The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-14
EASTERN CAPITAL TO Be
INTERESTED IN SCHEME

truth, the building of the street car
line in this city, even when the daily
fare is considered, would be an adj
vantage to the man in ordinary cir
cumstances, because he would be abb.
to purchase property in the cheaper
parts of the city, and convert his rent
into a home instead of paying the ex-
cessive rates which the congested con-
ditions of the city makes imperative
at the present time, because he cannot
live in the outskirts and pay hack fare
at the rate of fifty cents per trip, or
be obliged to wear himself out in a
daily walk to and from his work.
The Cost.
The building Of street railways is a
matter of considerable financial con-
Germ. The expert who makes an in
vestigation Of the conditions in this
city, and who figured out the cost,
even to the number of spikes requir-
ed to construct the same, placed the
total cost of building and equipping
the line which is outlined in the map.
and which is approximately fifteen
miles in length, at $25O,OOO. The cost
of operating the same after it is once
ready, would not be as large as in
many other cities, because of the adj
vantages of long lines and few abrupt
angles. The same expert estimated
the income, based on a five-cent-one-
way fare, and determined by the popu-
lation brought into accessible dis
lance to the line, would give an an
nual dividend the first year of four
per cent.
The Drawbacks.
1t would seem that with the chance
of earning dividend of the size in
dicated in the first year, and the pos
sibility of increasing this as the line
became more a necessity, and the
population of the city increased. there
would be little trouble in inducing
capital to undertake the work. But
there are other objects than incomes.
They may be what those who are
preaching against the use of capital
in public utilities consider as the
usurpations of the public's rights.
But it is certain that the public will
not suffer any serious loss from the
establishment of a public utility in
this city which will add to the value
of every piece of property in the city.
that will serve the citizens as pub
lie utility at cost far below what,
the securing of the advantages de-
| rived from it would cost from any
other source. The convenience of a
street railway would be an advantage
! to every resident of the city, and the
only reasonable limitation which
should be placed upon it would be the
fixing of a reasonable limitation in
the fares which could be changed.
! But the capitalists are not willing to
invest the immense amount Of money
required to build and equip the line
without having some limitations as to
the restrictions of other concerns in
the same line. This is nothing more
than fair. This city will never be suf-
ficiently large to justify two street
car lines, and any attempt to con-
struct the same would merely be an
attempt to freeze out a competitor.
With provision in the franchise fix
ing the maximum fare and the time
which might elapse between the run
ming of the cars in the residence Sec
tons, there should be no fourther re-
strictions thrown around any concern
which is willing to construct the line,
and under these conditions it is not
impossible that a line would be in
operation in this city in a reasonably
short time