South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-09-28
WHERE THE TRACTION SERVICE
Is FAILURE.

10 I&AAasAAAA-s
A street railway corporation within
mile circle, and having profitable
lines extending from a half TO three
quarters Of a mile beyond, that oper-
ates its lines so infrequently that
customer can follow one car that he
misses and reach his home a mile
away, or the center OF the city, If
headed that way, this IN advance Of
the next car; such a corporation is
standing in it's o-sn light regardless Of
ali other considerations.
Few street railway lines, If any.
operating in South Bend, but are
profitable, and they would be more
profitable. up TO anywhere within two
miles from the center Of the town
computed by general averages,-if
there was a regularity. and frequency
OF service, sufficient TO make it worth
while for the customer who is a little
off schedule, to wait until the next
car comes along. Add TO this regu-
larity and frequency OF service, a
rate, which in comparison with the
present, gives the customer every sixth
ride free. and the street railway COM
pany would have q hold on the traffic
In the city,-that would render sit
ney'' bus regulation-strangula
unnecessary TO protect its monopoly.
II the "jitney" bus has cut in on the
street railway patronage, 1t is because
they have given the people who pat
ronize them what they want. To take
this away from these people. without
bringing the street railways to time,
with the frequency OF service and rate
OF fare needed, is merely to impose a
hardship that Mayor Keller and his
administration cannot afford to inn
pose If the street cars we're pref
cradle means OF travel under all con-
ditions, the ''Jitneys'' would not bother.
They are here because there is a field
for them between street cars that the
cars do not cover.
That the traction magnates may
have promised the south side line on
Sample street. should the 'jitneys" be
put out of me way, thus capturing
the support OF Councilmen GOebel,
Wolter. Lang and Miller, does not
hypnotic us in the least, with respect
TO overlooking the demand for a
larger service for the remainder of the
city. We propose to have this better
and less expensive service everywhere
now, "jitneys" or no "jitneys,', OF
know the reason why 1t is time. as
previously suggested, for Mayor Kel-
Ter. and the citizen" members of the
council, to get busy with this matter
in accordance with their campaign
promises made when the ''jitney" bus
was an animal yet unborn.
1t is no longer a question of pos
sibly regulating the traction service
by "jitney'' competition. Let each q.
them stand by themselves. and let the
regulation OF the one be as stringent
as the other, if stringency is to be the
new order. Strap-hanging in trolley
car is just as damnable as sitting OF
the side door of a "jitney" car. There
are a number of points to be consid
cred. OF course, in the case of the trac
ton company, by the state public ser
vice commission. but that is what tn,
public service commission is there for
Let US have an ali-round clean VI
OF IT, 1t is at least to the credit OF tn
Electric and Gas companies that tn,
city hasn't for while back, anyway
built any bridges for them-neithe
on Lasalle nor North Michigan streets