The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-03-17
Figures on Thirty Day Trial
Will Be Presented to
Officials
MANY PETITIONS TO
CITY COMMISSION
Some New Scheme May Be Worked
Out If Figures Show, As Is Ex-
pected, That the Owl Cars
Are Not Self-Supporting

| The fate of the OWL car service instituted
| 30 days ago this morning will be known
this afternoon or not later than the COM
mission meeting tomorrow. The officials
of the Birmingham Railway, Light and
Power company will receive the figures
that have been compiled daily on the SER
vice, and upon that showing depends the
| future of the service. The company
agreed to operate the owl cars on several
lines for a period of 80 days in order to
demonstrate how much or how little they
would be patronized. A detailed account
has been kept of the passengers hauled.
| If the service is self supporting the SER
vice will be continued without any argu-
ments. If the figures show that the conn.,
pany loses money by the operations then
the Birmingham Railway, Light and Pow
er company will perhaps ask the commits
sion to release the company from the
service. That was the agreement with
President Exum and the Trades Council
| forces.
! The commissioners by negotiations Sc
| cured the test and will be inclined to live
up to the agreement reached before the
Inauguration of the service of 30 days.
| However, there seems to be such strong
protests against dropping the all night
cars that some new propositions may be
pushed to the front before the commits
sion meeting tomorrow. Petitions have
been made to all the commissioners that
the service should be retained, even il I
costs the company a small amount of
money. 1t was pointed out by several call
ers at the commission office that as a
matter of public convenience the service
should be retained. The company Of
| fcials have not made known by intima-
tion or otherwise their position in the
matter. 1t has only been announced that
| the figures had not been looked over hy
any company officer, and would not be
examined until the full test limit was
concluded Then the showing will be
| figured up.
1t has been suggested to the commission
that 30 days is scarcely time enough 4oI
the entire travelling public and others to
get acquainted with the service. and or
that theory another extension of 80 days
may be asked. 1t has been pointed out
| that 80 days is a small amount of time
! for such am innovation to become thor
i oughly fixed in the minds of the people
and that thorough test has been scarce.
| ly made. That suggestion has not beer
acted upon or given consideration by the
| commissioners so far as known.
| The citizens of the suburbs are the most
vitally concerned over the probable ces-
sation of the service. Many from each
suburb to which the owl cars are oper-
ated have protested against dropping the
| service. The convenience alone has --o
been exclusively used as an argument
against stopping the service. 1t has beer
pointed out that the suburbs would bt
richer If the service were continued in
asmuch as railroad men, travelling me-
and others who are now paying high rents
| in town in order to get to their work
would move to the suburbs, buy their ovr
homes and patronize the owl cars to thai
| extent. 1t has been further suggested
| that as this process of immigration sets
| in that more patrons would be created
and as time continues the owl cars woule
be patronsed to that greater extent. The
| citizens of the outlying sections tha
have spoken about the service are much
disturbed over the showing the figures are
expected to>make. If the figures show
what is expected, and there is no othel
means by which the service can be re
| tained, 1t will be the source of great dis
appointment to a number of Birmingham
citizens.