Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-01-01
A MILLION FOR LABOR
WHAT METROPOLITAN DOES
FOR KANSAS CITY
Has Faith in the City
and Showed 1t by Spending $685.
900 for Bcttcrments During
the Year just Closed.

A HllAlOn CC1IdIS II year Si'til ~
alone-that is only part of what the Net
ropolitan Street Railway Company is do
ing 10 make Kansas City Il good place 10
live in. In addition TO the $l.rJ.rO dis
bursel among the 80 employees. the COM
pany has expended the enormous sum OF
S5.5,1st during the past year in improving
the old lines and constructing new ones.
To-day Kansas City has 40 miles. in one
big system. CT as up-to-date and eificleit
street railways as any city in the United
States. 1t is possible to ride between ten
and eleven miles for one fare and the SyS-
TEN of transfers is more liberal than in
any city in the West.
Kansas City is a good street railway
town. because of its peculiarly rugged
Topography. But by reason of that very
fact it is far more expensive to operate
Il street railway system than in the aV-
erage city. The extra expense comes IN
the winter, when travel is highest ana
business drops off ut least % per cent. The
grip car is practically deserted ana the
carrying capacity of the lines is decreased
Just that much. while the expenses OF
operation are more than correspondlhsls
increased.
But the men who are Interested in the
METROPOLITAN are also Interested heartiiS III
other Kansas 1T properties. They rave
built for the future and are content 10 ac-
cept small dividends fer the present, pt-
cause they know that, the future growth
Of Kansas City will bring IN larSer re
turns. The Metropolitan is only q part u
the system of properties controlled by inc
owners of the street railway ilnes ana an
parts are being developed at the same time.
instead of pushing one at the expense Oh
the rest.
The public spiritedness OF the manage
ment was demonstrated when the SonEsh-
ton hall enterprise was projected. the
company promptly made the very generous
contribution of Sll 600.
The fact that $4,000 has been spent IN
Kansas City in one year in betterments
shows the faith which these gentlemen
have in Kansas City. This enormous sun
has not been spent in extensions. reacl-
ing out after new business. but aiinosI
solely in new equipment and the improve
ment generally of the service rendered the
people.
Here are the principal things accom-
plished during the past year in affordiIs
to the people more efficient service:
The Fifth street line has been changed to
electricity at Il cost of $4,000. The entire
roadbed from the state line TO Fifth ind
n cost OF $4,000, making a quarter OF a
million dollars put into a single line.
The Broadway line has been converted
from a horse car to an electric line at Il
cost of $3.50. 01o. including the new extension
contemplated. The line begins at SIKH
and Delaware and is completed TO Four
tenth and jefferson streets. Here II was
stopped by injunction proceedings, but
plans are already on foot to have the IN
junction dissolved and property owners are
petitioning the council for II right of way
from Seventeenth and Madison. where the
old line stopped. TO the reservoir. an extern
sion of one and one-fourth miles.
The Armourdale line has been rebuilt and
re-equippcd from the kaw river to Seventh
street and Kansas avenue al a cost Of *3S.-
GO. The road has been provided with new
cars and the service brought right up 10
date.
The Prospect avenue line has been re-
paved with asphalt and the equipment has
been bettered at a total cost of $500
The Paramount park spur has been buiit
at a cost of 81 ,0I. and the new equipment
of the park line has cost s2o.go in addition.
giving the people who visit Fairm0unt park
which large crowds have been handled is
really remarkable and on no line on the
system has the general efficiency OF the
service been 50 conspicuous as on the oc-
casions when large crowds have been trans
ported to Washington and Fairmount parks,
with a minimum of Inconvenience ana no
serious accidents on the line.
The Independence line has been b~ettered
by the replacement of t~restles and the con-
struction of two culverts at "A cost of $500.
The new Southwest boulevard line has
been re-equipped at a cost of S55,e0.
The rails on the Ninth, Twelfth. Fifteenth
and Eighteenth street lines have been weld
ed at a cost of s35, 0U. about 500 joints hav-
ing been welded.
An Important feature of the betterment
of the system during the past year was the
at a cost of $4,000. of a new en-
CINE and generator to the central power
station, which just doubles the capacity Oh
the plant.
During the past year $4,000 has been
spent in paving between the tracks:
The business of the company has m
creased during the past year 10 per cent,
and the train service has cost the company
$4,000 more than ever before. 2,oo
and $500 men are regularly employed IN
all departments and turing the prosecution
of any special work hundreds OF extra men
are given employment. The population of
a town of 5000 people is supported by this
one company, ";1S persons. in round mum
system and according to the usual estimate
of five to a family, lo.@D people are suppost-
ed by the company from year 10 year Inc
annual expenditure for labor alone is H.GU0.-
$50. and 1,JD trainmen are constantly en-
ployed. "
company are Kansas Cttyans IN spirit ana
into the pockets OF Kansas city laborihS
and business men. During the past year
new shop machinery has been added. which
does practically all the necessary repair
work on the plant and keeps here the
money which formerly went to other cities.
The company can practically make cars.
1t has a very complete, patroi system ior
handling accidents of all descriptions.
Some idea of the number or people car
ried may be gathered from the fact that
on an average 1000 transfers are given
daily. The company has carried a quarter
of a million people In one day, on special
occasions. The daily average. of course.
is very much below this figure. There are
two rides of more than ten miles whlcn
can be taken for one fare-from the end
Of the Westport line TO Qulndaro ana from
the end of the Troost lire to Argentine.
During the coming year the company will
carry out plans involving the expenditure
of fully as much money as during the past
wear. The rebuilding and re-euuipment will
continue and the people will be given the
line will be double tracked and new equip
ment added Among other plans. the Sum-