Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-11-11
rhossrrsph. illustrating th,. article on
Dictpriai page.

TM|XUXrnuus
chicago's councilmen. who are in the
East to study transit problems. are in New
York today after spending yesterday here.
They left last night, but their criticisms
remain.
william J. Heaiy. their leader and the
ccuncilmanic chairman. who has charge OF
~ problems affecting Chicagos streets
didn't seem TO be speaking with any con-
ccit when he compared transit facilities OF
this city and his own. much to the dis
paragement OF Philadelphia He simply
took the facts, and II seemed as though
the people who ride on street cars In Chi
caso havo II all over Philadelphlans.
For enc thing the city Of Chicago gets
something like $4,000 a year and moro
from the transit companies for the simple
privilege OF using the city's streets. That
until 1927. II In. In effect, the price the
street car companies are willing TO pay the
city OF Chicago for the franchise Of
operating.
Fifty-fve per cent OF all net pronts go
20 the city. Since 1907 $4,000. 900 has been
20 Accumulated, and the city has II earning
interest. The yearly return gets bigger
constantly. and may run upwards OF
tsb00.o0o this year. Mir. Henly said.
There are two separate companies In Chi
cnEo. the surface lines and the elevated.
They have the same agreement with the
city and In 1897 their franchise expires.
If the city renews II and decides not to run
the lines itself. IL is probable a new agree
nent win be framed. a still better one for
the city.
Besides the money return the city gets,
the surface lines and the elevated lines
grant universal transfers and now Chicago
IL considering making them grant transfers,
20 that elevated patrons can transfer to
surface lines and vice versa.
Furthermore. the wages, Mr.. Healy said.
sre higher than in any other city, and tho
city has the whole say-so when II comes
70 laying down conditions.
CITY DOMINATES CAR COMPANIES
The street car companies are dominated
absolutely by the city. which rules on all
Questions arising between the city and the
companies.
Yet under these conditions the companies
find II possible to pay their stockholders n
seven per cent return on their investment.
and the high officials get a tidy salary, TOO,
romparIng favorably with those here, Sal
u - for big officials seem to be the one
street car point In which Philadelphia leads
President Mitten. of the p. II. T., gets $780,
e0v a year; President Busby. OF the Chicago
Street Railways Company. gets only s72.000.
Mr.. Healy preferred to tell how much he
thought OF Chlcago's transit system rather
than how little he thought of Philadelphia 8
arfangement though there was no mistak-
fnK his idea. He sort Of damned with faint
praise, as. for instance. when he said:
"Philadelphia's equipment, the cars on
her elevated system are newer than ours" ;"
He magnanimously omitted mentioning
that while Chicago's cars are older there
are great many more OF them, that they
run any number of express trains in add
tion 70 the locals. that they cover the whole
city. which has some sixty squares miles
more than Philadelphia, and that they
transfer from all points,
GREAT REVENUE TO CITY
He was proud of the great income that
Is turned I'm every year to the city, and
mentioned that IL was growing despite the
fact that the runs getting longer as th'
city annexes territory. One can ride for q
nickel clear from the heart of downtown tC
the Indiana line on the south elevated now
They are getting ready TO build subwayi
there now, too, and that did give him ar
opportunity TO mention that Philadelphia
votes money more freely when Il comes tC
bond Issues That last S104 200. 900 voted
here Is still spoken Of In Chicago. II seems
The dozen Councilmen who accompanied
Mr.. Healy took In all OF the transit plan.
yesterday. visited the operations rode OF
the elevated. etc. They contented them
selves with praising what was going to be
and didn't conceal their notion that th'
plans worked out by A. Merritt Taylor were
eorely needed.
CRITICISM FOR TRAFFIC. RULES
While they were motoring around the,
.
eons about the traffic laws.
said Frank Toman. one Of the Council
men:
II, was surprised enough when 1 saw
heavily loaded motor ash carts going dow
Broad street. but ! was speechess when
saw a load OF hay. Why, we would no NOR
<hi1k OF letting vehicle like either o.
those use our boulevards. such as jackson
Boulevard or Michigan avenue, than ",
would allow men 10 tear holes in the street,
with pickaxes. I'm speaking softly when
merely say I'm surprised. Why don't yol
make such vehicles use the side streetsT'
The visitors also thought the trafhc police
men paid too much attention To the pedes
friang and held UP trafiic too long that way
II was casually mentioned that this yea
WIS the first time the city had ever adopte,
= budget system 10 mark out It's hnancia
prcrran. All OF the Councilman were 10,
polite 10 speak. but they snliied 20 shoy
the way they felt, and the newspaper mel
from Chicago got out their notebooks