The Detroit times., 1908-02-27
Editorials BY tie People.
II Looks in oagetown--Make n
Ten for a Quarter.

CT TOT GudTtcrs
To the Editor or The Times:--I en-
close clipping OF an article which ap-
peared In yesterdays edition OF your
paper, the last sentence OF which.
speaks volumes and In itself should
be sufficient reason for street railway
companies. conductors, and even pat
rons not to be in favor of three-cent
fares.
The people OF Detroit and the ID. U.
r. have been at war for over 10 years
over what rate of fare the latter
should grant. and were 1t not for The
fact that the franchises are near their
expiration the matter would be no
nearer solution than when It first ne-
gan. It Is clear that flve-cents Is too
much to pay. ordinarily. and that the
d. u. r. could make large dividends
on a much lower fare, but cight-for-a-
quarter does not always give satisfac-
ton, because every passenger does not
want or need eight tickets at one
time and many people do not possess
The quarter even II they do need the
tickets, and a straight three-cent fare
would be such an intolerable nuisance
to conductors and others that. they
cannot be blamed for being opposed
TO granting II.
Why not compromise the question
In this way? Request the d. u. r, To
sell two tickets for nickel, and when
q passenger pays his fare--say with
a nickel--instead OF receiving two
pennies In change as would be the
case with three-cent fares, allow the
conductor to give him another ticket
If this passenger only makes the
one trip. then the d. u. r. Is ahead OF
the game, and the passenger has no
kick coming because il Is certainly
worth five cents to take one
ride for several miles in fret
class street car, but IL he wishes to
return he can use his extra ticket and
has made the round trip for a nickel
and has twenty cents more in his
pocket than he would have II the
eight for quarter tickets were In
vogue.
II would not be necessary to give
any better rates to working men than
at any other time of the day, and this
would be no injustice to workingmen.
either, because they certainly could
not expect to go to their work and get
back home for less than nickel
and IL is clear that there are as many
poor people riding during the day as
there are poor workmen before z a. m.
and after D. m. With a uniform fare
all day there would not be so much
congestion OF traffic as would occur
with cheap ticket for workingmen
during certain hours.
II is natural that cars should be
crowded more from to a. IN. and 5
to D. m. than at any other period
on account OF SO many people going
to and coming from work; and when
there are special low rates on between
certain hours many people other than
workingmen take advantage OF the
cheap rates and ride at these times
who could just as well ride at some
other hour IL rates of fare we're the
same. thereby crowding the cars UNI
necessarily. II taxes the capacity OF
the ID. u. r. to provide cars to proper
iy accommodate traffic during the
hours that working mems tickets arc
In effect and II Is only natural that
they will not make any special effort
to secure business at the low rate OF
fare that they will In all probability
get at the regular rate. A low and
uniform rate of fare at all times would
be just to all patrons of the ID. u. r.,
would undoubtedly induce them to
provide adequate accommodation for
traffic at all times and work to the
advantage OF both the ID. u. r. and
Its patrons.
do not profess TO be a street rail.
way expert (for we have no street
cars in our town., but careful study
of the street car prohlem-as / read II
in the newspapers-has convinced me
that IL the city council OF Detroit
should grant franchise TO street
railway company on the two-for-a-nick-
ell plan--with transfers, OF course
that not one person in the city need
ever again have cause for grievance;
and II street railway company should
reserve a franchise for long period
Of time, and be guaranteed immunity
from litigation, legislation and "perse-
cution," they would be willing to &C
ccpt franchise on the two-for-a-
nickel basis and could undoubtedly
make a fair profit, too. when you take
into consideration the Increased
amount OF traffic they would have dur
ing hours when their cars are running
only partly filled-or almost empty
because more people would ride thar
do now, and the same people would
ride oftener on round trip for a nick
ell than on straight fiye-cent or even
eight for-a-quarter fare.
/ hope you will pardon me for pre-
Stunning to tell you how to settle your
troublesome street railway question.
but IL the idea does not appeal to you,
you are under no obligations to adopt
II. IL II does, then the pleasure Is
nine. Yours truly J. p. RYAN.
Gagetown, Mich, Feb. %, 1908.
p. S.--There are other suggestions
that might be made. but they are OF
minor importance and can be consid
cred later, but the main point Is fc.
a passenger to be able to get on a
car, ride to his destination and re-
ceive ticket to come back--all for
nickel. J. +. Il.