The San Francisco call., 1896-06-12
Residents of That Section Desire
Facilities for Reaching
Broadway.
STRONG ARGUMENTS MADE.
Privileges and Profits That Were
Curtailed by the Adoption of
the Gate System.

General Passenger Agent Goodman of
the Southern Pacific Company is just now
considerably absorbed in the study of the
possibilities of a transfer arrangement be-
tween the Oakland broad-gauge trains and
the cars of the Highland Park and Fruit
vale Railroad.
On the 18th of May the latter com npany
severed its transfer relations with the Oak
land, San Leandro and Ha7wards electric
line, as 1t found it could not afford to al
low that road cents on all tranfers re-
deemed. Since then an agreement has
Deen made with the Alameda line to carry
passengers between Brooklyn, one of the
termlnl OF the FruitvaIe line, to Broad
way, or to Twenty third avenue.
but this arrangement has not proved al
together satisfactory to the patrons of the
road. In consequence a numerouslv-
signed petition has been sent to the South
ern Pacific Company, asking them to enter
INTO transfer alliance with the Highland
Park and Fruitvale road.
This road has been the victim of unex.
pected vicissitudes and is now in The
hands OF receiver. 1t operates two
branches s. one from BROOKLYN. along
thirteenth avenue and Hopkins street to
Dlmond, and another along Fruitvale
avenue to Dimond, these branches form
ing two legs of a triangle. Forming the
thlrd SIDE OF this triangle, between Brook
lyn and Fruitvale station, run the Hay
wards electric line and the Oakland trains
OF the Southern Pacific, by either of which
Broadway, the business center of Oakland
can be readily reached. Hence the neces-
slly OF transfer arrangement with one or
the other Of these lines. Under the exist
ing transfer arrangements with the Ala
media line patrons of the FruityaIe line
can only be accommodated at BROOKLYN,
as the Alameda cars strike south ward at
Iwenty-third avenue, about midway be-
tween Brooklyn and Fruitvale station.
one OF the strongest arguments that has
been used with the Southern Pacific Com
panY is that Fruitvale avenue. between
Fruitvale station and Dimond, was built
up and improved by mechanics and people
OF moderate means, before the gate system
was adopted on the Oakland trains, and to
refuse them the transfer accomm odations
prayed for in the petition, would be to
perpetuate great Injustice to them.
1t is further claimed that by entering |
into an arrangement of this kind, the |
Southern Pacific would increase its revenue |
$3.50 to $1,000 a month.
In speaking of the matter yesterday, Mr.. |
Goodman stated that there were several |
dlfhcultles IN the way of perfecting the |
desired transfer arrangement. Among |
other things he said the company could !
not afford to carry passengers from Fruit
vale station to the end of the mole for 2J% !
cents, and added that he could not see any |
way by which people could be made to get |
oil at Broadway or even West Oakland |
after they were once aboard the train.
On the other hand, it has been pointed |
out that the commuters from San Fran |
cisco are virtually carried over this dis |
tance for 21z cents, and it is claimed that |
most of the people who would take ad- !
vantage of the desired arrangement would |
be regular daily patrons and entitled to |
the same consideration as the actual COM
muters.
1t is also argued that the Southern Pa |
cihc owes something to the Highland Park |
and Fruitvale road, as the latter was |
forced INTO bankruptcy by the introduce |
tion Of the gate systsm on the local trains |
OF the Southern Pacific Company. Pre- |
vlous to this, when riding was free on the |
local trains, there was no necessity on the |
part Of the streetcar line to enter into any |
transfer arrangement with any other line |
and so be forced TO share its revenue.
Should this deal be c0nsummated it will |
present the unusual feature of an inter- |
change of traffic between regular steam |
railroad line and streetcar line.