Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-11-18
COMMUTERS UNITE
TO FIGHT INCREASE
South Jersey and Pennsylvania
Travellers Plan Campaign
Against New Rates.

PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 1S.-Com-
plete organization of commuters in
virtually every suburban town along
the lines of the Pennsylvania and
the Reading railroads in this State
and in New Jersey has been effected,
and a concerted fight viii be waged
against the proposed increase in pas
senger traffic. The intention Of the
Baltimore 4 Ohio railroad to increase
rates has met with as strong OPP
position, and protests will be filed be-
fore the interstate Commerce Com
mission.
The increased tariff schedules were
filed yesterday with the State Pub
Tic Service Commission at Harris
burg by the Pennsylvania, Philadel-
phia and Reading, Baltimore and
Ohio, Central Railroad of New Jer-
sey, Lehigh Valley. Erie and other
railroads. In all, 175 tariffs and sup
plements, notifying the commission
of the rate changes and establishing
a "oDe- way basis" of tariff, were filed.
Members of the commission refused
TO discuss the proposed rate changes.
In Pennsylvania and New Jersey
towns meetings of protest have been
called, and Ii is the intention of the
commuters to carry the fight into
the courts if their appeals to the
State bodies governing the railroads
prove futile. Several meetings were
held last night. All suburban resi-
dents were urged to join the cam
paign, and decided action, designed
to prevent the railroads from ex-
acting what was termed ''exorbitant
rates for ordinary service" was
taken at q special meeting of the
Germantown and Chestnut Hill I'M
provement Association, held at 500
Germantown avenue.
Camden county commuters win
meet in force next Monday night,
under the direction of the United
Towns Improvement Association, in
the Town Hall at Haddon Heights.
Representatives from every COM
munity in the county will be present.
Harry d. LeCato. in announcing the
meeting yesterday. said it's action
would be supported by the North and
South Jersey Commuters Associa-
ton.
Last night the Civic Association, of
Collingswood, went on record as OPP
posed to the fare increase. George
j. Haven, president, said the rates
tho railroads sought to levy were un-
justified. It was asserted that should
the proposed rates become effective,
real estate values would suffer and
towns would be retarded.
Meetings have been called in
various towns along the Pennsyl-
vania's electric lines in New Jersey.
These towns are particularly hard
hit, as tax rates were increased re-
GENTLY Pitman, which has made the
most rapid growth of all South Jer-
sey towns in the last few years, IS
expected to wage strong contest
against the railroads. The matter
will be taken up at a meeting of the
Board of Trade tonight and defi-
mite plan of campaign will he
formed. Persons who use the West
Jersey and Seashore lines daily are
aroused over the proposed rates and
will join the concerted protest.
Charles Evans, president of the At
lantic City National Bank, took busi-
ness men to task for failure to ,r-
ganize against the fare raise an
nounced by shore lines. Charging
that existing railroad stations were a
disgrace and that the railroads
would hamper the development of
the city by raising fares. President
Evans said protest should De
lodged Immediately with the Inter-
state Commerce Commission. Walter
]. Buzby, owner of the Hotel Dennis,
in or osing such a course, said the
refusal of the Interstate Commences
Commission to raise freight rates
forced the railroads to seek other
means of obtaining necessary reve-
nue..