The Washington herald., 1915-03-07

sSS diC ~ TpOHy anu 0VHIioTGtDiC rs StTcSt
} STRAPHANGING ALLOWED.
is conservatively estimated that the re-
ceipts from each machine will be more
than ST. day. The gross expense is
computed at $3.50.
Toledo is considering a proposal to
establish a municipal jitney system, an
ordinance having been introduced in city
council appropriating $4,000 for the
purchase of auto-busses. There is al
ready one jitney system in Toledo. The
company recently ordered fifty buses
and announced that women would be en-
ployed as drivers. III. W. Blevins, head Of
the jitney line, says he believes women
will make more reliable chauffeurs than
men. hence the new avenue of endeavor
for the gentler sex.
In several cities where the jitney has
been established women have taken up
the business as drivers. In Fort Worth
a company composed of negroes is being
formed to install Jim Crow" line OF
tits
Although in point of time the jitney
business can hardly be said to have
drawn its first full breath. all the ear
marks of an established business in add
dition to some decided novelties are to
he found in connection with it. Assoc
tIdtlOuS Ol nave DPpn formed.
Thus the Seattle Auto Transit Associa-
ton has 800 members. and has retained
counsel to protect its interest in the legis-
iature. Most of the Kansas City oper-
ators belong to an association. In Og-
den, Utah. the Jitney Service Company
has been Incorporated with a capital OF
$4,000.
The primary object of the jitneys ap-
pears to have been to carry persons to
and from their work, but their activities
are constantly taking broader scope. By
having regular stands of call several
cities find that the cars are much used
for short trips, while shoppers and
theater crowds also make use of them.
They are enabling men to go home to
lunch who could not take the time to do
so when they were dependent on the
street car service.
The practice differs in the different
cities regarding how the cars run. In
some places they maintain regular routes
in others they cruise. and in still others
they follow the street car lines. The de-
sire of the operators is, naturally, 10
take the short haul traffic, as in this lies
the greater profit. Apparently there are
no fixed distance tariffs. however. the
fare being a uniform five cents regard
less of mileage, within reasonable limits.
Cities are finding difficulty in restrict
ing and franchising the service. Denver
expects to declare the jitneys public
utilities. and require appeal direct to
the people for franchise to operate.
The street car interests there say that il
the busses are allowed to operate with
out restriction they may be forced into
receiverShip.
Portland has refused to require any
concern operating jitneys to furnish a
bond, on the ground that it will not take
the side of the large jitney company as
against the individual owner who wants
to operate his car.
The city council Of Des Moines. Iowa.
has been unable to come to an agreement
on the matter of limiting the amount Of
earnings of jitney companies. In Oak
land, Cal, the authorities have been in
terrogated by the association" jitnev
drivers as to the regulation of CASUAL
jitneys.
Realty associations in other places
have begun to protest, and in Seattle a
proposal to have the municipality buy
the street railway system of that city has
been put in allegiance because of the null
tiplication and popularity of the jitneys
All this in a matter of weeks. The mush-
room growth of the jitneys has been so
rapid that cities which were in blissful
ignorance of it in the evening found cars
IN operation the next morning.
On the subject of taxation. the city at
torney's office of Milwaukee has found
that all that is needed to set up jitney
Is license, which may be had for SO
The opportunity may be had for nothing
Where the jitney idea will lead to is a
question that is being given earnest con-
sideratiOn by automobile dealers as well
as traction experts. \ representative OF
one Of the largest automobile factories
in the country makes the prediction that
the Jitney will soon disappear. and with
1t the street car. He believes both will
soon be replaced by an Automobile ex-
press built especially for city pas
senger traffic. with capacity of ten or
a dozen persons each and operating regll-
lar routes, with branch lines and trans
fer stations. He says that several manu-
facturers are already at work on this
idea. as result of the jitney-bus advent
The length of time the service has
been in operatio! in some cities indicates
it has come to stay If municipalities want
il. II is a curious experiment that will
be watched with interest. In this form
it may not carry threat to the street
but in familfarizing the public
with the possibilities of cheap fares in
some kind of automobile service il is be-
lieved to forecast the time, and a rapid
ly approaching time. when all cities will
be forced to consider the admission Of
autobus lines