The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-06-24
DOSHOES FERRY RUN ATALOSS
~ KSPgRIeEVF ~ 1CSHIptL
OUNERSHtp = tIIf No.,
~, asI8, Hssw ISs' m TTte't~IS Veaes=THe
AHHHal t,eHri, IS6wIHa Sw' Waneaed
~ PRIV aee ituslHess Wa,sst ltr tWBs
eiUatans ~ ttayWs tsiitHsa tSpest,

sncru have herh made ~ late to tho tast
hatnn Furry, y municipal undertaking,
md hsnrrs ha w le'n printed showing what
n has cu-t Tho ~ tts yrta ~ Hu-ton ~ main-
tain tho line ~ heats that run 10 and from
Nosldla Island, morr commonly called
Iast Boston. The published figures have
hecn erroneous. IN that they rover n period
NJ forty.four ycaru prior ~ ip17, when In
fralily tho city haa hren IN the raH~engrr
rarrying business for only a trine morn than
thirty.siS years, In tho opinion ~ tho
citigrna who hav footed the bills that
time IL just thirty-hve years too long.
During the entire period since 1870. when
tho city began IN operate the boats, in only
nne year have tho receipts exceeded the
expenditures. That was In is77-7s. when
the receipts were greater than the expendi-
lures by the sum Of So3S ~. This money
looked large To the Ia xpayers, who cried
Now the ferry IL being run on a business
basis"
In the following year. however, the net
loss from maintaining the ferry was 91I,-
2O7 80 and ever since. down to the present
time, the annual deficit has been Of various
sizes. usually very large, until IL reached the
sum Of $ls2, 1871. IL for the financial year OF
1HlJ-UO. IL ~ IL ldtJ tIldt lnb ttlltil was
increased considerably during the past
year because Of the opening Of the East
Boston tunnel, by means Of which passen-
gers are conveyed across to Noodle Island
under the harbor, and thus a falling of in
the business of the boats is caused.
The city purchased the ferry from a
private company in 1870, paying s275 900
therefor, and began operating the six old
fashioned steamers that we're acquired,
on April /. At hat time the fiscal year
ended on April 80, and the expenditures
charged up to the department, including
the purchase price, for the year 1s69-7o
amounted to S2s6 ,o78.14 and the receipts
were So, 800.
Originally there were two private lines
Of boats running to East Boston, the Peoples
Ferry Company, operating hat is now
known as the North Ferry, and the East
Boston Ferry Company, what is now desig-
mated as the South Ferry. The municipality
began dabbling in the business in ~ls5s-59,
when all the rights Of the Peoples Ferry
except its boats and franchise were pur-
chased on March 4, 1859, for $125 900.
On November Il 1859, the city paid a
like sum for all the rights Of the East Boston
company except its boats n franchise,
each company agreeing to operate the
boats for ten years under the regulations
of the Board of Aldermen. h city leased
the right to use the slips, Offices, &C., which
they had purchased, to the companies for
nominal rentals.
From time to time real estate was pur-
chased; the aven,ies leading to the ferries
were improved and repairs made, 80 that
up to the time when the boats and fran
chises were bought, a period Of eleven years,
Boston had put out a total OF $424 ,4OO.l6
to buy the rights, make improvements
around the ferries and repair buildings and
slips. The receipts from various sources
during the same period were $25 ,6S8. SO.
According to the figures Of the City Audi
tor in his annual report just issued, the
total expenditures on the municipal ferry
system during the last thirty-six years
amounted to 50, 1es ,262. 95 and the total re-
ceipts reached the sum OF $e,115 ,SO2 Al,
boats Of So ,052 sec. 4s. or an average loss OF
$s4, 798 ~ q year. The taxpayers in the
city proper are just beginning to realize
that they are the ones who have had to foot
the bills for the maintenance OF the ferry
all these years.
Practically the only people benefited by
the operation Of the boats are the people
living in East Boston. That section COM
prises two wards and for years East Boston
has not paid more than 8 per cent. of the
bu1u dlbC ny a. hh
whole Of Boston and of late the contribu-
ton has been nearer pa per cent. In other
words, out of every dollar Of taxes collected
from East Boston 95 cents has been paid
over Immediately for the support and con-
~struction Of the ferries, while Of this s5
cents only about 80 cents has been returned
through the ferry rolls.
The smallest loss in any one year was
during 1sSo-S1, when 1t amounted to $7So.O2.
In the last ten years the receipts have
totalled 81 IA, 071.24, while the cost has
been So, OPS ,374.55, a deficit of 81 ,249 sos 81,
or an average annual loss Of $l24 $50 80.
For the last five years the total loss. at
which the boats have been kept running
has been 1891 1856 81, or an average OF $780,
During Mayor Collins's first term he
became stirred up over the failure OF the
Ferry Department to make both ends meet,
vestigating the matter. The accountant
drew up a report which was sent to the
City Council. This was in the spring OF
1902. The accountant said, speaking OF the
ten years between 1892 and 1901: ,
The appropriations increased from S2l5,-
600 per year in 1892 to $3.50 600 in 1901 orl613
per cent, and the ordinary running exp nses
of the ferries increased from s21l ,587.l9 IN
1892 to SPAS, 754.O8 in 1901, or IN pei, cert,
while the ordinary receipts increased from
1854, $685. in 1892 to S167.s .se in 1901, or
So per cent. That is to say, while the ex-
penses increased 17H per cent, the receipts
increased only 81 per cent, and practically
all Of this increase was from tolls from foot
passengers, the tolls from vehicle traffic
having remained at about the same hgures
Notwithstanding the great growth OF po1pu-
lation, wealth and amount OF business lone
in Boston during these ten years.
st is evident that this state OF things
would not be tolerated in a private business;
1t should not be tolerated in municipal
management. -.
THE ferries are necessarily public in
dustries and they should have been made
to stand upon their own feet with charges
for the services rendered, which should
lie put at such a figure that the revenue
derived therefrom would be sufficient TO
pay all the expenses economically adj
ministered, including interest and pro-
vision for sinking funds.
The argument which has heretofore
been invoked to allow the ferries to run
aiong as they nave done at an average
loss Of $50 900 or more a year in recent
years is this, that the ferries are public
highways for the citizens of East Boston
and that they take the place OF the streets
and bridges by which other outlying
portions Of Boston are connected with
the central city, and therefore that the ser
vice should not be expected to pay, but
on the contrary should be made entirely