The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-05-23


among the municipal problems
now commanding attention in
Great Britain. Liverpool was one Of
the pioneers in tramway construction,
though 1t was only recently that the
municipality came into full possession
of tramway properties. Its experience
with the boosted English conservatism
IS fairly typical After George Fran
els Train and other Americans had
demonstrated at Birkenhead, a suburb
of Liverpool, the practicability of
tramways the city authorized COM
pany to use its streets for that pur-
pose. This was In 1862 -Four years
later the service was so insufficient
that the city served notice on the COM
pany to remove its tracks. Suisse
Quently a compromise was made by
which the city reconstructed the lines
at the cost of the company. In 1879
the company entered into an agree
ment with the city under which the lat
ter purchased the existing lines for
$4,000 and completed various other
lines, leasing the whole system to the
company at rental of IN per cent on
the purchase money from the date of
construction, the lines to be maintain
ed at the cost of the city. In 1895 the
city made lease to the company ex-
tending until 1915, but reserved the
right to purchase under certain condi-
lions.
Two years later the patience of Liv-
erpool was exhausted. The company
utterly failed to properly manage its
affairs. It's rates were extortionate
and It's service worse. 1t absolutely re-
fused to introduce mechanical or cleo
trical power, and after due deliberation
the city decided to acquire and operate
the undertaking. Parliament granted
the power, and in 1897 the entire
system passed into the hands of the
municipal authorities, the purchase
price being about $2,800,000.
The city went about the tramway
enterprise in a thorough business way.
1t proceeded to engage the services of
G. r. Bellamy, one of the foremost Of
English civil and mechanical engineers,
a man fully conversant with the sci
ence and practice Of transportation on
both sides of the Atlantic. In two
years time the hundred miles of horse
car tracks had been transformed to
electrical traction, and in addition
there had been laid forty miles Of new
track.
The citizens were delighted with the
change. In the place Of filthy, Ill light
ed and slow moving horse cars, rum
ming at long intervals, there was in
stalled a system which In all respects
compares favorably with the best mod
ern practice in the United States or on
the continent More than that, the city
made sweeping reduction In the
rates Of fare.
It reduced the hours Of its conductors
and motormen from eighty to sixty a
week and actually paid them more for
the shorter hour day than they had for
merly been receiving. The private
company sold the mems uniforms and
received tidy profit from the transac-
tion. The city gave uniforms to It's
men and only insisted that they keep
them clean and in good repair, SO as to
reflect credit on their employer.
The first year of electrical traction
and Of trial of all Of those radical re-
forms was 1901, and when all expenses
had been paid there remained a profit
of more than 100000. The best the
private company had been able to show
with It's high fares, low wages and mig
gardly policy was $1S4,000. After pay
ing into the sinking fund, meeting in
terest charges and setting aside $175,-
600 for renewals and depreciation there
remained large sum.
The profits for the second year were
1866, 900, an increase over the preced-
ing year of $165,O00. The tramways
department contributed $125,0Oo of this
to the general tax fund.
In addition to its voluntary contribu-
ton to the general fund the municipal
tramway pays its taxes just as If it
were private corporation. This prac-
tice is common with the municipal
enterprises Of all cities In Great Brit
ain. Municipal tenements and cottages,
municipal gas plants and electrical
Nghting and power stations, tramways,
markets and all other revenue seeking
institutions pay not only city but also
income taxes Last year Liverpool's
tramways paid In taxes a sum exceed
ing $65, 1000 The city owns the cleo
trical power plant, but the tramways
department was charged with every
unit of power 1t used. It therefore
stands squarely on It's own bottom.
Almost simultaneously with rs pur-
chase Of the tramways Liverpool set
about to acquire the electric lighting
and power industry. The private COM
pany was fairly prosperous one, but
parliament gave Liverpool the right to
purchase its plant After protracted
negotiations a price Of 100000 was
agreed on. OF this sum 100000 was
a bonus, while the balance represented
the actual value Of the plant turned
over by the company.
Liverpool has invested $7,500,000 In
her electrical plant. The profits for the
year ended on Jan. l, 1908, were in
round figures 100000. After meeting
all charges and setting aside a liberal
amount for renewals and depreciation
the electrical department made a con
fIdbution OF 100000 to the tax fund. II
also paid $4,000 as its share Of the
taxes. The amount written of for bad
debts was less than $500.
At the present time it is likely that
Idverpool's Investment in its combined
tramway and electrical plant viii
reach $20,000,O00. Liverpool is an ex-