Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-12
BIRMINGHAM srl,,ssr RAILWAYS

/
We rather admire the thrift of the
city of Birmingham, England, in Its
new way OF dealing with, It's ,street-
railway problemt.
In the first pace, the city now owns
and operates an electric car system of
So miles. and owns all the streetcar
trucks within Its boundaries. Some of
these lines are still leased to private
companies, whose leases will shortly
terminate.
The pay OF employees will be of inter-
est. A conductor starts at 1lA cents
per hour and works up to about ii
cents. Uniforms arc supplied and. the
employees are pcnsoned. Motormen are
taught elementary electricity and other
requisite matters of the system in use.
| A bonus of one pound-sas five dollars
| Is granted quarterly to successful men
| FREQ from accidents due to negligence.
| Ninety-tlve per cent of the men received
this bonus last quarter. Considering
! tho general level OF prices In England,
these earnings are regarded as quite
| fair
AS to the working of the system Con-
sui Halstcad reports that from January
l. 1907, to March 81, 1910, the street
cars earned II sufficient sum to contrib
ute SAT-, $50 to the city treasurer for the
relief of taxation. Before this sum was
| available all working expenses. interest,
sinlsing-fund charges. and a liberal al
lowance for depreciation were deducted.
III
on tramways amounted to s5,0IO.S93,
and for the year ended March 81 they
contributed $iG0.J94 for the relief of
taxation. or about 81 per cent on the
capital Investment, This would appear
to be very satisfactory earning. when II
is considered that 1t includes proper
provision for rcpayins money borrowed
to construct the system, as well as al
lowancc for depreciation and for inter-
est, and the payment of all working cX-
penses. and particularly as the fares
on the lines operated by the city are
much lower than those In the United
States.
Another most satisfactory feature is
!. the issuance of workingmuns return
tickets. These are issued before s
o'clock In the morning, and are avail
able for returning during amy hour OF
the day. at Il much lower ratio than the
ordinary fares, The fares have been
arranged on II maximum distance OF 2
miles for cents. on lines going into
the territory of other local authorities
It has been found impossible to carry
passengers at this rate, while on other
lines it has been possible to carry pas
cngers as far as ~ miles for the
same money For fare OF 5 cents pas
snngers are carried beyond the city linn
It's. in ono case for about Az miles,
! which Is not "a cheap fare" owing tn
tho necessity OF dividing tho rates With
other local authorities On certain lines
n workman may travel ~ miles for =
ccuts. Under this arrangement n work
man saves from l cent to 4 cents on
streot-car fares per day, depending
upon the distance he travels.
Only few years ago, trnmways witt,
horses wore the rule In Birmingham
Today the city cars are equipped with
two 35-horsopowcr motors and with
, Westinghouse magnetic brakes, tho
electricity being purchased from the
city electric works Mt n cost last year
OF s20i,S,0, All the cars are double
decked and 40 have top covers. There
, are Ave car depots and an emergency
station.
, The gross earnings for the year ended
March 81, we're si,iss,44o. and the work