Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1915-07-02
CITY Trolley FARE
IS NOT EXCESSIVE
Public Utilities Commission
Tells Socialists Rate
Is Satisfactory
PROTESTANTS
ARE DISSATISFIED

The Board of Public Utility Com
missioners, in session last evening, de-
cided to send the following letter to
the Socialist Party, which on Sunday
drafted a resolution requesting the
commissioners to take action looking
to a reduction of fares by the Will
mington and Philadelphia Traction
Company:
Wilmington, Delaware,
June 80. 1915.
Central Branch, Local Wilmington,
Socialist Party. Frederick K. Miller,
organizer, 227 w. Fourteenth street,
Wilmington, Delaware.
Gentlemen-Your letter on June 2S,
addressed to the Board of Public IT'LL
ity Commissioners has been given
careful consideration by the board,
and, in reply they wish to advise you
that the complaint of April 4, 1914,
against the Wilmington and Philadel-
phia Traction Company was careful
" considered by the board, and the
petitioners were advised that the
board was not granted the necessary
money. by Council, to make an inves-
tigation of the Traction Company,
and that they were not willing to
proceed without having the money
appropriated by Council.
We call your particular attention to
the fact that we are to administer
justice to both sides of a controversy,
and we are not willing to arbitrarily
issue an order on any public utility
to reduce their prices unless after
careful investigation, it is proven that
a reduction should be made.
The government of this country is
by the majority rule. and when City
Council. which is supposed to be rep
resentative of all the citizens of VIII
mington. is not willing to appropri-
ate the necessary money to get at the
facts of a case Of this kind, it seems
to us that we would be going in di-
rect opposition to the will of a major
ity of the people in this city to try to
arbitrarily spend their money for an
investigation, and. as we said before.
IL would be an injustice to the Utility
to arbitrarily order them to re-
duce their receipts without hav-
ing the definite facts to support the
order. and we, therefore, have con-
sidered that the petition which has
been presented to US does not repre-
sent the majority sentiment of the
city. Furthermore, we do not feel
that a 8 cent fare now charged by
the Traction Company, is excessive
or unreasonable. but is the standard
trolley fare charged all over the
country.
In reference to the franchises
granted by the Street and Sewer De
partment, this necessarily will have
to come before the board and have
their approval before they are effec-
tive.
As for the Traction Company with
drawing the cars from certain streets
this matter will be given careful con.
alteration by the board before such
withdrawals are approved
We take occasion at this time tC
state very clearly to you the position
which this board occupies. We con
slider that we are here to render the
citizens adequate remedy for any ex.
cesses or abuses which any utility
may try to force on them, and to SEE
that they render their service at q
fair price, and we do not consider il
is our part to abuse and harass 9
public utility for their sins Of the past
before this Utility Commission was
created, but as long as they are nov
giving what is right and giving the
public a square deal it is our desire
% help them in every way possible