Arizona republican., 1915-12-07
Arizona Republicans Editorial Page

facts concerning the street and interurhan railway business that will be surprising to the laity.
 Quoting from the statements of twenty-two of the twenty-five railways within the state that is electric railways for the last three fiscal years showed business was steadily declining. Of these roads only had paid a dividend stock holders for the last fiscal year and that no bonded indebtedness. The most rapid decline in the net earnings Of all these roads had taken place within the last half of the fiscal year.
 Taking one of these roads, the Bakersfield and Kern Electric, the operating revenue had dropped $36,437 in 191S-14 $3OO2 in 1914-15 In the last half of the last fiscal year it did take in enough money to pay for its power wages. taxes, track maintenance and other operating penses. The only of the electric roads whose net revenues were increased the VsaIia Electric and it's good fortune the result of a heavily freight traffic The passenger traffic had fallen off
 The United Railroads of San Francisco had suffered decrease of net revenues amounting to s7OO0OO for the year in spite of the Panama Pacific exposition. There likewise falling away all the Bay reads city and interurban. The Pacific Coast Railway company and the Los Angeles Rail- way company both lost in revenues amounting to about $2OO.O0O.
 The greatest proportionate losses occurred the interurban lines and that Mr Shoup attributes the extension of good roads and the greater of automobiles. From these no relief is expected or asked. Good roads said Mir. Shoup must be of the great assets of the state. The decrease in revenues is attributed in part to the general business depression which the last than in the previous fiscal year. that is condition that will pass and may be borne cheerfully
 There are some conditions imposed on the roads that MT. Shoup thinks may be removed modified Among them is the requirement paving which according to his figures from $3OOO6 s1OOOO0
 mile. Another condition which greatly affects the of the road is furnished by the tneys and the truck competition which has deprived the roads o a great their which subjected the obligations which rest on the roads, the payment of outlays for paving and installation of safety devices, which has become such a burden.
 The city and interurban railway service in California has always been adequate has been in years and has therefore invited this competition which constitute the chief part of the of the electric railways. In Phoenix have sometimes thought that if there a complaint of a lack of patronage either because it is withheld because it is diverted by cOmpeti- tion, it IS because the company has neglected cultivate the field.
 On some of the lines running through thickIy settled districts there is only half hour service Persons living within twenty minutes walk the downtown district naturally not attracted by that kind of a service the habit of walking that it may be said that the revenues of the company concerned there is little no service within a radius three-quarters of a mile mile of the downtown district The company receives patronage from this thickly settled residence district only when the muddy. and that is not often in Phoenix The bulk of the business is picked up than a mile from the center of the There is doubt that the half hour twenty-ninute service resulted in effecting automobile sales persons living beyond reasonable walking distance from the business district