The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1916-02-29
The Trolley Fare Increase.

q sit Company to increase its fares b.
tween Burlington and Moorestown an
: to reduce its train service.
Armitt H. Coate, who was on the vii
y ness stand when the examination wa
! laid over the previous week, was agail
8 subjected to cross-examination. In an
swer to questions about the time he pu
J in for the company, he said the matte
was on his mind continually. Ever
while at work for the trust company il
Moorestown he could not help the othe
affair occupying some of his attention
His banking hours were from 9 until
and he often spent until ten o'clock il
the evening looking after the trolley in
terests. Every dollar expended goei
through his hands. Edwin C. Davis il
the superintendent, in full control of tn,
operation of the road. Mr.. Coate sale
his experience in conducting trolley
road was very limited. The subject o.
passes was touched upon and witnes:
said about 40 were given out. Some
were to the directors, and some to persons
in consideration OF rights of way. The
Burlidgton Enterprise carries two passes
in return for publishing the timetable
-Four or five were given to inspectors of
the Public Utilities Commission, the
latter having special privilege to ride
on the front platform. Lewis Richards
was in charge of the road during the cal
endar year OF 1914. The electrical equip
ment was then overhauled but no
new cars were added. Less money was
spent in 1915 owing to the equipment
having been made good in 1914, but did
not think the road was put in good con-
dition by Richards. The latter was to
get salary of 81. 800 per year, with 5000
bonus If he effeeted saying of $1,000
over the expenses of the previous year,
and that amount was saved. Notwith-
standing this fact the witless said that
Richards did not necessarily earn the
bonus and witness thought Richards the
most extravagant man the company
ever had in its employ. The expense
were greater under his management
than in any other year. Pressed for a
reason why, if Richards did not effect
the saving, the company paid him the
bonus, Mr.. Coate said the payment was
made as the easiest method to get rid of
the man. Witness did not consider the
cars unfit for use, they are running
every day. The road is not ballasted,
but there is no trouble with carsrunning
off the track. "If the road is in good
condition why did you make the state
ment to the township committee that
unless the increase in fares was allowed
the company would go out of existence
within six months?" was question put
by Mr.. Killie. Mr.. Coate did not DENY
making the statement but he said the
high coss of everything connected with
a trolley road would make it impossible
to continue business without increased
revenue.
The condition OF the trestle over the
Pennsylvania railroad in Mount, Holly
was next brought to notice. Mr. Coate
said he did not recall the report of Judge
Horner on this subject. The trestle, in
the opinion of the witness, is in good
condition. The management of Mr..
Richards was again referred to and wit
ness said he did not think Richards
saved the 5000, as the receipts for the
year 1914 were normal and the expenses
increased about $4,000. In 1915 the
company saved about $1,000. He did
not think he was getting very large
salary for his services as treasurer, and
would not take the position if he was
not stakeholder. 1t is not the inten-
ton of the company tc use its entire
surplus for dividends. No bona fide
offer had ever been made for purchase
or lease of the road.
Joseph w. Rogers, of Woodbury., was
called as an expert to give some idea of
the road and its equipment. Mr.. Rogers
is connected with The West Jersey and
Seashore railroad with 10 years ex-
perience as electrical engineer. He had
gone over the Burlington line to make a
valuation of the road. He figured that
the property is worth about S275, 900. He
made his comparison of prices with
those of 1908. He said he was familiar
with rock ballast but evaded a reply to
the question whether it would be advis
able to put it on the roadbed, but said it
would cost about $1,000 per mile to in
stal such improvement. He inspected
the road by riding over it and walking
on different sections, counting the ties
Oh this part. Asked if he thought it
was necessary to purchase power from
an outside company, he said he consid-
cred the power plant at Hainesport
capable" although he did not inspect
it sufficiently to give an opinion about
abandoning it. The appraisement he
made was to great extent superficial.
$1,000 would put the power plant in
good condition and 5000 would make
it first-class. An inspection of the cars
showed them to be in good shape. and
he thought they had lease of life for
axles of the cars, but did notice rock
ing while the cars were running, but he
attributed this to the condition of the
roadbed. While he noticed hollow
places in the rails and some other slight
defects he thought the road would COM
pare favorably with the average country
road. While ballasting would be very
beneficial such method was not always
economical. Many companies resort to
this way of fixing their roadbeds because
they have the money handy and want to
spend it.
Edwin C. Davis, superintendent,
gave evidence of his familiarity with
the equipment of the road. The con-
denser on the engine cannot be used.
With the idea of making repairs to the
machinery he had endeavired to get
estimates on the cost of the work but
had not been able to do it. The en-
gines are worn out and when it was
said they run that about exhausted
the information. He did not not be-
lieve they could be put in order for
small amount of money. The COM
pany carries a supply of repair ma
terial, some of which is very expens-
i've. He had compared the cost of
maintaining the Burlington county
road with that of other traction COM
panies and found that it varied, some
times higher, sometimes lower. The