The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-11-08
ID YEAR CONTRACT ASKED IN RETURN FOR CONCESSIONS Street Railway Proposition Now Before Commission for Action FIVE CENT FARE TO
 ENSLEY IS OFFERED Reduction to $62.50 in Arc Lights Proposed While the Domestic
 Rates Are Stated
 in Detail

In conformity with a request or the city commissioners, President A. H. Ford of the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company has submitted proposal to reduce the street car fare to Ensley to cents from 10 cents; to lower the cost of arc lights to the municipal corpora ton. and to lower the cost of illuminat- ing current to the people.
 He asks in return for certain conces- sons which his company is willing to grant, a 10 year contract at the reduced rates suggested.
 According to President Ford, the propo- sition in detail is now before the city commissioners.
 It is understood that the negotiations on the subject have been going on in- formally for some time. and it now de- velops authortatively that the company wants a 10 year contract in return for the concessions. which it some time ago announced informally 1t was willing to make
 It is regarded as a certainty that any hitch in the negotiations will be brought about by the contract feature. It has been claimed that a 10 year contract is too long, in view of the early comple- ton of the Tidewater company's line to Ensley and the encouraging status of the Coosa River Development company. which hopes to have competitive water power electricity in the city at no distant date.
 Costs Company Large Sum Although it will cost the Birmingham T, ioJ,t pnNer large sum, President A. H. Ford of that company has made public two-fold con- cession. The concession, according to MT. Ford, is to reduce the street car fare from Ensley to Birmingham to D cents, whereas 10 cents has been the fare heretofore. No transfer will be is- sued or accepted in that connection. The company will, he says, make that reduc- ton on the Ensley lines which takes in Pratt City and Thomas, in addition extending the cent transfer to the Tux edo junction on the South Ensley line. No reference is made to Wylam in the proposed concessions.
 The rate to Ensey, should the com missioners see fit to look with favor upon the proposal of President Ford, is to ] become effective January l. 1912 Presi- l dent Ford says that the loss on that | line will be perhaps s5o,oo0 per annum. | IT is proposed to extend the 5-cent fare to Martin station on the Bessemer line lust beyond the state fair grounds. The company desires contract as to the new scheduled service giving 1t the same protection as is now enjoyed by the Birmingham Railway, Light and Power company.
 As to street lighting, President rord
 says that the city has entered into a contract to use arc lights at s70 per an- nun with a minimum number of $50 larnps. The company has also furnished park lamps for s2S per year. The con- tract, President Ford points out, pro- vides that the city can annul the con- tract and furnish its own lights when
 ever it cares to do so. He now pro-
 poses to reduce that charge to s625O
 per annum for arc lights provided To- year contract is entered into In lieu Of the five-year contract executed less
 than one year ago. For tungsten lamps charge of SPA per year will be made The company points out that it would
 he manifestly bad business policy to make these concessions for a short per iod, and that in asking 1o-year contract
 the step will commend itself to busi- ness men.
 Domestic Rates Suggested As for the lighting of residences or business houses President Ford says Our proposition is to install the fol- lowing schedule of rates:
 "ren cents per K. W. H. for the first 30 hours use per months of the con-