Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-08-21
A MODEL STREET RAILWAY SER.
VICE.
How They Manage Things I'm Glasgow.

How They Manage Things I'm Glasgow.
Correspondence of Bradstreets
The street railways OF Glasgow Scotland) are
| owned by the municipal authorities and are
worked on the principle of being q source of
| revenue to the rate-payers of the city. In 1871
| the Glasgow corporation obtained parliament
airy powers to borrow money for the purpose of
constructing a complete tramway system
throughout the city, and when the lines were
| finished they were leased to the Glasgow Tram
way Company for twenty-three years on the
following terms: Payment of o. the rate of in
terest on tine actual money borrowed to con-
struct the works; (2) payment of per cent on
the actual cost to form a sinking fund to wipe
out the cost of the works by the expiration Of
the lease in 1894; 81 payment of per cent to
form renewal fund, and (5) a rent in the form
of $50 per annum for every mile of tramway
in actual use within the city boundary. The
Tramway Company also lodged with the corpo-
ration bonds on heritable property to the extent
OF f6O, 600 as pledge that they would imple-
nent their bargain. The various payments the
Tramway Company have to make to the city
authorities in terms of the lease amount in the
aggregate to $4,000 per annum or 1850 a
week. The permanent way is kept in order by
the Iramway Company, who are reimbursed
for any repairs they make out of the renewal
Practically the lines are not only a source of
income to the corporation, but their cost is
the present lease the city will be in possession
Oh valuable property that has not cost the citi-
zens single penny.
The Iramway Company, who work the lines
ana who possess complete monopoly of the
street passenger traffic OF Glasgow. is good
tdlvldend-payiae concern, the highest distribu-
ton OF profits being 111s per cent; and their
yearly average from the beginning until the
present date per cent. Recently an under
had no material effect on the drawings OF the
Iramway Company. The capital OF the Tram
way Company amounts to s315,OOO the miles
III operation % miles OF double road (steeD, and
the passengers carried over 500, 900 d week. A
UNIFORM charge of one penny 1.-TWO cents per
mile is made for each passenger inside and out
side the cars alike, and the city is marked Off
IN TO mile and half mile stations, SO as to enable
the conductors to levy the fares. Children be-
haif fare, and a special service of workmen's
cars Is run at the reduced charge of One-half
penny zone cent? per mile. An elaborate syS-
tenn is in operation to prevent dishonesty on
the part OF employees, the salient features of
which are the use of the bell-punch and the de-
posting of e. by each conductor as security for
his intromissons. The cars are drawn by
horses, the directors OF the company being OF
opinion that they can obtain better financial re-
suits in that way than the use ofsteam. The COM
pany have everything within themseives;that is
TO say, they construct cars, make harness for
horses, ana have shOeing FORCES and q block of
dweling-houses for their workmen Their stud
consists of 2,oO7 animals (2253 horses and
254 mules, and the distance run daily is about
12L4 miles by each team. Provender an i'm
por!ant item in tramway management is dealt
with in this way. Each horse Is allowed 271o
pounds of food daily made up as follows: Maize
II pounds; hay, pounds; oats, 61al pounds;
bran, y pound; and linseed. n pound. In addi-
uon TO the passenger fares, the company draw
cars, the carriage of parcels, the carriage of
mails between the different railway stations in
Glasgow and the general post office by special
vans, and the conveyance of letter-carriers from
the post office to the various delivery districts
also by special vans limited number OF cars
are run on Sundays In one of the suburbs of
Glasgow there is a tramway line worked by
steam, but this is a comparatively small con-
Germ. The directors of the Glasgow company
Hfnono I,,t
did 1t Is unlikely that parliament would sane
ton the use OF steam in the streets OF u busy
CITY