Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-01-03
FIVE-CENT CARFARE
URGED UPON COUNCILS
Business Mems Club Calls on
New Rulers to Effect
Transit Change

Edward B. Martin, chairman of the
Transportation Committee OF the United
Business Mems Association, today issued
a statement calling attention to the fact
that January /, the date set In the ten
tative agreement between the city and
the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company
for the abolition of Scent exchange
tickets in the central business district,
has now passed, and Philadelphia Is as
far as ever from having universal free
transfers on a scent fare basis.
On behalf of the United Business Mems
Association Mr.. Martin urges prompt
action by the incoming administration to
settle the long-pending question of the
operation OF the high-speed lines now
being built and those proposed under the
new loan soon to be fioated.
The statement further calls attention
to meeting OF the business men tomor-
row on the Adelphia Roof Garden when a
plan for the abolition OF the exchange
tickets will be considered and laid before
Mayor Smith and the members of the new
Councils, who have been invited.
The statement In part follows:
January /, 1915, has come and gone,
and Philadelphia Is still burdened in its
IIaIlSlI SYSTEM WIN inc o-Ccnl cNCnanBe
tickets. Under the much discussed pro-
gram of May 81, 1914. the Scent exchange
tickets were 10 have been eliminated on
January I, 1918, and free transfers on a
5-cent fare basis substituted at certain
intersections of surface lines-but-the
program was never ratified and we are as
far as ever from a realization of free
transfers.
True. the city has begun actual con-
struction OF two new high-speed lines, the
Frankford elevated and the Broad street
subway-bu that does not solve the prob
lem of the seen exchange tickets any
more than the construction OF the Market
street subway-eleyated solved II.
philadelphia has not yet even deter
mined how the two lines under cOnstruc-
tion shall be operated.
The United Business Mems Association
of Philadelphia Loyalty supported the pro-
gram of May 27. 1915, not only because
1t meant new radial high-speed lines 10
sections OF the city not yet supplied with
rapid transit. but essentially because In
thus providing for the construction Of new
high-spesd lines ii was also provided that
all sections OF the city were to enjoy the
benefits thereof upon equal and equitable
terms and the scent exchange tickets
were TO be replaced with free transfers on
a scent fare basis preliminary TO the COM
pletion Of the new lines.
I'm other words, II seemed, and still
seems, to us that the essential part OF the
program lay In the plans for the operation
of the lines when built-in the provisions
for their operation in conjunction with the
Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company's
present system in the provision for uni
vsrsaI free transfers between practically
all lines OF the city on scent fare basis,
"As there is yet no legally ratified
agreement to this effect whatsoever and
so Until there Is. there Is no prospect for
the elimination OF the eight-eent exchange
tickets nor assurance OF general sys-
tenn OF free transfers between the sur
face and the new hish-spsed lines. the
United can surely not be accused OF vast
ing time TO lay this phase Of the situa-
tion before the incoming administration al
the earliest possible moment"