The Marshall republican., 1908-09-11
THE TRACTION FAKE.
Cleveland Disguised With Mayor
Johnson's Methods.

Convenience and Safety Are Ionored
to Keep Three Cent Fare System
From Bankruptey-Loss Of Time and
Comfort Far Outweigh the savina In
Pennies.
Semi.municipal ownership Of street
cars does not seem 20 he 81, ing the
satisfaction that was anticipated. The
Municipal Traction company is really
the city OF Cleveland disguised to
evade n state law. and. according to he
Cleveland papers, It is defying state
hws and city ordinances IN Il way that
would bring Mayor Johnson into action
IN ten minutes II the lawbreaker were
an ordinary corporation.
perhaps the worst example Of this Is
the blocking shut the derailers ut 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
frlgbtful trolley accidents have been
due to the absence Of such derallers 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 dai!ies show
the trend Of local sentiment. Under the
caption Making 1t Pay" the News
says:
1.-The ancient maxim The king can do
no wrong has been translated into the
modern phrase The municipal traction
company may do what 1t 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 4,
day a man with both legs cut OFF lay
Tor fifteen minutes under q car which
carried no jack. Such a device seems
W hhN pCVh DIdlNe uDoH M tIle uTA
blockaded by the accident. I
Upon East Fifty-ffth 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
ten runs.
80 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
but will 1t pay the city," J,
Somewhat more judicially the Leader
leals with these and other shortcom-
Ings under the caption "Dear Bought
Some Of the so called economies
which the so called Municipal Traction !
is practicing are costly to the
The saving to the corporation
3 more than Offset by the loss to Its
(,
I'm some instances the partial or f.,
withdrawal of street cars
rom lines which do not yield sufi.
revenue to satisfy Mayor John
ION and his associates In the traction 8
business has damaged property more !
nan enough to balance the saving to I
he company which promised Cleve. /
ana better service In every respect az I
veil as lower fare. On many lines the n
increased intervals between cars are :
'nuslng such long waiting by thou =
Gnds OF passengers that II their time
counted rs worth only q modest sum -
~ the hour or the day the loss which y
hey undergo Is much more than =
liough to Offset the profits Of poor 4,
erVice to the corporation which Is re- g
ponsible for 1t. =
another traction company saving n
ostiy to the people Of Cleveland Is the "
mango In the rate Of fare to the sub r.
RIBS. 1t means leas health and pleasure n
Or the poor, less comfortable summers, '
ess satisfaction In life. That sort of #
economy for the railroad comnany Is ;,
ar from profitable to the public. The y
rect Of cutting off open ears In warm n
Will be similar to the changes ;,
which are 80 adverse to the develop. a.
lent OF the suburbs and the spreading
ut or the city into the inviting and >,
country around Cleveland. 4
I Will be u form of saving which can =
OF fall to be burdensome to the COM =,
lunity." -