The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-11-03

a eompiete revisfon Of the method Of
charging the company compensation
for the use 81 the streets ~ Desirable
and, indeed. necessary.
In the form Of ordinance submitted
herewith ~ basis for discussion. the
rate Of sueh compensation - left
blank for the consideration of the
Council, and II 10 suggested that a Nat
and dshnfte rate or percentage be Inn
posed upon all operating receipts oil
the company within the city of Rich
rnond from both railway and light and
power departments. to be In lieu oil
all other license taxes and charges To
the municipality except general prop
erty taxes. paving and repairs to
streets and street sprinkIing. which
latter is covered by general ordinance.
In this way. the method Of ascertain
Ing and collecting such taxes er Gem
pensatien for the use of the streets
! win be greatly simplifed and one
basis will prevail throughout the en-
tire territory. While the rate of tax
or compensation 10 not suggested, IT
Is not the purpose of the company to
suggest a rate which VIII reduce the
present revenues of the city from this
source. but ii Is believed that due
consideration by the Council of the
existing conditions and charges upon
the service will lead to the conclusion
that some definite, fixed and reasonable
rate of taxation must he Imposed TX
we are to avoid the inevitable conse-
ducuce OF unjust burdens in depre-
ciated service. A fiat percentage upon
ell operating revenues will give to the
AeIty an increasing revenue hs the earn
ings of the company increase.
II is respectfully suggested that
while public service companies should
bear their due proportion Of public
charges the object of the creation is
not to raise revenue through indirect
charges upon tho public. but to rem
der m adequate public service to the
community. by which the community
will derive benefits far In excess OF
the direct advantage which may be
secured by excessive taxation or
charges. Where the burdens 80 i'm
posed are made excessive. the natural
and Inevitable consequence 10 to In
terfere with or impair the public SER
vice and defeat the aim for which such
companies are created ard the rights
upon the streets are granted.
Rates of Fare.
No question with which the owners
Of street railways are confronted pre-
sents more difficulty than that of the
fare TO be charged for the service
rendered. Ae the time that the fare
was universally fixed at five cents per
passenger. street railways consisted of
short horse car lines. inferior equip
ment which conld be operated at a very
low cost, and on which the average haul
Of the passenger was necessarily short
and in territory of dense traffic. The
Introduction Of electricity in street
railway service has resulted in the
consolidation Of lines into larger sys-
TENS, the Introduction of moro ex-
pensiye and efficient equipment re-
QuirinS more and higher priced men for
operation. Tho extension of these lines
into urban and suburban territory hns
produced q rapid growth of the sub
/ urbs OF the city with immense In
crease In values OF property. benefting
both the owners Of the property and
the municipality ievying taxes there
on, but without corresponding benefit
to the railway cornpanles: indeed the
result has been TO force the introduc-
ton OF transfers. and to greatly pro-
long the average haul per passenger
at higher operating expense. while
the rate of fare has been constantly
reduced.
Under the present franchises and or
dinnnces under which the street rail
ways In this city are being operated,
the companies are required TO furnish
TRANSFORMATION at the different rates
following:
ta.) Fsve-cent straight fare
tb.) SIX tickets for twenty five cents
or Ia cents each.
(rD Between the hours OF and
A. 81. to sell tickets to all persons
at 2 Ia cents each.
fd) Subject 20 certain conditions,
school ttcketa TO all persons attending
schools and colleges IN this city
whether public or private, and without
Limitation as TO age of the pupil, al
Ia cents ZACH
Universal Transfers.
Upon these various tickets the com
panies are required to give transfers
at substantially all points OF Inter
section of lines and to the end of al
, suburban lines without regard TO length
with the exception OF the Lakeside line
where the transfers only takes the
passenger to and through Ginter Park
The result OF this system OF transfers
is that a passenger upon the street
railways In this city can ride from
any point in the city TO practically any
other point in the city Or suburbs for
10 cents and at certain hours OF the
dav for Ia cents. while the average
fare per passenger carried is three
cents (3c).
These rates Of fare were fixed at q
time when the haul per passenger was
much shorter and the charter of the
equipment less expensive, the operat
! ing cost much less and before tbs
operation OF street railways had beer
reduced ~ a sufficiently scientific basis
70 enable the managers thereof to ar
tive al the actual cost of the service
Within the past ten years the require
: nents u: the public as to length OF
haul frequency of service. expensive
euuiur1ent and other conditions which
go To add 20 the cost of maintenance
> and operation have greatly increased
The cost OF labor IN the various de
partments OF me company's service for
the year 1914, as compared with the
years 1896 and 1900. when the principa
franchises were granted. show the fol
lowing increases:
, Transportation department .5s.4 q
! shop department ...,,....... 81 e
, Track department .,..,....,... so. q,
Bulletin No. 14e OF the United States
, Bureau OF Labor shows that the aver
, age yearly prices for articles usee
by railways or for the manufacture
OF railway supplies for the year 1919
as compared with the wear 1895, In
creased In amounts varying from pei
cent to 2f9 per cent. or an average In
crease Of 1921 per cent
, Think Rates UnrennonnbIy Low.
, II follows from these figures that Il