Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-03-24
TIL. Case "Aain" tho Jitney.

From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
AS a. factor i'll transportation OF PasseN-
nent stay. At present it is looked upon as
an experiment by many of the public, with
relief by the s~traphangers and With dread
by the traction companies.
In that feeling of dread. thinly velled
with smiles of Indifference. the certainty
of the Jitney bus is admitted by traction
masnates. Legislatures. particularly that
OF California. have enacted laws designed
on the face of the papeis-in the Interest
OF the public. but In face, in the interest
of the dominating traction companies.
tempted to put the jitney bus out or ex-
istence before it concluded it's first trip.
operate on any street ""longitudinally IL
q traction car uses the same street. LII
censes are within the discretion of the
commissioners and the owner is required
to insure the safety OF his passengers.
The Texas legislature has enacted that
the titney bus operator must take out q
responsible for any accident to any pas
sengel and must give bond to the mayor
of the city in sum of 5000 to make good
the accident.
The council of Denver requires each
jttney bus to have q franchise from the
city and the county under penalty or
from 800 to $500. or imprisonment not ex-
ceeding 80 days, or both. with each trip
constituting a separate offense. There are
other nstances-and the query arises why
are the regulations. especially as to acct
N['NSp 81 oNS'' "S"H'AS' We. JS'sSS
30 lenient when the traction companies
are considered?
The answer is given in the following
from the Municipal Journal OF February
is. 1915:
III but five jitney cars are allowed to
operate unlicensed and unregulated,
they can rob us of all our earnings and
eventually force us into bankruptcy
is what Charles H. Bosler, OF Dayton.
Ohio. president of the Tulsa Street
Railway mpa told the city com
tp{noSn,a~o la v-N " Ovnno
ordinance which would place a heavy
tax and stringent regulations on Git
neys.''' The Tulsa Street Railway com
pany had an Investment of 500. 900. ac-
cordins to BosleT, at Port Arthur. Tex,
where the same company owns the
street railway system. Jitney cars
20 nothing. Bosler said in Tulsa they
have cut heavily into the revenue since
their advent. At Enid iitney cars are
making themselves a menace to the
street railway. also owned by the Bos-
Ter interests.
Their. is no city wherein the citizenship
wants to reduce the earnings Of the trac.
ton companies to. nothing. There is nc
desire to force them into bankruptcy
There Is. however. a desire on the part
OF the citizenship for good and for ade-
quate servica-a seat for "A nickel and no
a nickel FOR the privilege Of s~traphanging
the long continued rule of action by trac.
ton companies In all cities. with long tern
irrevocable franchises. contempt for the
public comfort and sneers at public de
mands.
The severity OF the legislation directed
against the jitney bus. an enterprise alto
gether lawful and enterprisins, is not il
the interest of the public. but in the in
terest of the traction companies. The fac
is made plain by the terms of the legisla
ton and scarcely needed the frank admis
sion OF President Eoslcr to emphasize tn
Intent and meaning of legislators am
commissioners.
OF the three elements lnvolved-the trac
ton companies, the .jitney bus and the citi
zensnip-is consideration to be paid I
traction companies Only? Is s~traphanginl
20 continue simply because the tractiol
companies make money by 1t? Is the jit
ney bus to he PIT out Of business becaus