Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-13
IY oE cLEVELANp,s EIeHT EOR THREEcENT FARE
story Tom Johnson and
How viii Certainly BE Victorious
the New YorkT

plished. Next year the street railway
conpanfes swung i'm behind the Demo-
cratic candidates and elected set OF
officials friendly to their interests Ire-
mendous efforts were made to get fran
chise extensions, and II was only after
several popular demonstrations OF the
peoples wrath and open charges OF all
sorts that the ordinance was defeated.
Then Tom L. Johnson came on the
scene This millionaire, who began life
driving q horse car and went to con-
gress q steel magnate, nominated hin-
self for mayor on low-fare PLATFORM,
and after one of the warmest cam
paigns ever known I'm any city was
elected johnson was no sooner elected
than, taking advantage of forgotten
statute, he had himself sworn In as
mayor. and quietly and calmly notified
the incumbent to look for other quar-
ters. His audacity blocked new street
railway legislation, and, 1t Is asserted,
saved the lake front for the city. The
street railway fight became more bitter
from that day, and Cleveland is still
waiting for the union station that was
to have been built IL the Lake Shore
Railroad company could have obtained
the valuable land that It hoped to get
free for trackage purposes.
Johnson as mayor, with a council
that was ready to back him, and with
a practical knowledge of street car
management that has enabled him to
meet the opposition at every move, at
once set about to get three-cent fare.
A franchise was prepared lat his dicta-
tion, providing for the rate of fare and
giving the city the right to buy the
lines at any time. 1t was passed by
the council but was at once attacked
in the courts on the ground that the
charter of the city of Cleveland was
Ct. l.. 1pt
sustained the contention, and every
city charter in Ohio was knocked out
by this phase of the low-fare fight. Up
to that time the cities had been classi-
fed by the legislature, and the court
held that this practice was Illegal, be-
cause it provided class legislation. Sem
ator M. A. Hanna was at that time
heavily interested in street. railway af-
fairs, and the low-fare people openly
declared that he used his political
power to bring about such decision.
A special session of the legislature was
called and a new form of city govern
ment was adopted, which deprived the
mayor of much power. Mayor Johnson,
nothing daunted, went to work just as
hard as ever. and at the next election
received a much larger majority and
carried into office with him more men
who would do his bidding.
The fight went on with unabated
vigor, until a year ago the three-cent
fare line took on a definite shape by
the organization of the Forest City
Street Railway company, to be oper-
ated under lease by the Municipal
Traction company. This company holds
a franchise revokable at any time; 1t
must stick to a straight three-cent
fare, and give. transfers all over the
city Yet with all it's limitations such
naOf11p
cess of the new company that it's stock
was oversubscribed in a short time,
nearly all of 1t being held by small in
yestors. In fact, large offers for big
blocks were refused, and the applica-
tlons of personal friends of Mayor
Johnson from various parts Of the
country were turned down.
With stock subscribed and money in
the treasury the company at once be-
gan track laying. Then came more
sensations. The Cleveland Electric
company had a single track in Fulton
Road. The new company had fran
chise there for single track, and the
old company had been ordered to move
it's track over to make room for it's
competitor. The track was not moved,
and one night Mayor Johnson ordered
a force of men tear 1t up. When the
Cleveland Electric company heard of
this move II went to court and got an
injunction, but the track was torn up
before the papers were served. Mayor
Johnson was hailed into court for con-
tempt, but a hearing cleared him, and
the new company had its track down.
ALI summer the work on the new line
has gone on when it was not tied up by
injunctions, and during that time
Cleveland Electric stock has dropped
from around so to Sc, but by a rallying
of the stockholders was again brought
to 10.
Both sides are doggedly determined
to win out, but the nervous stage has
been reached. The Cleveland Electric
company realizes that 1t has all at
stake, while Mayor Johnson only
smiles.
Why Cleveland should have a street
railway fight at all seems strange to
outsiders, because this city probably
has the finest street car service in
the United States. Large, clean cars,
plenty of them, good schedules, and