Arizona republican., 1912-08-08
The Corporation Commis- sion Directs Practically
 the Reconstruction of the
 Phoenix Street Railway System From Ground Up
ORDER TO BE SERVED
 PROBABLY TODAY
A Strict Enforcement of the Order and the Time for It Is Limited Means a New and Unrecognizable System

As a result of the hearings conduct ed some weeks ago, the corporation commission yesterday issued an order for the l egulation of the Phoenix street railway amounting practically to re- construction of the system. The order will probably be served on a represen- tative of the company today. The find- ings of the commission disclose that about everything possible is at pres- ent wrong with the system. The opin- ion by Chairman Geary recites the fact of the action begun by the state against the street railway company at the relation of Attorney General Bull lard. Much of the evidence presented at the hearing is introduced into the opinion which finds that "an intoler- able condition is existing in the con- struction, operation and maintenance of the lines" of the defendant com- pany. Generally the trolley, used by the company are found to be worn, de- fective and out of alignment with the center of the road bed and sag danger ously at places and are frequently breaking and falling into the street. Says tne opinion:
 | Writhing and twisting on the street or coiling about an electric car seems 1 to be regarded as a habit rather than an accident. Inasmuch as these wires carry $50 volts of electricity, the dang l CT to the public resulting from tha 1 breaking of the same is apparent. | Trolley wires are not properly sus-- i tained or supported by span wires or 1 brackets Where span wires are used no insulation is made between the con- nection with the trolley wire and the supporting pole.
 The iron brackets used by this com- pany ace in many instances bent. l twisted and torn from even approxi- 1 mately solid support. On many sec 1 tions of the system wooden brackets are used In one particular instance. namely, at the branch going south on | First avenue. it appears that the troll 1 ley wire was sustained and supported 1 by rope.
 | The opinion finds that there is no l relation between the schedule pub lfshed bv the company and the actual time of arrival and departure of cars
 from given points.
 The poles are old decayed and lean toward the track Those of the brack-
 ct type are dangerously close to the
 rOadbed. It is found that while there have been some ambitious extensions
 of the system little new material seems
 to have been used excepting the ties.
 and possibly, the idea" It appears
 that no new rails have been purchased
 or acquitted since the date of the in-
 stallatiOn of the system and the opin-
 ion almost naively adds: that an at-
 tempt was maile to satisfy this com
 mission in explanation thereof that
 second hand rails might be preferable in street railway construction" Fault is found with the obsolete type of switches. with the absence oe any system of signalling and with the
 absence Cf any system of jispatching cars the right of a car to the main- |. line being frequently determined by
 debate between employees, the passen-
 gers in enc case appearing to act aJ
 jury
 a An inadequate force of is employed. ore person acting as both conductor
 and motorman outside the business
 district. that functionary allowing his car to coast or glide" while he is talk ing fares.
 , The cars themselves are found to he
 ''unsound unsafe, unsanitary, uncom-
 fortable dangerous" and a menace to
 employees and passengers. "It is diffl-
 cult says the opinion ito adequately describe these cars and the conditions f surrounding the running of the same $ since the English language has its lin f itations Clothes of passengers have ] been torn by projecting uails. screws
 and slivers."
 "A veil of mystery" adds the opin- ion seems to envelope the age and
 origin of the cars used" Some are ? said to have been employed in Sar a 1 Francisco twenty-five years ago and ' there are remnants of cars of the E
 R. T These cars. in the belief of
 the commission like everything not
 immortal naturally disintegrate with years"
 After some further remarks the ord
 CT proceeds The company is required
 to repair improve and reconstruct its
 system and to adopt rules and regu- - lations provided by the commission . The material to be used must comply . with designated specifications. The
 kind of road bed to be constructed is
 scientifically and minutely described a from the bottom of the ballast to the
 surface The ''I' rail or the "Trilby' IT, rail shall be used and none shall weigh
 (Continued on Page 5.