The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-12-07
STREET CARS IN GLASGOW.


Municipal Control of the Conveyances on
Trial In the Scottish City.
From the San Francisco Examiner.
The horse Is rapidly becoming ex-
tfnct in this country as a motive power
for street railroads. He cannot COM
pete with the inexpensive trolley.
When the municipal government OF
GLASGOW. therefore, undertook to- run
all the street cars In that city with
horses II tried the experiment OF pub
lie management of a bushes enterprise
under the most unfavorable possible
conditions. Not only is horse-car sys-
tenn at disadvantage in itself as com
pared with an electric or cable system.
but IL Is peculiarly untitled for govern
ment operation from the minute atten-
ton to details required in II and the
imposstbility OF giving II effective SUI
pervision In a large general way. The
brilliant success of the Glasgow expert
ment under such unpromising circum-
stances is full Of encouragement for
cities that wish to handle the trans
pertation OF their people by electricity
or cable.
All the street car lines of Glasgow
were taken in charge by the munich
pality on July /. 1894. The former les
sees turned over nothing but the tracks
and those in bad condition. The city
horses. cars. stables. employees and
supplies. and while 1t was doing this
an epidemic of influenza struck the
town and laid up $500 OF the new car
horses at once. The municipal govern
ment reduced fares, supplied its men
with uniforms. except trousers. estab-
lished easier hours of labor. overcame
lall the disadvantages of inexperdence,
met the competition Of a system of
omnibuses started in opposition by the
old company and within IL months was
carrying nearly 40 per cent. more pas
sengers than the old corporation had
carried when IL had a monopoly. AL
though the advertisements, which had
brought in a large revenue for the cor
poration. were excluded from the cars
the municipal service cleared S120, 900 in
terest and maintenance, which enabled
the management to place over $4,000
In reserve fund for renewal of tracks,
to write off $45 900 from the capital ac-
count for depreciation, and to put over
s41 900 into the municipal treasury, as
against a maximum of $4,000 received
in a year from the old company. In
their first report to the common council
the members of the committee in
charge remark that they do not know
that any other tramway undertaking
has hitherto been in a position to pay
all interest. working and general ex-
penses and maintenance, and begin
writing down their capital account
within a year from starting opera
TONS"
All this has been done with the
cheapest fares in the world. At the
very start the municipality adopted
the principle of giving half mile rides
for / cent. and 80 per cent. of all the
passengers carried uring the first IL
months Travelled on 1-cent tickets. Soon
the average rates were reduced still
further. On July 1, 1894. the city gov
eminent gave the people of Glasgow
their choice of 263 different rides. OF
which 92 were at / cent, 6S at cents,
As at 8 cents. 81 at cents, IL at cents
and seven at 6 cents each. When the
new MANAGEMENT began to feel sure
of its ground II consolidated many OF
the routes and abolished the higher
fares. so that on May 81, 1895, there
was not a trip in the city that cost
over cents. The schedule then stood:
Ninety-one trips at cent, 81 at cents.
81 at cents and IL at cents.