The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-03-25
The Case "Aqin" tho Jitney.

From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
AS q factor in transportation OF passen-
S 8ent stey' rth Hf pr pus ~ + ft0i Is looked UPON as
an experiment by many OF the public, with
relief by the s~traphangers and with dread
by the traction companies. .nu ,,or,.d
with smiles of Indifference, the certainty
of the Jitney bus Is admitted by traction
mag ates. Legislatures. particularly tnSs
on the face OF the papers-in the interest
OF the public, but In face, In the interest,"
of the dominating traction companies
tempted to put the jitney bus out OF ex-
istence before It concluded Its hrst TRIP.
They decreed that the jltney bus shall not
q traction car uses the same street. LII
censes are within the discretion or the
commissioners and the owner Is required
to insure the safety of his passengers.
The Texas legislature has enacted that
the 1itney bus operator must take u a
license in the sum Of $50. that he must be
responsible for any accident TO any pas
senger and must give bond to the mayor
Of the city in sum Of 5000 to max good"
the accident. =.
The council Of Denver requires each
jitney bus to have a franchise from the
city and the county under penalty OF
from 500 to $500, or imprisonment not ex-
ceeding go days, or both, with each trip
other i~nstances-and the query arises why
are the regulations. especially as to acci-
dents, so severe against the jitney bus and
SO lenient when the traction companies
The answer is given in the following
from the Municipal Journal Of February
Is, 1915: .r"s -
IF but i've jitney cars are allowed TO.
operate unlicensed n u~nregulated,
they can rob us OF all our earnings and
eventually force us into bankruptcy"
Is what Charles II. Bosler. of Dayton,
9hiS. president OF the the Tulsa Stv Street ttroSGet
missioners In support. OF a proposed
ordinance which would place a heavy
tax and stringent regulations on tit
pany had an investment OF $4,000, ac-
cording to Bosler. at Port Arthur, Tex,
where the same company owns, the
have reduced street car revenue almost
to nothing. Bosler said In Tulsa they
have cut heavily into the revenue since
their advent. At Enid jitney cars are
making themselves a menace to the
street railway, also owned by the Bos-
Ter interestsL
There is no city wherein the citizenship
wants to reduce the earnings Of he rac-
ton companies to nothing. There Is no
desire to force them into bankruptcy.
There Is, however, a desire on the part
of the citizenship for good and for ade-
Quate servtce-a seat for q nickel and not
q nickel for the privilege of s~traphanging.
the long continued rule of action by trac-
ton companies In all cities, with long term
Il lTTSNOCdDle ITatlCnlSeS, contempt IOT the
! public comfort and sneers at public de-
| mands.
The severity of. the legislation directed
! against the jitney bus, an enterprise alto
/ gether lawful and ~enterprising, Is not in
the interest Of the public, but in the in
terest of the traction companies. The fact
10 made plain by the terms of the legisla-
ton and scarcely needed the frank admis-
sion Of President Bosier to emphasize the
intent and meaning of legislators and
commissioners.
OF the three elements involved-the trac-
ton companies. sthe jitney bus and h citi-
z~enship-is consideration to be paid to
traction companies only? Is s~traphanging
to continue simply because the traction
companies make money by 1t? Is the jit-
ney bus to be put out Of business because
II completes with the traction ~companiesf