The Aberdeen Democrat. (Aberdeen, South Dakota) 1???-1909, 1905-06-02

~ EYOND all question Transport
tation occupies first place
among the municipal problems
now commanding attention in
Great Britain. Liverpool was one Of
the pioneers in tramway construction,
though it was only recently that the
municipality came into full possession
Of tramwny 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 a COM
pany to use its streets for that pur-
pose. This wal IN -Ts03. -Four years
later the service was so insufficient
that the city served notice on the COM
pany to remOve its tracks. Suisse
quently n compromise was made by
which the city reconstructed the ines
at the cost Of he 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 ut u rental Of ~ 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 Il lease to the company ex-
tending until 1915, but reserved the
right to purchase under certain condi-
tons.
Two years later the patience Of Liv-
erpool was exhausted. The company
utterly failed to properly manage its
affairs. Its rates were extOrtlonate
and It's service worse. 1t absolutely re-
! fused to introduce mechanical or cleo
. trical power, II after due deliberation
the city decided to acquire and operate
the undertaking. Parliament granted
J the power, and in 1897 the entire
system passed into the hands Of the
! municipal authorities, the purchase
: price being about $2,SOO.0OO.
. The city went about the tramway
= enterprise In a thorough business way.
Z It proceeded to engage the services OF
: @. r. Bellamy, one Of the foremost of
: English civil and mechanical engineers,
: q 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, run
ming Mt long intervals. there was IN
~ stalled a system which In all respect!
"a compares favorably with the best mod
:. ern practice in the United States or OF
no the continent. More than that, the cit!
made q sweeping reduction In tn
no rates Of fare.
of It reduced the hours Of its conductor
IN and motormen from eighty to sixty
to week and actually paid them more TO
oy the shorter hou day b they had fol
a merly been receiving. h privat
n. company sold the mems uniforms an
Ia received a tidy profit from the transa'
to- ton. The city gave uniforms to II
oh men and only insisted that they kee
lot them clean and In good repair, so as
oh reflect credit on their employer.
"a The first ear Of electrical tractlo
and OF q trial Of all of those radical r
forms was 1901, and when all expense
act had been paid there remained a pro-
sh- Of more than 100000. The best u
private company had been able to sho
ne with Its high fares. low wages and nl
IN gardly policy was $184,0 OO. After pa
ate ing into the sinking fund, meeting
terest charges and setting aside Sl7'
600 for renewals and depreciation the
remained q large sum.
The profits for the second year we
lity Ss65.OOO. an increase over the prece
ing year Of $185.OOO. The ramw
Resentment contributed $i2o,ooo o. .
life to the general tax fund.
,as III addition to its voluntary contrit
tho ion to the general fund the munich
tramway pays It's taxes just as II
were q private corporation. h pr
.,,h tice Ia common with the munlcil
har enterprises Of all cities IN Treat d
har min. Municipal tenements ana cottas
municipal gas plants and eiectfi
Nchting and power stations. tram"a
markets and ali other revenue sees
Institutions pay not only city put q
fnr income taxes. Last year Llverpo'
tramways paid in taxes n sun exec
atel ing $4,000. The city owns the e
n to tricai power plant. but the tramW'
! by department was charged WIN =,
'eed- unit OF power It used. J! .nel
and stands squarely on Its W Dottoln.
Almost simultaneously with lis !
CON chase OF the tramways LiyerpooI
ying about to acquire tue elee ul,ra,s =
rage and power industry. The private :
RASH Dany was Q fairly prosperous
ID In