The San Francisco call., 1913-07-29
Attorney, Protesting East
Oakland Reduction for
Commuters, Quotes
Figures
OMITS INTEREST ON
SAP, 100000 CAPITAL
Informs Rail Commission
Suburban. System Is
Operated at Loss

That the Southern Pacific company
loSt sS6s,000 during the last fiscal
year in the operation of its Alameda
county electric suburban service, rep
resenting an investment of approx
mately $4,000, 900. was the testimony
Of Charles w. Durbrow, an attorney
for the company. before the Califor-
MA state railroad commission yester-
day
This was brought out at a hearing
by the commission on a complaint by
the East Oakland Protective league
that a rate Of is cents for one way
fare from San Francisco to points be
yond Afelrose is excessive
FIGURES SHOWING Loss
ment by figures taken from the SUI
burban electric. statement for the fis-
cal year ending June so. These were:
Operating expenses. ses................. l723. 1892
Passenger revenue .............. $3.50, 6s6. II
= Dehcit ............... ssss. .ss2. so
Mr. Durbrow added that these figures
did not include the interest on the in
vestment. OF the expenses the chief
item was approximately s1,0oo.O0o for
wages and salaries.
Most persons think the ferry system
is fine paying proposition said Mr.
Durbrow. But the facts. as you see.
are that the people of Berkeley, Ala
media and Oakland are getting the
finest suburban service in. the world
at a loss to the company"
Loss 21a CENTS A CAR MILE
Another witness for the company said
that more than 80 per cent OF all ferry
traffic is suburban and only a little
more<than 3 per cent is main line traf-
fie.k It also was brought out that more
than 500 trains per day are operated
from the town to suburban points. The
cost of operation was declared to be
1915 cents per mile per car and the rev.
per car, making a car mile loss of 21s
cents.
The East Oakland Protective league
asserted that the rate of Is cents for
one way trip or $3.50 for commuta-
tion ticket from San Francisco to Sem
mary avenue, distance of lis miles.
was too high as compared with the rate
of 10 cents one way or a Communication
rate of SO between San Franchises and
Thousand Oaks, distance of 12.1
miles. The attempt was made by the
plaintiff to show that realty values
were thereby impaired.
The railroad company put up the de-
fense that the rate to Thousand Oaks
was of itself low and had been made
for competitive conditions
EASTERN RATES CITED
The company alsoscontended that the
rates were low in comparison with
rates for similar service in other To-
calities and in substantiation rates
out of New York and Chicago were
cited
Several real estate men gave their
opinions that reduction in rates
would build UP the eastern districts
more rapidly f. B. Webster testified
that he had widely heard the Southern
Pacific proclaimed as a highway rob-
ber.v
E. A. Freeman was the attorney for
the protective league
Among the Southern Pacific officials
on the stand Were: E. E. Wade of the
passenger department, G. II. Ketchum,
division superintendent Of the Stockton
division; ]. D. Brennan, division super
intendent of the western division; j. c.
Mcpherson, superintendent Of the SUBJ
urban lines J. E. Baker, statistician;
M. n. Noone Of the accounting depart
ment and A. IL Babcock, electrical en-
gineer.