasure
On and after tomorrow ante-bellum rates
will rule, and the handy five cent piece will pay
the passengers way from the Astor House to
One-hundred and Twenty-ffth steeet. The
terms of the act of Congress authorizing the
imposition of the additional cent expiring to-
day, the several companies in this city have
concluded no longer to exact 1t. To ascertain
the feeling of the companies as to this cutting
down of their income the writer yesterday
called on Mr. Squires, President of the Third
Avenue line, the road which, from its immense
traffic, must necessarily be most affected by this
change.
The following colloquy was the result
Reporter-Mr. Squires, ] have called to in
quire whether it is the intention OF your COM
pany to reduce fares to five cents on Saturday.
Mr.. Squires-Yes sir; we have concluded to
do so The authority given us by Congress for
adding the additional cent to our fare having
expired, we have of course no alternative but to
come down. Yet, if we were so disposed, we
think our charter warrants us in demanding
fares in spece-the current coin of the country
at the time the charter was granted and the
rate fixed.
R.-But you have determined not to adhere
to the strict letter of the law?
Mr.. S.-We have, for two reasons: hrst, the
premium at present is so low that IL is not worth
while to insist on it; and secondly, because we
| don't think it pays to quarrel with the public;
our policy has always been, as far as possible,
! to accommodate the people.
R.-What do you think the effect OF the re-
duction will be on the finances of the company?
Mr.. S.--We can't stand 1t, sir. Why, you can
! see for yourself. We carry sc, 900 day on our
road, which, at one cent apiece, makes 5000.
| What is the effect!
R.-WeIl. but do you not think that the ad-
ditonal traffic which the reduction will be likely
| to create will more than make up for the loss
| Mr.. S.-Not at all, sir; quite the contrary; the
more we carry the more we lose. There is not
passenger carried now that does not absolutely
cost 516 cents. Where, then, is the profit to
R.-That is certainly discouraging. How do
you propose to get over the difficulty?
Mr. ST. know OF only one way-to seek re-
lief from the Legislature; and If we can't get II
reduce the wages of our employees. Prices o
horses forage, and labor are now so much IL
excess of those ruling when the fve-cent fare
was established, that it would ruin us to run al
| that rate.
| R-But sir, at the present rate, as you say
of everything, it would be a difficult matter tC
| reduce the wages of your employees
Mr. 81 know it, but can see no other re
source. and that is what it must come to. W.
empty 1000 men, which at 75c. per day reduc
tion amounts to $3.50. Here is all the chanc,
we have LETT to curtail expenses, and, as saiC
before. if we do not get relief from the Legisla
ture that's what il must come to.