The Washington herald., 1914-09-13

men and dismiss them. The city, through
the council, its legislative body, tells the
owners how the road shall be operated
and maintained.
The city street railroad Commissioners.
appointed by the mayor, Is the technical
advisor OF the council and must keep
Informed with respect to every phase OF
the companys business. There are ten
possible rates Of fare. ranging from the
maximum-which IL four cents In cash or
seven tickets for twenty-five cents ana
one cent extra for a transfer-to the min
imum rate, which is two cents in cash.
with no charge for q transfer.
IAN interest fund Of $4,000 was ere
ated by the ordinance and the prevailing
rate Of fare is determined by the up
and down movements of this fund. For
instance, when the fund goes over 10000.
the fare is reduced to the next lower
rate; when the fund goes blow $4,000.
the fare is increased to the next higher
rate.
Immediately after the ordinance went
into effect the rate of fare was cents
and / cent for a transfer. Since June l.
1911, there has been no charge for trans
fers. A penny is paid when a transfer
is obtained. but 1t is returned by the con-
ductor who takes up the transfer. This
is done to prevent abuse Of the transfer
privilege.
The Cost of Running q Car.
The operating expenses Of eacn car
mile has been fixed at II cents-6-5 cents
for motormen and conductors, 2.20 cents
for power. / cent for accidents, and the
balance. 255 cents. for general superin-
tendency. In addition. cents a car-miie
Is allowed for maintenance. There also Is
an allowance for State taxes, interest on
the bonded debt Of the company, and for
a dividend Of s pr cent on the capital
stock. The allowances total "a cents per
car-mile; that is. every time a car travels
q mile "a cents are set aside for the pur-
poses have mentioned.
The rise and fall OF the 10000 interest
fund-a barometer fund. call t-into
which all revenues go. after deducting the
allowances named. indicate whether the
rate OF fare being charged is too high or
too low. Three-cent fare is no fetish with
me. I believe in good service-which
means plenty of cars. all needed exten-
sions of tracks. and schedules as rapid as
safety will permit-at the lowest possible
price TO the public. A great deal OF an
tiquated machinery has been discarded re-
Gently and replaced by new machinery TO
the cost OF the maintenance fund. A
penny charge for transfers, therefore, will
soon be made, and vii; continue, I sup
pose, for about a year.
more extensions nave been Dullt since
the Tayler ordinance passed the city
council than were built during the pre-
vious twenty years When an extension
is required by the public. l see that the
work is done. We have run loops to sew
eral large factories to accommodate per-
sons employed therein.
Furthermore. l have speeded up the
cars all over the city and have inaugu-
rated the pay-as-you-leave plan on all
cars departing from their downtown ter
minals. Under this arrangement passen-
gers enter the cars by the front door and
leave by the rear door. paying their fare
OH going out instead OF when coming in.
This permits Of the quick loading Of cars
in the congested districts. Downtown
cars are operated on the pay-as-y -yOu-enter
plan.
IF there is a complaint about a line.
or IL l think a line is not giving good
service, my men are sent out 10 investl-
gate the situation. They count the cars