Pleasantville weekly press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1890-1911, 1910-07-30
CITIZENS C0T0 TRENTON AUG. 9: !
CHANDLER HASSTIRRED UP POT
Board Of Utility Commissioners Show Friendly
Spirit Toward Citizens Appeal

The distance covered, in this section,
hat is, between Atlantic City and
Pleasantville, is 6.647 miles.
The rates of fare charged are as fol
ows:
Straight fare, Zoe or l.5Oc per mile.
tickets for soc, s l-3c or l.25c per
mile.
90 trip monthly, 6 lie or 09Sc per
mile.
The same fare zone extends to Smiths
-andlng, further distance of 23 of a
nile, which would reduce the rate per
nile correspondingly. You will also
axe into consideration, i'll viewing the
natter, that while these fares are as
ow as those prevailing any where
throughout the State, our average haul
> the whole distance, since the line is
over meadow land with no intervening
population.
Verytruly yours,
tSigned) w. A. STERN,
President.
What Do You Know?
Between this time and the date of the
hearing 1T is the duty of persons inter
ested in this fight to get evidence that
viii show the Commissioners that the
increased fares here are i'll excess OF
those charged by railroads in other
parts of this state, make note of their
knowledge and present it to Mr. Chand-
Ter, who will lay the data before the
Board
The League was informed by the law
yer that there is no state law to regu-
late trolley fares, but that it is Gus
/ tomary for the companies to charge |
cent mile on street railroads, and OF
course this does apply to roads that
carry passengers over uninterrupted
stretches of country. Several instances
were cited at the meeting of rates else
where, one of them is the run from
Camden to Woodbury., distance of
miles for ten cent fare.
1t Will be seen in the Stern & Sill
verman letter that the intent is to lead
the Commissioners to believe the Shore
Fast Line is operated exclusively be-
tween Pleasantville and Atlantic City,
and this and other important points
were discussed, but until after the hear
| ing they must not be made public, as
MIR. Chandler, while anxious to be well
armed for the fray, prefers keeping GER
tain points in the background.
Lawyer Chandler is convinced that the
Suburban road was bought by its form
| er competitors, but the question of fix
ing the actual ownership must be done,
and this is the duty Of the Commission
ers, and an important one, too Another
point OF no less Importance is to learn
| the average cost per mile for repairs to
| trolley roads. Mr. McAnney suggested
| that as far as the Suburban is con
| cerned this an easy task for the rea-
l son that its owners are not industriously
engaged, nor have they been for some
time, in making repairs
| Mr.. Mendel believes that the Leagues
agitation has been responsible for the
Suburban's appropriation of $4,000 for
Shore Road improvement, but in this he
is mistaken, as the plan was worked out
by Judge Higbee for the Board of Free
holders.
| The League members regret that the
Reading road does not bid for passenger
traffic between Pleasantyille and Allan
tic City. 1t is true that company under
sells the other lines, but the train ser
vice is altogether Inadequate ana incon
venient. Round trip tickets are sold
owe rthe road for Is cents, or three cents
lower than the electric lines charge.
This state regulates the fare on steam
railroads, but the laws do not apply to
| trolley roads. This statement by the law
yer brought from Mr. George Felter the
inquiry: Is there state law that for
bids municipalities from owning and
operating their own trolley lines?" Mr..
Chandler: "Pleasantville cannot go into
the railroad business; the law does not
allow municipalities to operate roads
beyond their limits. In other words this
town could build a road one mile i'll
length to connect the town with rail
road station, but that is all. Towns
can own and operate other utilities, but
not railroads" Mr.. Felter expressed
his disapproval of the conditions and
the attorney said there is one way to
improve them and that is to elect men
to the legislature who will vote for
change.
A meeting of the League will be held
in Adams hall next Thursday night at
$ o'clock, and it is hoped that bstal
lion of volunteers for the trip to Tren-
ton may be on hand to get pointers for
the hearing.