The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1914-07-18
THREE CENT FARES IN CLEVELAND.

a 2EW THEMES are mora discussed in the
 outside world than Cleveland's three cent railway fares. So successfully have the owners of street railway lines disseminated. fnfsinformation, that many people do not know Of Cleveland's success irr it's street railway venture, ner that three cent fares are the rule on the lines of the Cleveland Railway Com. panEzs epe4ts4sssx setAea
 A short time ago newspapers in many cit- les where this transformation is usually most elAefully disseminated by those who think 5 cents is the lowest price at which any one can
 l1e threatened street car war in Cleve- land was averted today when the city and the Cleveland Railway company agreed to raise the fare July I"
 war and was no sgreement made to raise fare Otherwise the item was correct
 Briefly, here is what really happened:
 Under the Tayler franchise grant to the Cleveland Railway company, the rate of fare stands at cents, with free transfers, so long as ous funds for operation and pay stockholders six per cent
 During the past year many of the lines have been rebuilt with the latest type of rail j; car barns the most modern possible, with club rooms and shower baths for the workers have been erected, more and larger cars have been put on and other expenses incurred to make the service the very best in the country
 With this great expense, as well as an in crease in wages of conductors and motormen, it was feared that the revenue for several meRths-weHld not be high enough to keep with in the provisions of the franchise.
 At present, when 8 rider gets a transfer he pays a penny, the penny being returned to him when he presents 1t to the conductor at the transfer point. Under the franchise it is per- mitted to charge the penny for this transfer and not refund it, and it was this plan which was suggested to add to the revenue, if needed.
 There was no war, no violent, discussion, no trouble. 1t was agreed if more money was needed to meet temporarily the added expendl- ture, that beginning July the penny charge for transfer would go into effect, but 50 far the revenue has kept up to the mark despite not appear that this penny charge need be made, if at all, for very long period
 At that hardly 20 per cent of the car riders use transfers regularly, so there could be no raise in fare to 80 per cent of the Cleveland people
 If the penny charge becomes necessary it will cease just as soon as the revenues come back again to normal, after the big expenses caused by improvements are met And this is not all As -the-revenues increase-and they are bound to do so, owing to the rapid increase of population-the franchise provides for a low e-ing of the rate below three cents. Even the railway men who have long been opponents of three cent fare admit that some day Cleveland people will ride in surface cars for less than three cents.
 That Tom L. Johnson knew what he was talking about, back in 1897, when he said 3-ceni fare would pay, has been proved so true thai Clevelafad today all statements to the contrary notwithstanding, has, beyond all question the best surface street car service in the United States. and it costs less to the rider. Ask any unpreiudiced visitor to Cleveland and he will back that statement.