The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-03-26
Cost to 60 to VineWOOd Park
Won't BE Reduced.
May Charge Admission Instead
of Extra Fare.
1T WOULD NOT PAY
Claim That Cost of TrnnspOrta-
tfon Is Over Five Cents.
Lost Money on Bargain Days
Last Year.

| That there will be no five cent fare
| to Vinewood park this season is a fore
gone conclusion though the official
statement has not been given out by
the street railway company. E. w.
| Wilson, president of the road. arrived
| in the city Sunday to look over the
property and especially Vinewood
park which belongs to the Wilson es-
| tate of which he is one of the heirs.
| Il would like to give you some in
/ formation in reference to the five cent
fare proposition to Vinewood park this
summer" said Mr.. Wilson. but 1 can
| not. The thing has been a nightmare
to me and it is yet for that matter,
and Will be until it is settled at the
meeting of the board which will be
held the 5th of next month.
1.-The reports of our operating de-
partment show that it costs us more
than five cents to haul passenger to
the park and it does not look as
though it would be consistent with
good principles for US to reduce the
fare. does it?'' said Mr.. Wilson. Il
wish that it was so that we could
make five cent fare and it may be
that some different arrangement may
be made at our next meeting but that
is up to the directors and 1 have but
little to say"
What about making five cent fare
and charging an admission at the gate,
as has been suggested from time to
timer" was asked
II can not discuss that matter at
this time either, for am not informed
as to what action the other members
of the board will take in the matter.
us there a chance that the board
will make a rate of five cents from the
transfer station and not honor trans
ferS % was asked.
IT am sure I can not say a thing
about that which would enlighten you
in any way about that" returned MI
Wilson.
well, isn't it a fact that the COM
pany does not contemplate change
of any kind in reference to the rate of
fare to Vinewood park 2 We'll, con-
tinued Mr.. Wilson, "our meeting will
be held early in next month and then
all of these things will be discussed
but up to the present time they have
not. Mr.. Patton assures me that we
lost money on every five cent fare
which we hauled to the park on bar
gain days last year and that being the
case the more people we would haul
the greater our loss would be but even
at that / will not offer to make guess
as to what the action of the executive
board will be at their meeting next
week.
But" continued Mr.. Wilson. there
is no possibility of a straight five cent
some changes will probably be made
and some free attractions added to
the park AS the matter now stands
with the investment which we have at
the park we are not making even
low rate of interest on the investment"
while we hauled nearly double
the number of passengers on our bar
gain days last year that We did on
week days we lost money on every one
of them" said Albert Patton, the SUI
perintendent, land we kept close tab
on the receipts with view of urging a
five cent fare if 1t could be made to
pay but there is no way out of 1t that
l can see. 1t costs us more than five
cents to carry a passenger out to the
park and I can not see how the execu-
tive board can be persuaded to make
the reduction in the fare.
1.-THE park will be opened on the
5th of May and it is probabl that
something extra in the way of an en-
tertainment will be provided though
nothing definite has been settled. Mr..
C. c. Mathews. who managed the at
fractions at the park for the Philadel-
phia Amusement Syndicate is in the
south and it is more than likely that
there will be new man in charge of
them for that company this season"