Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-09-24
THE TRACTION FAKE,
Cleveland Disguised With Mayor
Iohnson's Methods.


Convenience and Safety Are Ignored
70 Keep Three Cent Fare System
From Bankruptey--LOss Of Time and
Comfort Far Outweigh the Saving In
Pennies.
Semi-municipal ownership of street
cars does not seem 20 be giving the
satisfaction that was anticipated The
Municipal Traction company is really
the city of Cleveland disguised to
evade state law, and, according to the
Cleveland papers, it is defying state
laws and city ordinances in a way that
would bring Mayor Johnson into action
in ten minutes If the lawbreaker were
an ordinary corporation.
Perhaps the worst example of this Is
the blocking shut the derailers at grade
crossings and drawbridges, which are
designed automatically to prevent a
car running through an open draw or
being run down by a train. The most
frightful trolley accidents have been
due to the absence of such derailers as
have now been put out of service IN
Cleveland.
The law has also been defed by the
breaking of the fare and service con-
tracts with suburban towns which
were inherited from the Cleveland
Electric Railway company cursed
while alive, but now of blessed mem
Dry
The following editorials from two Of
the principal Cleveland dailies show
the trend of local sentiment. Under the
caption Making 1t Pay" the News
says:
"The ancient maxim The king can do
no wrong has been translated into the
modern phrase The municipal traction
company may do what it pleases.
"What are laws and ordinances for
the convenience of citizens or for the
preservation Of their lives if such legal
restraint interferes with the successful
demonstration of three cent fare?
safety devices upon drawbridges
have been brushed aside, The other
day a man with both legs cut off lay
for fifteen minutes under a car which
carried no jack Such a device seems
to have been scarce upon all the cars
blockaded by the accident.
Upon East Fifty-fifth street have
appeared the old dinky cars equipped
with hand brakes. Even the traction
company has scarcely cheek enough to
post its famous This Is Your Proper
ty' notice in these Anticipated cars.
"The Superior avenue line has been
reduced fifteen and the Lorain avenue
service ten runs.
$50 it goes all over the city. Three
cent fare, to be sure, unless one needs
to transfer. But what service! 1t may
be made to pay the traction company
but will it pay the city,"
Somewhat more judicially the Leader
deals with these and other shortcom
ings under the caption Dear Bought
Economies"
Some Of the SO called economies
which the so called Municipal Traction
company is practicing are costly to the
public. The saving to the corporation
is more than Offset by the loss to its
patrons.
"In some instances the partial or
complete withdrawal of street cars
from lines which do not yield sufi-
cient revenue to satisfy Mayor John
son and his associates in the traction
has damaged property more
than enough to balance the saving to
the company which promised Cleve-
land better service in every respect as
well as lower fare. On many lines the
increased intervals between cars are
causing such long waiting by thou
sands of passengers that if their time
is counted as worth only modest sum
by the hour or the day the loss which
they undergo is much more than
enough to offset the profits of poor
service to the corporation which is re-
sponsible for it.
Another traction company saving
costly to the people of Cleveland is the
change in the rate of fare to the sub
urbs. 1t means less health and pleasure
for the poor, less comfortable summers,
less satisfaction in life. That sort Of
economy for the railroad company is
far from profitable to the public. The
effect Of cutting off open cars in warm
weather will be similar to the changes
which are so adverse to the develop
ment of the suburbs and the spreading
out of the city into the inviting and
country around Cleveland.
1t viii be a form of saving which can
not fail TO be burdensOme to the com
munitV"