The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-04-26

the electric railway companies Wnlcn citizens generally do not realize, but cerned in the manufacturing branch of the business are naturally thoroughly familiar Take, for instance. the pay as-you- enter car. Installing cars of that type meant the discarding of cars of different design which had been pro- cured at great expense and which were thought at the time of their purchase to represent the highest degree of comfort and utility. Now still more improved type of car has been de- vised. which, in turn, is likely to dis place the pay-as-you- enter car Prob ably no other industry has ever been compelled to scrap so much valuable period of time. This ought to be con sidered in passing upon questions or capitalization and earnings
 Tn many instances electric railways have been preceded by horse railroads and identification has meant reducing the original capital practically to zero, 10 far as efficiency goes. Remember, too, that capital is required to extend the lines of these companies in order that they may keep pace with the ex- l-ransion of their respective cities. This.. <sSe everything else which goes into lthe construction and operation of cleo Uric railways, costs more than 1t Tor merly did Yet fares instead of in- lcreasing proportionately do not in- crease at all. Insist upon your public utility companies giving you the very highest degree of efficiency in the service rendered you, rememberihS, however. that this can be given you only when rates are such as to per mt, in addition to the bare cost .f production, a sufficient reserve for de- lpreciation or obsolescence, and fair return on the money already invested | in these enterprises and the money which must be expended to further de- ' elop them. want you to realize that you are getting in electric railway transportation. something which is the very bone and sinew of the prosperity and expansion of every municipality Tor q mere song and appreciate 1t by your Thoughts and your actions, which are reflected in the actions of public com mittees and public bodies
 Charles c. Pierce in his banquet speech said:
 "The chief difficulty in the operation of electric railways at the present time is due to the fact that, by reason of the | fxity of the cent fare and the constant lengthening of the average ride, the busl- ness has been gradually getting upon a basis which is economically unsound. This is due largely I think to the op- timism of electric railway managers and directors. They have been sanguine that | lines could be extended a little here and | a little there in response to public de mand, and that, somehow or other, pas l sengers could be carried over these con | stantly increasing distances without | changing the unit of fare There is a limit, however, to the elasticity of the nickel, and we feel that the time has come when we should go squarely before our customers inform them of the exact facts, and obtain their cooperation in solving this vexing problem, either by an increase of fares, or by the adoption of the zone system. described by Presi- | dent McCarter this evening.
 l q heartily agree with President Me-
 Carter on the subject of public service commissions, and I believe that such commissions. properly constituted, are a protection, and not a menace, to public utility properties.
 Notwithstanding the wave of hyper criticism which seems to be sweeping over the land, there is no disgrace in be-
 ing a street railway man, and am proud that I have devoted my life to this work. Nothing has entered more into the gen eral culture of the American people than the American street railway. Nothing | has contributed more to the expansion and upbuilding of cities and towns throughout the land
 q have been wonderfully impressed. as my associates have been, and as, in fact, every visitor to your city must be. with the tremendous industrial growth of Bir- mingham. l am sure you realize the part public service corporations have played l in this development and the part they l must play in the development that is to ! come. Let us strive to understand our
 mutual needs and get together in the effort to solve them. Every citizen is concerned in the prosperity of these en- terprises, for unless they are maintained
 in healthy condition he cannot receive the service he has right to expect.
 .'rhe trip we taking is in no sense a pleasure jaunt. We are all of us busy men at home, and it is no light thing for any of us to absent himself from the conduct of his personal affairs for period of six weeks. Only a conviction of the importance of our mission could have ili- duced us 10 embark upon this undertak- l ing, and it is extremely gratifying to Us to find that in all the cities we visit there exists a disposition on the part of the | citizens generally to cooperate with us to the fullest extent. Nowhere has this been more apparent than in Birmingham, and from no city shall we carry away pleasanter memories"
 Shown Over District
 The street railway men reached Bir- mingham yesterday morning and mained until this morning about 2 o'clock.
 The party was taken in charge yes- lerday by local street railway officials and shown over the city and the barns, plants and physical properties as whole of the Birmingham Railway. Light and Power company were shown | the visitors. The officials of the Br- lmingham Railway. Light and Power company, who acted as hosts to the party, included President Ford, Matt Sloan, assistant to the presidents George H. Harris, C. A. Avant. Leo IC Bradley, Secretary Ross and others. At lunch the officials were entertained + ny President Ford at which only the | visitors and the local street railway officials were present.
 1 The visitors were amazed over the apparent growth of Birmingham as lpictured to them by the local officials. l Strange to say, not one of the party
 was ever in Birmingham before
 1 President McCarter said he was profoundly impressed with the ma gni- ltude of Birmingham and the resources everywhere displayed. He referred with lroculiar interest to the deposits of al | lron making substances within ehsy reach of each other here and said that q district which possessed such an in finite amount of raw materials could
 not be anything but a great place even tually,
 Compliments South Highlands | He said that Highland avenue was IImongs the most beautiful streets in the