Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1908-01-21
REDUCTION FROM TEN TO FIVE
Force Traction Company to Show the
Figures on All Lines.
BARGAIN RIDE TO BUSY OMAHA
Railroads Charge Three Times as
Much for the Trip, Says Webster.
HEARING CONTINUED TUESDAY
Merriam & HoImauist withdraw
Their Case Against several RniI-
roads for Elevation Charge
OF Three-Fourth Cent.

OF Three-Fourth NenNs
Special Examiner Frank Lyon Of wash
ington. representing the lnterstate Com
merce commission. is hearing two cases in
the federal building in Omaha, the chief
one being a plea of the West End I'm
provemcnt club OF Council Bluffs for
reduction OF the bridge toll on the street
railway lines from 10 cents to cents. The
other is that OF Coones & McGrew OF Sioux
City against the Chicago, Milwaukee & ST.
Paul and the Chicago. Rock Island \
Pacific Railway companies In the matter OF
the shipment of six cars OF broom corn
from Elk City. ok. to Sioux City, which
involves an alleged overcharge OF some eooe
freight.
In the matter Of the West End Improve
ment club OF Council Bluffs against the
Omaha & Council Bluffs Railway & Bridge
company. and the Omaha s Council Bluffs
Street Railway company, George H. Scott
OF Council Bluffs and T, w, Blackburn
of Omaha represent the compiainants and
John L. Webster, the street railway com
psny. Mr.. Scott insisted he wanted ali the
records of the defendant companies filed
with the commission. which would show
the income OF the road, value Of construc-
ton, income from bridge tariffs and the
operation OF the street railway system in
dependent OF as we'll Of the bridge.
such Evidence Not Possible.
Mr. Webster held that TO furnish such
evidence would be a practicable impossi-
bliity. and that in any event It would rese
quire several weeks TO compile such evil
dence, because It would require the
production Of the records Of three differ
ent companies now gone out Of existence.
and the officers of which could not be
found, some OF whom are dead and others
whose whereabouts are unknown.
Mr. Scott held that the corporation was
all one affair and that no transfers are
given from the Council Bluffs side to any
point in Omaha. but that a rate Of Is cents
is charged. 10 cents from Council Bluffs
and across the bridge, then another cents
to any point in Omaha. Also that the
patrons OF the road should be entitled to
scent fare from Omaha TO Council Bluffs,
because the line was operated under one
general system.
r. A. Ieuser. secretary and Assistant
general manager Of the street railway com
pany testified as to the extent OF mileage
operated by the company in Council Bluffs
from the west end of the bridge as at
twenty-six miles. The fare from the west
end Of the bridge TO Thirty-second street
in Council Bluffs is 10 cents. While the
rare from COuncn BUTTS VIA DTluBe
uhe only route) to East Omaha and Court
land Beach, Ia. was 10 cents. This was
accounted for from the fact that really two
systems, the bridge and street railway sys-
TENS were involved. No trar-iers were
given from the Council Bluffs side 70
points in Omaha. The Omaha and Council
Bluffs Street Railway and Bridge com
| pany. and the Omaha and Council Bluffs
| Street Railway company and the Council
Bluffs and Interurban Street Railway com
] pany were now under one general manage
ment bx absorption and lease. These
leases run for ninety-nine years from ths
last expiring franchise OF either Of the alb
sorbed companies. for which the company
now pays seO.5OO per annum.
Not n National Question.
Mr. Webster said: "The question OF
fares and distances is wholly under ths
control of the Street Railway company.
subject to municipal regulation and was
under police control and regulation and
was not within the province Of the In
teFstate Commerce commission"
He compared the rates OF fare over the
bridge In question with that of the
Union Pacific bridge. where the rate was
| twenty-five cents per passenger, while
that OF the street railway bridge was
but ten cents, and that passengers Oves
the street railway bridge were landed Ia
the business center OF the city for one
fare OF ten cents, while, those over the
Union Pacific bridge, only half a mile
below, were required TO pay the twenty
five cents, were landed at the dspots
and had TO pay an additional five cents
street car fare to reach the business seO-
tions of the cities.
The following statement OF The rsve-
nues and expenses OF the Omaha a
Council Bluffs Railway and Bridge
company was submitted in evidence,
Bridge tolls. 1907 .........t 2Q,esel0
Total bridge tolls since 1903 9S,OilG0
Maintenance OF bridge for
Te%n-cen{ % fares in isoiii ~ 'O'
Ten-cent n- ticket fares ., -. iSs,SlG00
Twelve and a half-cent fares 1Ss.4lo.0o
reduction TO 5 cents on the above
number Of fares would result in re-
duction OF revenue OF t1o2, 2,s2o0O.
Taxes on bridge for years g 3T,3a7.0S
Net profits OF bridge Tor five
Expenses asSlS and fixed changes ccff
property Of the Omaha &
Council Bluffs Bridge Co.
Rsce,n,s TOT tso' ~ nronkrty of '''siO'''
Omaha q Council Bluffs
| Railway and Bridge Co... 427,T6A.Bl
| State ment OF earnings and expenses
of bridge for the years 1909. 1904. 1905.
1906 and 1907;
Bridge tolls received S88, OLA
Maintenance of bridge 81, 2ss01
Salary toll takers =, 6es77s
Insurance ........... 10000
interest on bonds, , i2ooo0,oo ~.