Washington Journal., 1915-01-02

but space will not permit, yet in the
short space we can spare we feel it a
duty we owe our readers to show
them a few of the good things here
in Washington. After all we can say
about them and all is the truth 1--WE
defy CONTRADICTORY, yet along come
these calamity howlers and say that
the Washington Street Railway Sys-
tenn should be owned and operated by
the Government. At the outset let us
quote partially from a report just
issued by Mr.. w. d. Mahon, President
of the Amalgamated Association of
Street Railway Employees of America
Zone whom we consider a fair and
competent authority, to the American
Federation of Labor. He did not make
this report to show conditions in
Washington especially, but to show
that The European Tramways Cannot
be compared with U. S. systems. He
made a personal trip to Europe and
here is in part what he says:
"Take Glasgow to Begin With"
Glasgow and suburbs have more
than 1000, 900 population, with 1874
miles of street a tracks. Cities with
one-fourth the population in this coun-
try carry much more trackage.
"The fares on the Glasgow system
vary from one cent to fourteen cents,
according to distance. The average
ride for one cent is one-fifteenth of a
mile, and so on up to the fourteen
cent fare, when the average ride is
fourteen and fourty-eight hundredths
miles. Fares are collected on the Zone
System. When a passenger rides from
Zone into another he pays an
additional fare. Of a total of 1886 1924
cash fares realized by the Glasgow
Corporation last year, 211, 462,484, or
62.81 per cent, represented one-cent
fares.
"This is offered as proof that the
public is enjoying cheap fares. This
is not correct, for the Glasgow, like
all other European systems, munich
pal and private, does not issue trans
fers. and a passenger may ride on
several lines to reach his destination,
and have to pay an additional fare on
each. On every line he is a cash
passenger, and helps swell the total
class of fare he happens to pay"
1t has long been urged by many
M. O.. advocates that the service OF
municipal tramways in Europe was
much superior to that furnished in the
United States. The "Howlers" used
to tell us that in Liverpool 1.-THE service
was in the hands of the people; nc
growing Of cars" and the people got
a seat instead of a strap" But Mr..
Mahon went to Liverpool and other
cities and reports:
"Cheap fares on the zone system prove
dear fares to the worker if he has
to ride any considerable distance OF
take ~intersecting lines, for each zone
entered means an additional fare, and
there are no transfers on European
systems. Zone fares and inadequate
ages force the workers of Europe to
live close to the workshop, mill and
factory. 1t is rare to find a European
worker who can afford to live in
suburb or country, miles away from
his work, as is frequently the case
here. The ratio of fare for long dis
lance makes it p~rohibitive and the
wage will not warrant the expenditure.
"Thus the zone fare system con
tributes to congestion and compels
the workers to live in the most un.
inviting districts. 1t retards suburban
development and adds to the rents OF
the workers, who not only have to
suffer the inconvenience of small living