Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-16
An EXAMPLE FOR OTHER CITIES.


Transit.
From Slaw's Municipal Government in Great
Britan.'
In all Of Glasgow's municipal experiences,
find nothing SO likely to interest city au-
thorities elsewhere as that which relates TO
street railways. 1t is an experience which
may well make American cities blush for
their own short-sightedness. 1t was
agreed that the city should keep the control
Of its streets, any part of which 1t was. so
unwilling to surrender. and that it should
construct and own the tram lines, while
the two syndicates were to unite in one
company and work the lines on a lease.
The first lines were opened in 1872, and the
lease then made was to terminate in 1894.
By it's terms the company was required to
pay to the corporation: % the annual in
terest charge on the full amount of the
city's Investment, G) yearly sum for a
sinking fund large enough to- clear the en-
tire cost of the lines at the expiration of
the lease, 60 renewal fund of per cent
per annum on the cost of the lines. out of
hich they were to be kept in proper con-
dition and restored to the city in perfect
order and entirely as good as new in 1884,
and 90 yearly rental of $3.50 per street
mile. Such were the money conditions of
the lease; and certainly the city's interests
were we'll looked after. But, meanwhile,
the interests of the public as passengers
provided that in no case should the charges
exceed penny per mile. This, it should he
remembered, was at a time when fares
were nowhre else less than twopence. Fur
Their. the parliamentary act described a
number of important ''runs'-those most
likely to be used by laboring men and large
masses of population, several of them con-
siderably exceeding mile-and specified
that one penny should be the charge for
these. and that morning and evening cars
should be run for workingmen at half
price, equal to one American cent.
The company which accepted these re-
markable terms took advantage of a pass
ing mania for investment in tramways, and
sold the lease to new company Of local
capitalists for a premium of about Si50Op0.
This new company experienced hard times
for two or three years; for besides running
expenses, interest upon the capital invested
in the business, and the heavy payments
on the four accounts to the corporation.
there was the burden of the enormous
premium to carry. Not until 1S75-'16 did it
begin to pay its stockholders dividends.
After 1880. however, the business flourish
ed. and dividends averaging 10 per cent
were paid, after writing off each year a
due proportion of the unfortunate premium
charge.
The city was so compact-covering, as
have said. only Gill acres of ground
before the extension of lS91-that a large
mileage of tramways was not to be eX-
pected. The total of thirty-one miles at
that time served the public very well, the
|
the city from north to south and from east
RI west, with convenient access from the
center to almost every outlying nelsnoor-
hood. In arranging the system original!
lust at the time when the great improve
hent scheme was fairly begun, the author
tiles had in mind a service that would help
them to relieve the central congestion OF
population and would aid in the SYMMETRY
cal development of the city. To this end
they wished to build certain additional
lines that did not seem to the operating
company to promise immediate profits. Inc
system as scheduled by the act of par
lament embraced about seventeen miles
of lines, and the city found that 1t had no
authority under its lease to compel the
company to work additional lines on the
same conditions. A compromise was made
nv which the company agreed to pay the
interest and the renewal cost Upon the
new lines. and was relieved from rental
and sinking fund charges. This was per-
fectly fair under the circumstances.
The total capital investment of the city
had been a little more than S1.I00OOO. in
terest charges upon which were paid by the
company. On the LIST of July, 1874. the
sinking fund, provided by the company
had reached somewhat more than 81 .OoO.OOo.
paying the full cost of the original system
There remained the cost of the newer lines,
some fourteen miles In extent. The re-
newal fund had left the system in perfect
repair. The city had received in rental
money sum amounting to about SZ2o,ooU
AS for the company, it had paid its prem
and had made due allowance for deprecia-
tien in the value of it's working plant.
1t was expected that when the time came
for making a new arrangement the old
company would be granted further lease,
on terms still more favorable to the city
treasury and to the general public, and
that after 1894 the trdmways of Glasgow
would yield large municipal income. But
tedious negotiations resulted in a total fall
ure to reach any agl cement with the COM
pany; and during the progress of these
negotiations there began to be heard
for the experiment of direct municipal
operation CT the lines. This demand grew
to the point of practical unanmity on the
part of the community, and the council,
having obtained due authority from par
lament, voted to obey the popular will. 1t
horses and total operating plant could be
purchased from the retiring company. But
a new difficulty arose. The tramways COM
mittee of the council required from the
company a promise not to engage in the
operation of omnibus lines in competition
city should take over the company's exist
ing plant at a fair valuation. The COM
pany refused to make this agreement, and
negotiations We're broken Off 1t was then
determined by the council, with the very
general appreciation of the citizens, to pro-
coed upon its own methods to create
working plant, and to have everything in
readiness to begin operations on July /,
1891 .
The service was begun on July ], 1894,
with success and high prestige, and with
every prospect of proving beneficial to the
treasury. Some extensions of the lines were
THE RAINY SEASON IN THE
From Harper'S peoul