The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-03-28

have been introduced in over 90 cities ranging in size from 750,0o0 population downward The following list, compiled from the Electric Railway Journal is be- 1 lieved to be fairly complete to March 15 1915:
 Atlanta, Birmingham, Cincinnati, Dal- las. Denver. Des Moines, Detroit, Fl Paso Fort Worth, Galveston, Houston, Joplin Kansas City, Los Angeles. Memphis, Mill wanSee, New Orleans. Oakland. ogden. Omaha, Pasadena- Portland, Ore; Pueblo St Louis, St Joseph. Salem, Ore; San Antonio. San Diego. San Francisco. Seat tie. Spokane, Terre Haute, Topeka, Tulsa, Wichita.
 The Electric Railway Journal for Jan uary 5A 1915, gave the number of jitneys in service in certain cities as follows:
 san Francisco. 300: Oakland. 450: Los Angeles 1050; Portland. 75 Seattle, 800.
 The number Is probably much greater today on March 10, 1915. St. Louis had about 100 cars in operation with pros poets of material increase. Kansas City has about POO Fort Worth 140 and San Diego, Cal, 275.
 Organization of Jitney Companies
 Comparatively little information has been received regarding the method of organization of jitney companies. In some cases, as in St. Louis, the organiza- ton IS loose one, sometimes hardly itoio iHda IL cluDDlHB together OI lll- d1vidual car owners. There should be considerA Able development along these lines in the Tear future. If the jitney proves to be a sdccess, there will undoubtedly be a larger number of regularly incorporated 1ltneY companies throughout the country. At the present time one source of com plAipt against the jitneys is furnished bS Che fact that so many owners, opera tors, etc, are irresponsible.
 The chief OppOnents of the iifney move ment are, of course, the street railway companies. In most cities jitney service has not reached the stage where 1t has caused a serious falling off in street railway receipts, although in some cases the transit companies are suffering more or less That the street railways fear the ultimate result of jitney competition Is well shown by their appeals to the pub lie and to city authorities to have the jitneys regulated, or still better, abol- ished
 The San Francisco Oakland Termin- al railways, according to the company's officials, have been losing $500 per day in fares The Los Angeles companies have laid off nearly 100 employees and stopped work on 250 new cars. Wages of street railway employees have been reduced in Memphis. The Houston, Tex, Electric company estimates an annual loss in earnings of $250000 if the jitney situation remains as it is now. The Seattle Electric company claims a loss of $2450 daily. Another Seattle company estimates that it will carry nearly 21,0O0.OO0 fewer passer- gers in 1915 than in 1914 if jitney competition continues.
 The street railway corporations de- sire regulation for the jitneys as a protection to the street railway busi- ness There are other reasons for reg 1I1a ftfaer hue which will be apparent after a brief survey of the situation. Experience seems to show that reasonable regula- tions, framed, not with the idea of protecting the street railways, but for the purpose of regulating the business per SC, are desirable Careless and ir- responsible drivers, old and unsafe ma | chimes, traffic law violations, over crowding of cars indignities to female passengers, lack of liabilities in case of accident, arbitrary changing of routes-these are some of the evils in- cident to unregulated jitney operation. It seems likely that reasonable regu- 1 lation will be the rule in most of our cities.
 Strict in San Diego
 The public are not always in favor of the jitney, according to the Electric Railway Journal (which, of course, is oposed to the new movement). The re- port comes from San Diego that jit- ney regulation of a strict nature has been advocated by the leading mer- chants and the business organizations. The rapid growth of the jitney omni- bus business, however, indicates that the general public approves of it. In some cases there has been opposition by the daily press.
 City officials are taking various views of the jitney question. There Is considerable sentiment In favor of reg ulation, even in cases where no ordi- nance has actually been adopted. The Los Angeles city council. for example, favors reasonable regulation. Ordi- nances have been adopted in a numbe. of cities and are pending elsewhere.