Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-05-05
J|TNEY COMES TO FRONT
AGAIN TOMORROW NIGHT
Council Committee on Ordinances
Called to Consider Regulatory
Measure.
MANY CITIES REQUIRE BOND
Interesting Report Filed by Commit
tee OF Oakland Chamber of Com
merce Suggesting Introduction Of
Zone System Of Fares.

Tomorrow night as tho Immediate con-
Germ or the Council Committee on Or
finances. A call for n meeting of this
committee at 8 o'clock Tomorrow night
for the purpose OF considering the or
dinance proposing to regulate the lit
ney traffic, was issued yesterday by
Chairman Gunst
The ordinance. which was prepared
by City Attorney Pollard. requires a
$4,000 indemnity bond OF each jltncy
owner operating a single car and n
$4,000 bond for each additional car.
In addition to this. the ordinance IevIes
license tax OF 500 a year for the
hrst car and S25 year for each ad-
ditional car
MANY CITIES REQUIRE
bonds OF VARIOUS SIZES
Practically the some provisions are
tho central features Of the iitnnyhu.
ordinances that have been adopted by
more than score Of leading IVostern
ana southern cities. In some cities tho
nond has been made smaller. VARYING
an size from $4,000 to $4,000. In Others
me license tax has been graduated ac
u'ns 10 'ne seating capacity of the
cars Most OF the ordinances proyjdo
Tor more or less rigid examination
OF chaufreurs
not since the electric car revolu-
tiohiZcd urban Transportation and
demonstrated its superiority over ali
tptncr existing city carriers has there
zen such national study and in
FestiEation of q new carrier an has
oeen accorded the jitney From coa st
10 coast commercial and professional
pooles nave been at work in an effort
~ ,eauce auto. bus transportation to n
ec!chtihc basis In order that urban com
"uni'ies may deal with them In a
manner best calculated to pro,ect Tho
puolic's Interests.
OAKLAND COMMITTEE
FILES COMPLETE REPORT
~, particular interest to Richmond
NJ inns time is the findings of a snecial
Transportation committee appointed hv
Inc Oakland, Cal. Chamber or Cow
Ine'ce ana Commercial Club Consoli
IT,, ,,' ID tohauct an impartial inquiry
INTO the 1itncy-bus traffic The com
mittce has just flied an exhaustive
report based on a study Of conditions
IN the principal cities of tho J'nitod
n,atcs' which gives an interesting in
fight into the business The rcnor,
has been approved by the oa,si,n5
ma moer OF Commerce and Commcrcial
Club e''i
bE way OF emphasizing its own i'm
paI tIa'i,S' INC committee prefaccs liz
i'Port ny calling attention to the fact
that lin all OF the controversies 80
hearings over the titncy-bus prohInn
mus iar. In the press and bcfore la,
isiat!rc bodies. the positions taken md
.hc views expressed have very nat
nrai!y been those of Interested nartJos
from their Immediate viewpoin,-,on ~ y
part OF tho street railways TO nrotac,
their income and investment: on mo
part OF the jitncy owners TO esta blIsh
, "uSslhess' ana on the part OF the
= tEa'ci'nE public TO consult ONLY its
own temporary fancy. nrciudicc, ~
convenience"
OLD METHODS HAVE
GIVEN WAY TO PROGRESS
nc committee calls attention IN Tho
fact that In looking over tho bjstor,:
81 urban transportation the horse car
is FOUND giving way 10 the cable car
hho thc cable car, except under specjal
cona!nohs. 10 the electric TROLLEY car
mere was an economic necessity for
each change which made IL ncccsssrv
and unaNoldablc." tho report continues
Tho wiping out OF investments In ,bn
morse car. cable car and earlier electric
lines and equipment had it's tustifca
non IN INC accompanying social phvsI-
cal and financial development and i'm
provcmnnt of the people and comnu
mites affected. II was reflected in an
increase in property values which
greatly overshadowcd the immediate
investment in the transportation sys-
tenn DESTROYED
VIII the jtney do thiso
MAY ENTIRELY
SCPERCEDE 1DOLIEYS
1T is quite conclusive that II the
motor bus has come TO stav u vii
not be IN the shape OF the prcscnt
3tney, and IL tho motor bus is to he
the transportation unit OF the future
IT viii supersede the electric car be-
cause u Is economically right, and in
doing so. it would Justify the replace
ment or the present investments by en-
hancing the property values OF the
community.
viii the jitney relieve the congcs-
tion In apartment or tenement sections
in tho way that every city in America
is striving TO solve that problem. or
VIII 1t only agcravate and increase the
present difficulties? If it will not
what VIII become of the values beyond
the two-and- one -half-miIc limit, which
is tn" ultimate range OF service OF the
1itneys? If the jitney weakcns the
transportation system which draw the
support for Improbable lines serving
the outlying districts from the sec
ton where traffic is dcnsest. what does
II mean to the property owner and the
home owner In the suburbs OF Oakland
and the American city,"
MAY MEAN INTRODUCTION
OF ZONE SYSTEM OF FARES
The committee concludes that tho
Jitney bus. in a large measure is due
to hard times, poor business and the
difficulty OF obtaining employment OF
jitncy operators 1t says:
MANY OF tncSc men already owned
small autos, or had saved enough
money to buy an automobile, and in
this way they went into the jitney-bus
business. For the present they arc
doing something for themselves and
families. their time is occupied and
the nickels they take in enable them
TO eat at the expense of their auto
bus. In other words. the titney driver
Is living upon his capital, or the capital
of some one else because the income
is not sufficient to provide for his liv-
Ing and the necessary operating ex-
pcnses, plus fixed charges and depre-
ciation.'
The committee summarizes with the
finding that If the public continues to
support the jitney, thereby weakening
the street railway, 1t must expect n
zone system OF fares. since the street
railway companies, deprived of their
profitable short-haul traffic, will find
II impossible to make distant trans
city and suburban hauls without an
increased charge.