South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-29
kILLINC Lii JITNEYs.

Although ID looks as though South
Bend through the sensible action of
the common council. and the mayor
had been amply protected against the
hypOcritical rayages OF the street
railway magnates. with respect 10 the
Jitney problem, one word more.
Elsewhere the jitneys are slowly but
ineXonorably being legislated out Of
existence-legis!at. prompted, not
by a real desire 30 solve the problem
but by the tremendous influence OF the
transportation corporations. Los An
geles has just passed an ordinance
which is a death blow TO the jitneys.
in Memphis III out of more than 800
jitneys operating sixty days ago are
left. From all points OF the country
comes the news Of regulatory legisla-
ton that is killing.
Yet there no longer remains a doubt
but the public wants the jitneys. The
slaughter IL possible merely because
the public has grown apathetic. has
ceased 20 urge the rights Of the jit-
neys and its own rights; not because
it is really indifferent, but because
it has settled down and accepted tue
auto-bus as an established institution
and has beguiled itself into thinking
that the traction companies and their
cohorts have done likewise.
But they have not This very con-
dition is what they have sought to
bring about-to induce the public TO
lapse into a state of seeming indif-
ference. They have effective weapons
with which TO fight the jitneys fneplen-
". but TO combat public opinion is
quite another matter They have, in
a measure, succeeded in shilling the
clamor OF the people for five cent
auto. and now they are, everywhere,
planning 10 strike the auto-bus a NOR
tai blow. If interest is not kept up.
some morning you-the peOple-will
wake up and find the jitneys gone
from the streets. We know the city
has councilmen politically indebted to
the street railways, sufficient that they
would vote for an anti-jitney law il
public opinion were only out of the
way
Is that your desire?
You should not be misled by the
alleged Improvement in the transport
tation service Street car service has
improved. certainly. since the advent
of the jitneys but will the improve
ment hold up after they are eliminat-
ed Does past experience lead YOU
10 believe so? In this matter We are
neither biased nor prejudiced. The
function of a newspaper is to stand
for the best interests Of the commun-
ity it represents. We want TO see the
right thing done; want To see sensible
action taken upon a matter of tremen-
dou5 future Importance To every city.
before it is too late.
The primary issue is service for the
people. now and hereafter IT that
service. in its broadcast sense. is to be
jeopardized by the jineys they should
be abolished If the electric lines. as
they say, will he crippled and their
service impaired and the service rem
dered by the jitneys in return be not
adequate, the jitneys shou!5 be abol-
ished. but the public and its official
representatives, are not interested in
the earninss of the street cars nor of
the jiney men. save indirectly. Thats
apart from the issue and will indubit-
ably work itself out in time. II the
jitneys can prove an Improvement
over street railways. then the latter
should be abolished.
The question is. shall this new meth
cd OF transportation survive or shall
il be prematurely strangled, before its
worth has been determined. 10y AFRO
CANT capital?
It's the same old issue Private in
terests arrayed against the public in
terest.
VIII the public go TO sleep at the
switch?
--
CASE OF MIR. HUERTA.
III. . ,r~..t Ian. Trpffal St.t,r e..rot