The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-07
FARES TO BE THREE CENTS.
THE ELECTRIC RAILWAY MEETS
THE PARSONS LINES.

nEAA ~ DE AANAnFM m A%e--
and Bull streets and ut Bull and
Hest streets and the Price st reei
BeIt at Duffy and Whitaker Strs cts
and at the City Market-A q mt
Pare for Each Division-Transfs r.
10 he Made on All Lines for = Cen t.
Additional to the Regular Far e.
The New Fares 20 Be Put on To-
morrow.
The street railway case in the United
States court remains in statu quo.
Judge speer decided yesterday morning.
after hearing and approving "a PROPOSE
ton OF the receivers Of the Electric rail-
way. 10 rearrange their fares and receiv-
ing in assurance from the representative
OF the Parsons lines that they would make
no change IN their present rates without
notifying the receivers Of the Electric
railway that he would simply continue
the case which viii leave the status quo
unchanged.
Judge Speer said in effect that should IL
prove necessary at any time in the future
20 issue an injunction TO prevent the
Parsons lines from reducing their fares
he would do so. Considerable argument
was INDUCED in by the attorneys for the
Electric railway TO show that the scent
straight fare is the only proper fare.
The case opened with the report of the
attorneys Of the Electric railway on the
conference requested by the court the day
be.ore. The report as stated in yester-
days Morning News was that the con
ference reached no result whatever. the
several propositions made by the repre-
sentatiyes of the Electric railway having
been declined by the representatives Of the
Parsons lines. who refused to make any
proposition. The question Of fares was
then. tal.en up by the court. Mr. Barrow
said that the City and Suburban had no
intention of changing its present fares.
Col. Garrard, representing the same
company, said that there was very little
difference in the fares charged by the two
companies at present The City and Sub
urban charges 8 cents for ride around its
Whitaker and Abercorn belt and cents
for a straightaway haul The Electric
railway has the advantage of Offering a
longer ride for cents than the Parsons
lines.
Col. Garrard said the companies he rep |
resented did not wish to make any further |
cut. All they asked was to be let alone. !
They were willing that their present rates !
and the rates fixed by the court for the |
receivers Of the Electric railway should |
stand.
After some further remarks by the at
torneys, Judge Speer suggested that the |
receivers Of the Electric railway confer |
and agree upon some reasonable arrange !
ment of rates of fares 20 be reported TO |
the court and he announced a recess of |
twenty minutes to allow such confer |
ence.
After the recess President and Receiver |
j 5. Collins reported to the court a prop |
osition by the receivers to divide the |
Montgomery street belt in two parts, max |
ing the divisions at Bay and Bull and |
Bull and Best streets, charging five cents |
for the round trip and three cents from |
designated points; and to divide the Price |
street belt at the city market and at
Whitaker and Duffy streets. charging |
5 cents for the round trip and cents |
from designated points; the Barnard |
street line to be run as a straightaway |
line at cents. Mr.. Collins said that this |
arrangement would be inconvenient and |
unsatisfactory to the receivers and to the |
public. but it was the best arrangement !
the receivers could make to meet the |
rates of their competitors. He said IL |
was not possible for a street railroad to !
live at cents. 1t might make operating |
expenses, but not interest on the cost of
the property.
There are many objections to cent
fares" said Mr.. Collins 1.-The people do
not like transfers, especially on a rainy
day. People do not like TO pay an extra
fare in order to reach their point of desti-
nation only block or two away, perhaps.
The giving of transfers makes it more diff
6pH1f for "a ~ 1raar, nj Wit
their dishonest employees"
Mr.. Collins gave some figures, showing
the experience of the Electric railway
with cheap fares. In December, 1888,
with fares at cents, the company carried
1Sl .321 passengers with receipts of S. 1914. 30.
In December, 1894 with fares at l and 2
cents the company handled 363,0S1 pas
sengers with receipts of Si,69S.49. In 9TH
er words it carried twice as many pas
sengers for half the money.
Judge Speer asked Mr.. Collins what i'm
provement, if any there had been since
the cent rate had been restored. Mr..
Collins said there had been considerable
improvement. The receipts last Saturday
were S251l5 as against $l46.30 the previous
Saturday. Last Sunday the receipts We're
$262.S5 as against $146.96 the previous sun
day. On Monday the receipts were S171.05
as compared with $129.3 the previous Mon
day. On March 4 of last year, however,
the receipts were $3.50 as compared with
Ill the same day this year. showing how
great a loss they We're suffering on ac-
count Of the reduced rate of their compel
itors.
In answer to question from Judge Speer
r Mr.. Charlton said: If our competitors
had brought out cannon to batter down
our power house the court could compel
them to remove the cannon. They have
put rates into effect for the purpose of
wrecking and running our property and the
court can compel them to change the
rates"
Mr.. H. Z. w. Palmer said that the secret
of the street railroad business is short
hauls The company that commits itself
to mileage basis is on the road to a re-
ownership 1t is impossible for street rail-
roads to carry out the mileage theory,
he said The pleasure riding is only an
incidental portion of the business When
a passenger boards a street railroad car
it is with the idea that it is worth cents
or whatever is the fare charged or that
he is willing to give that much to ride to
the point which he desires to reach and
not that he is paying his fare for the privi-
lege of riding a certain specified distance
for that amount of money The average