The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-09-09
STEAM ROADS MUST GIVE IN.
Interesting Interview With President
Tuttle OF b. and nj.

hurhan Traffic-Third RaH iDpFac1-
cable for Boston and Maine.
One of the most Important statements
that have yet been made by high rail-
road official with respect to the lnroaos
that the electric street railways are
making upon the suburban service OIL
the steam roads is that contained in an
interview with President Lucius Tuttle
of the Boston Maine railr DAD by repre-
sentative of the Financial News Service.
After denying the current reports that
the Saugus branch of the Boston g. Maine
was shortly to be equipped with elec-
tricity, President Tuttle proceeded to
state that in his opinion, the third rail
electrical system is as yet in an expert
mental stage and that nothing has been
produced In the way of electrical equip
ment that could be utilized successfully
by steam railroads as substitute for
steam locomotives.
1t would not be possible for the Boston
s. Maine to use any electrical system In
existence. The local terminal is equipped
with an elaborate system of electrical
switches, signals, etc., which would
make it impossible to place the third rail
equipment on any branch or division OF
the road running its trains into the Bos-
ton terminal. To do so would result in
the Generalization of every switch and
signal i'll the yard, through the conse-
uuent Identification of the rail.
The third rail line on the New England
road between Hartford and Bristol is en-
1t comprises single track and It's in
stallation has practically reduced that
portion of the New England's right of
way to a single track basis, as the
electrically equipped track is used for
local passengers only, while the other
track takes care of the through freight
and passenger traffic.
1t is true that the south union station
has provision in the way of q sub
station for the use of electrically propelled
trains, but whether 1t has been deter
mined to actually run these trains Mr.
futile did not know. From his point of
view electrically propelled, quick service
trains cannot solve for the steam railroads
the problem VIII ioh now confronts them,
of how to offset the effects of street rail-
way competition in the nearby suburbs.
The steam roads, Mr.. Tuttle thinks
will finally be forced to bow to the in
evitable and relinquish portion of their
suburban traffic. No matter how the
matter may be viewed the street railway
within certain limits has now and will
continue to have the advantage over the
steam railroads. The steam roads may
improve their suburban service as much
as they can, but they will eventually
find that they cannot compete with the
trolley cars, which insure service that the
steam roads can not furnish.
The trolley cars run through every
street in the city and surburbs, pick up
their passengers at the door of their homes
and deposit them at their place of bust
ness. The best they can do is to carry
their passengers from station to station
comfortably and speedily. but the Limits of
their usefulness extends only SO far as
their right of way.
~s~A S~>SS>~>e S~~~>-
lines almost anywhere they desire, and
can secure privileges for nothing that the
steam roads would have to pay thousands
of dollars for. Trolley cars can carry
passengers for five cent fare and make
money while the steam lines must charge
10 cents to make the same profit for carry
ing their passengers the same distance.
Their comparatively small capitalization
and operating expenses enables street rail-
ways to do this.
In the north union station the terminal
facilities afforded passengers represent an
expenditure Of some SS,000,00O, interest
uuoa which has to be earned and paid.
Tie bulk of the people who use this
terminal are suburban passengers from
whom is averaged per trip not more than
five cents each.
These passengers pay nothing for
station privileges; their only expense is
the cost of travel per mile on the rail-
road: all else is free and represents just
so much money expended upon which
actually nothing is returned. The trolley
roads have no expense of this kind to
meet. They do not even have to erect
awnings over the sidewalks where their
passengers get on and off the cars.
The steam roads will therefore will
practically be obliged to abandon suburban
business within possibly four or five miles
of Boston. This. may be described as
the trolley road zone. Six miles distant
from the city is practically the limit of
their advantage.
Steam roads will have to develop their
long distance service. They can improve
their service to within zone of from six
to 90 miles, and, as an additional induce
ment may find it profitable to lower the
long distance rates. In this way by their
efforts the suburbs can be extended. The
growth of city's suburbs resembles
flow of larva-it spreads outward from
tho edges. With this expansion and at
tenton to through passenger and freight
business, the steam roads will have an
ample and profitable field Of operation.
The annual report of the Boston q
I,- tho nav (which will iEaua bn-