The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1904-05-21
SATURDAY, MAY 81, 1904.
REASONABLE STREET RAILWAY
FARES.

FARES.
We sincerely hope that one result of
opening the whole question of the
rights and privileges of the street rail-
way company under it's franchise and
under the provisions of the new char
ter may be the extraction from that
corporation of more reasonable rates
of fare. 1t has been very correctly
stated that this is much more impor-
tant to the community than even the
gross earnings tax. The latter inures
to the benefit of the public treasury;
but, though drawn directly from the
revenues of the company, it comes, of
course, from the nickels paid by the
people 1t is tremendously desirable
that, while the people pay these nick
els, the city should get its share. Il
would be more desirable, however. to
save a portion of these nickeIs for
their owners.
The modern street railway franchise
in the up-to-date city does not au-
thorize straight five-cent fares as
minimum That belongs to the old
times, when franchises were grabbed
and the applicants made conditions to
suit themselves. Take, by way of ex-
ample, the city of Seattle, which with
in the last five years granted a general
franchise to a powerful corporation
that bought in all the previously in
dependent street railway lines. The
investment required was large and the
immediate outlay enormous. The lines
were old, and all of them had to be re-
built. The rolling stock was of an
tiquated pattern and had known no
repairs during years of insolvency
About all that the company obtained
under this franchise was a right Of
way. It's work had to be done from
the beginning. These were conditions
under which the city might be ex-
pected to offer the most liberal terms.
The terms actually exacted were the
limitation of the franchise to thirty-
five years, the grant of universal
transfers to those paying a five-cent
fare, the sale of tickets to the general
public at the rate of TWENTY-FIVE for
81. making a straight four-cent fare
and the sale of half-rate tickets to all
children attending the public schools.
1t is certainly not unreasonable to saw
that all these privileges could be
granted in st. Paul, and in addition to
that fare not lower than three cents
during those hours of the morning and
evening when the street cars are most
patronized by laboring men going to
and from their work. These are the
most modest terms that the nuhli,
should require from the street railway
company, from the moment that its
power to make terms is established.
There is no hint of injustice in these
conditions. The street railway com.
pany is giving the public a service
generally satisfactory, and the public
wants it to make a good profit in re-
turn. 1t is capitalized for several
times the actual value of the property,
1t is well equipped, and such extraor-
binary expenditures as it has in view
have already been provided for by the
sale of a large block of bonds. 1t is
mere justice to say that every man
who has q dollar invested in Tho -
curity of the street railway company
VIII get all that is coming to him if
she company should. in addition to its
present charges, sell tickets at four
Gent rate. or at most at six for