South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-06-15
THE STREET RAILWAY MONOP-
OILY AND THE "JITNFY" BUS.

Mayor Keller IS merely keeping MS
campaign pledge 10 the people Of
South Bend in refusing TO come 20 the
rescue Of the Murdock street railway
lines by promoting "jitney'' bus reg
ulations calculated T. put the latter
out Of bushes ainly enough it
was stated at the .op of the second
column, front page Of the Tribune,
one day during the campaign, these
words of the then possible mayor,
whom that paper was giving its sup
port for election:
Among other things in dealing
with the public service corpora
tons. | shall use my influence to
get for the people six tickets for
% cents from the street railway
lines. and to promote a frequenter
and better service.
Mayor Keller has perhaps learned
from experience with the city's cases
against the Indiana & Michigan Elec-
trio and Chicago & Northern Indiana
Gas and Electric companies, instituted
before the Indiana public service
commission, frought as they have
been. with innumerable delays brought
on by the utilities that to institute any
more cases of the same order in hope
Of immediate relief, is near nonsense.
on the other hand, competition from
any other source. save through the
''Jitney" bus, has been rendered Vir-
tually impossible due to the clever
manipulations of the utility attorneys
that framed the public service COM
mission law. The Murdocks may
argue that because the city fathers of
years agone foolishly gave them 81
perpetual and virtually non-regula-
tive franchise of the streets Of the
city-nOw quite as virtually and as
fooishly revested in them by the pub
lie service law.-they are legally en-
titled to a monopoly of the city's in
ternal travel for hire, but legal right
and a moral right, are not always
synonymous
The Murdocks unquestionably have
a legal monopoly of the streets of the
city for street car traffic. There is no
way Of getting it away from them
unless they wish 70 surrender il to the
utility commission. and then the law
leaves them a string on it, vouchsaf-
ing its recovery. should the commits
sion law be repealed. and the COM
mission be put out of business. VIII
any progressive citizen say that the
developments of the times, instituting
new modes of travel. should be kept
sidetracked 10 crafty the greed OF
system that insists upon tagging be-
hind. and anticipating itself even as
against the furnishing of an up-to-
date service such as it should be
capable OF?
Understand The Murdoch mOnop-
DIV. vouchsafed TO them by their fran
chises. anticipates protection only as
against competitive street car lines.
They insist upon this as legal prop
osition. Haven't other people, then
both a legal and moral right. 10 all
uses Of the streets not contemplated
BY that franchise? Any regulation of
the "iitney" bus that would enure
to the benefit of the street railway
company. would be virtual enhanc-
ing Of the value Of its franchise. even
beyond that which the grantOrs con-
templated.
For instance. The first franchise
for lighting purposes granted by the
city OF South Bend was a perpetual
gas franchise Gas was the only up
to-date mode of public lighting known
al the time 1t was an exclusive fran
chise. but eventually there came along
a new method Of lighting, namely, by
electricity. VIII the defenders Of the
street railway monopoly as against all
other modes of street traffic insist
that the gas franchise should have
been allowed 20 exclude an electric
franchise The rights OF the gas
company were limited TO the eNclu-
sive use Of the streets for gas lighting.
Likewise the street railway company
is limited in its rights TO the use or
the streets for railway traffic. The
"jitney" bus is a new and different
mode OF travel. same as was cleo
tricitv new and different mode OF
lighting. 1t is all right 10 talk that
the ~Utney' bus should be regulated
for the public safety. ct cetera. but II
is i'm the main a miserable subterfuge,
hatched up. we believe. from street
railway headquarters, TO throw the
public of its guard
This safety" talk is clever device
calculated 10 promote an ordinance
requiring a bond from each ''Jitney
owner that would virtually retire him
from the business. due 10 his inability
20 furnish IL. II is another mode OF
confiscation OF the few privileges still
open 10 the poor, and the conversion
II them into profits for the rich. En-
sorcement OF tho state automobile laws
requiring licenses for the machines.
md licensed chauffeurs. together with
other compIiances with De laws OF