The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-19
|OWL CAR SERVICE IS
THING OF THE PAST
Commission Agrees to Re-
quest of the Company
DATA IS PRESENTED
Trades Council Representative Agrees
to Action-Fifteen Cent Fare
Would Not Pay Operating
Cost, Say the Officials

- D-f '0N~S "%'~ O@~-~&s%te
After futile attempts to lind a way
whereby the owl cars could be continued
here, the commissioners yesterday con-
scented to the cessation of that service.
According to the agreement, the service
was to be abandoned after a trial of 90
days IL not self sustaining. The report
to the commission from the company Of
flcials indicated that a loss had been
sustained by the operations.
The Trades Council sent a representa-
tive to the commission and he told the
to agree to the abandonment of the serv-
ice according to the agreement reached
February 1
The commission was givef data by the
Birmingham Railway. Light and Power
company indicating that every night 1893
persons were handled on the average
On the five lines the company handled
3S persons, while 4A passengers were
handled per car on the lines. The Off
Gals of the company informed the COM
mission that If 10 cents per passenger
had been charged that the revenue thus
derived would have been insufficient to
pay the cost. 1t was suggested that the
patronage would increase If the cars
were continued. However, George H.
Harris, superintendent of transportation,
gave 1t as his opinion that many of the
passengers handled had remained over
from the last car knowing that the owl
cars would be operating, and they would
thereby be accommodated. It was
pointed out that II the service was con-
tinued there would be little IL any in
crease. The company displayed figures
to the commission indicating that on the
first night the revenue was about 81,
while on the last night it was under that
figure. The data compiled all the way
through the test indicated that little if
any fluctuations had taken place in the
number of persons carried.
President Culpepper Exum, after the
company reported, told the commission
about the agreement and said there was
nothing TO do except receive the report
OF the company and abide by the pre-
vious agreement.
The commission suggested that %
cents should be charged and perhaps
that figure would pay the cost of opera
tions. The Trades Council representa-
tive said he had been instructed to agree
to 10 cent fare but no figure in excess
of that The commission. upon that
statement, did not have any further sug-
gestions to make.
The Birmingham Railway. Light and
Power company officials pointed out to
the commission that six months trial
OF the owl car service in Memphis had
proven failure, while in New Orleans
the franchise called for that service, and
although 10 cents was charged the COM
pany lost money steadily and is yet
losing The owl cars, according to an
announcement from the company Off
cials, are now abolished.
terday afternoon when the teams OF the
Bush and Moore schools played a hotly
contested game. The lads from the Bush
school defeated their opponents by the
score of is to g. Several pitchers were
tried OUT by both teams with satisfac-
tory results.
The ladies of the Christian church of
Ensley will hold an all day meeting next
Monday at the home of Mrs. Davis, on
Avenue D.
The Ladies' Aid society of the Wylam
Presbyterian church will conduct a bazaar
in the basement of the church from to
9 o'clock today and tomorrow.
The work of laying out the lawn and
planting grass and flowers in the grounds
surrounding the Ensley federal building
has been commenced.
Miss Betty Higgins has returned from
a visit to friends in Atlanta.
C. w Roberts, secretary of the Gads-
den Commercial club, formerly OF Corey