The herald., 1898-11-12
ELECTRIC RAILWAYS
SOME FIGURES AS TO COST OF
THEIR MAINTENANCE
GOVERNMENT REVENUE STAMP
Tho October Failures-Interest on
Bonds-A Stamp Decision-Vital-
ity Of insured Lives
OFFICE OF THE HERALD,

LOS AuBeles, 4>oN' -, io"o'
Although the enormous economy involved
in the employment of electrical power 1or
street passenger service in cities or subur-
ban districts is evident, there is lack OF
accurate statistics bearing upon the subject.
In fact comparisons between old and new
methods is in many cases difficult owing to
individual factors regarding distance and
density of traffic, which present in almost
every case more or less divergence. Valu-
able as are some of the scientific examina-
tons of the subject, they cannot for the
reasons Just stated have general applica-
ton. At the same time, all contributions
to knowledge upon this subject are of great
interest, in view of the transformation which
has already taken place in the street trac-
ton methods throughout the United States
and the further progress which is constantly
being made in the same connection.
A very interesting article which has ap-
peared in the Street Railway Journal, says
Bradstreet's, presents d series of figures con-
cerning the operations of the Metropolitan
Street Railway system in the city OF New
York, which affords material for compari-
son of earnings and expenses between those
portions of that company's lines which are
operated by cable, by electric power and by
horses. 1t is needful in this connection to
notice that while electric power for street
railways was not adopted in New York
until after the popular trolley had made its
way into nearly every city of any Importance
in the United States, the metropolis has not
been loser by the delay On the contrary.
the lines equipped with electricity in New
York having been provided with under
ground conduits in lieu of the overhead
trolley present many advantages over the
latter besides that of sightliness, although
it is very apparent that the much heavier
cost of the underground electrical system
renders its employment impossible except
where extremely heavy traffic exists.
The figures presented by the journal in
question show that nearly four-tent of the
Metropolitan system of lines was operated
by electricity at the end of the quarter end
ing Sept. 80, 1903. For the year ending June
go, upon which the statistical comparisons
are based, about 34A per cent of its lines
employed cable traction, 20A per cent under
ground electricity and 451s per cent horse
power. Reducing the earnings and expenses
to basis of each mile run by the cars of
the company, it finds that the gross earn
ings on the cable lines were "a LAO cents per
car per mile, the total expenses 1912 cents
and the net from operations Is cents; on
the electric lines the gross was almost 81
cents per car per mile, the expenses lOA
cents and the net result 16% cents; on those
lines of the company on which horses were
employed the gross average receipts for each
car mile during the year in question were
27.35 cents, the expenses l7S7 cents and the
net almost or cents. According to this it
would appear that the underground cleo
trical lines in New York have an advantage
in point of expenses of 6 cents over cable
power and of tx cents over those on which
horses draw the cars. 1t is admitted that
the showing may be little misleading as
regards expenses, because the electric trac
tion lines in New York arespractically new
and cost for maintenance only about one
third of cent per car per mile, as compared
with 31s cents on the cable lines and three
fourths of cent on the surface roads, where
horses still furnish the power.
At the same time, the article referred to
indicates that underground electric power
is suitable only for the largest cities where
traffic is dense and where weather condi-
tions as to rain and snow falls are compare
lively favorable, to say nothing of the very
heavy initial expense Of installing electric
power in that form. 1t would seem, how
ever, from the facts given above that the
system thus tested in New York possesses
all the advantages of economy claimed for
it, and that the fact that it is now being
introduced with great rapidity upon the
Broadway line of the Metropolitan and the
surface roads of the Third avenue system,
on both of which cable power was but lately
installed at heavy outlay, would prove that
experience has demonstrated that it lis the
most desirable existing form Of electric sur
face traction in large cities.