Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1912-06-20
CLEVELAND EXPERIMENTS
WITH JOHNSON POLICIES

~ SN\V'' PVlIil III tIt pan pro-
vided that the interest OF the bonds
and a Is per cent dividend on the stock
should be paid out of the net receipts
OF the company. Eleven and one-half
cents per ear mile was allowed for OPP
GRAFTON and 3 cents for maintenance.
operation includes electric current and
the wa2es OF workmen. The word
maintenance refers to tracks. cars. and
SO on.
"A theoretical surplus fund of $780,
600 was created. 1t was to become,
indeed. a standard by which the fare
Tor carrying passengers was to be reg
ulated. When the fund-kept alive, you
understand, by the excess OF receipts
over interest, dividends, operations, and
malntenarce-fcll below $3.50, 900, the
fare was automatically to be increased.
lhe fare was fixed at 3 cents. Trans
fers We're to cost Il cent additional
When the fund rose to $750.000 the fare
Was automatically to be decreased.
The fund. after the plan WAS put to
u practical demonstration. did increase,
and hence there was IL fare reduction.
transfers. consequently. We're given
without charge to all passengers who
asked for them. The fare today is )
cents. Transfers are free to- everybody.
City Really Runs the Road.
The mayor, under the Tayier plan.
appoints a street railroad commissioner.
tile salary of whom cannot exceed $l2,-
900 a year. We are now getting tha
services of a capable man for 1880.
His salary is paid by the railroad COM
pany. though he is appointed by the
mayor. as | have said, and can be de-
prived of his office at the mayor's
pleasure. He is the active representa-
tive of the city In all matters pertain
ing to the operation OF the street rail-
roads. The city council, however, in
structs him as to the work it wants
done.
"A spike cannot be driven, a dollar
cannot be spent by the railroad COM
pany unless by the authority of the city
council, which also controls the run
ming TIM of cars and the kind of cars
that are purchased.
Such. i'm a rough way, is the Tayler
plan. While the city does not actual
ly guarantee the interest on the bonds
nor the dividends on the stock of the
street railway. the working out OF the
arrangement practically makes the city
responsible for their payment in that
if the surplus fund falls off the charge
of carrying passengers goes up and
thus the receipts are always more than
enough to meet the interest and divi-
dcnds.'
Still an Experiment.
Are dividends being earned at the
present rate of fare" asked.
Your question cannot be answered
as yet. Three cent fare is an expert
ment. We believe. however. that 1t will
work out exactly as we hav predicted.
IL is large enough for II level city like
Cleveland. and the test being made
will automatically prove, j think.
that we are right when we said that
passengers car be carried for 3 cents
and a profit earned on the capital in
vested. Each city has its own local
conditions. While three cents is suffi-
cient here. ] am unwilling to say that 1t
is enough in Pittsburg. for example,
which is Il billy locality"
lis your service as good as before?"
ut is better than the service of any
city in the country except Washing
ton, which is residential and not an in
dustrtai or commercial center. And our
plan OF street railroad control is the
best in the United States. The street
railroads in Cleveland are still the
property of "A private corporation with
power to issue bonds and stock. but as
n fixed amount OF money is now al
lowed for interest and dividends, there
Is no assurance that interest and divi-
dends would be paid We're there any in
crease OF capitalization. Thus Indirect
ly. and by the check ! have mentioned.
the city also regulates the finances OF
the company.
But all cities. | think, should own
their public utilities"
Municipal Lighting Plants.
Does Cleveland operate an electric
lighting %plant?"
lit owns two plants. They came in
along with villages that were annexed
W oHe tIly. HouHn SINAI OclnS worth
only about S4O0. 900. they caused the
price of street lights to fall from $69
= year to s51. The private corporation
that is doing business with the city at
once reduced it's charges.
Not long ago the people, by more
than a two-thirds vote, authorized q.
$1,000. 600 bond isue for a large NUM-
cipal lighting station. We purpose to
light the streets and supply firms and
individuals with electric current. The
personally owned lighting
claims To have $40. OOO. 600 invested. We
compete with it everywhere. but we ex-
poet to prove our case. after which ]
favor the purchase OF the property OF
the present company at Il fair price.
am opposed to the duplication OF
property. thus making some of 1t USE
less. This is unscientific. If the old
company. however. refuses to sell on
building OF a plant with sufficient ca
pacity to light the entire city. After
we have shown what can be done,
money will be supplied by the people.
Voters Educated by johnson.
The voters of Cleveland" Mayor
Baker continued. know more about
municipal government han do the vot-
ers of any other American community.
Tom Johnson started town meetings
in ts-training schools they can be
cailed-at which speakers, for the most
part. had to stand up and answer Queo-
tions. Old time oratOry has gone out of
fashion in this part OF the country.
Stumpers here are compelled to know
something-they can't arise. wave their
arms. and draw word pictures OF the
past and make prophecies. IA the
slang OF the day. they must deliver
the goods and by the goods mean def