New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-02-14
...o Ride Makes Strong
Appeal to People of
Coast Cities.
.oer LANCE CARS
SIRT OLD CONCERNS
-, Of Fifth Avenue Coach
ron,any Predicts They Will
r,s. Cropper in New York.

c0ne SIoPPN
,.,i,s reports eoms from the Far
- the advance OF the "jitney"
:" 80, article Of transportation that
,,,ther schedule nor route, but
h,esuse It offers a ride in a mo-
- FOR s cents, seems TO have taken
francisco and Los Angeles by
There are said TO be 1900 in the
.i,y and ZOO in the latter, with
..,urns still coming in, and the
.-,nt is fast spreading eastward.
,..hu,hed methods Of transports-
the cities wners the "jitney"
=, are feeling the competition keen
4, thus far have been unable to
"a, , method o: clreumventing the
E.';tou. In one city where bonds
ssmsnded Of the operators they
~. furnished by one OF the big OIL
'...sie,, which sees in the new move
-, greatly increased demand for
HI ts,, appears TO be necessary to
- . "iitney" is TO hang out q sign.
=. ,snorts are not clear as 70 what
.,.n. when passengers in the same
~, demand 70 be carried N differ
!, ,T,,e,ions, nor just at what stage
: rde the driver decides that the
y. IA, been used up. Then, there is
!. ,roblem for the first passenger on
~ Of deciding what constitutes q
.,t,,ble wait for the car 70 fill up, or
,ss.hsr or not he can insist on his ride
.,,,irs in case no other passengers
tN sp.
~, 70 the effect that trolley extern
-, IN several Western cities have
49, s,opped as q direct result Of the
~-,s,ition Of the "jitneys." Com
,,,,ing on the situation, R. ". Meade,
,,,Jtn, Of the Fifth Avenue Coach
l-psny, says;
sSome one is going TO wake up and
%, /, the jitney' bus man, because Of
!. fundamental fact. which my own
--p,py has learned by long and ex-
,,siye experience, that the notorious
-, more 70 operate in America than
1, trolley car. There isn't any doubt
( this
N, Fifth Avenue Coach Company
I, 10 infant as far as passenger carry
y ,Onpsnies 60. AS far back as near
! ,hirty years ago it was operating
-,,.drswn stages on Fifth Avenue;
Tr il tried out TO its chaGrin the
c,r, battery type Of bus, and about
q, years ago il adopted the gasolene
rrs type of vehicle. Now, in this
,rsrJ Of over a quarter Of century
!, unpany, before il became self
r,aring, lost something like $1,000
ID bit II learned a great many actual
N hnd facts about bus operation.
N Fifth Avenue company 10 TO-
kr Moderately successful, but IL
agry l0-cent fare, runs over a I'm
y md favorable stretch Of territory
w a plant and equipment OF such
.rse.,r that its operating costs are
Euetd 70 the minimum obtainsble N
N country and in the present state OF
y at, and is managed with scrupn-
=, care BY an operating staff that has
=, many wears in development.
Ii spite of these advantages the
E-any spends 8 cents out OF each
n. OF its service in providing for
s.nting expenses, maintenance and
rrcistion, reserves for damage
ans, taxes, percentage of gross earn
~ paid to the city, interest on capt.
., etc.
II the company were able TO keep
a,k for its own uses the slxty-odd
ssssnd dollars il pays each year 10
~ and state; if il were able to send
&. It's buses when the harvest is good
81 take them in when 'pickings' are
ro', and escape regulation by the au-
ssri,iss and any responsibility for
azigs claims; if il were able to for
lt the morrow and cut down its re-
sres for maintenance, depreciation,
eth a word, II il were able to oper-
IL anywhere and everywhere without
nnrd to schedule or other restrictions,
y company could no doubt make
issly favorable financial showing for
: lev seasons. What might happen
ter that Is another matter.
TIE situation among the 'jitney' bus
20 s that they have all this TO learn.
N course, there will be reckoning
nee time in the future, but in the
,Mrvhile sad havoc is being played in
:, traction situation in some locali-
aa and the investments of those who
,ir depended upon the good faith Of
,srieipslities TO protect them are
eng destroyed and the public is going
! b the sufferer in the end"