Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-12-12
APPROVAL EXPECTED
FOR BYBERRY ROUTE
rbirtv-ffth Ward Delegation
Looks for Action by Serv-
ice Commission

..... os tho delegation OF Thirty
.ah ward residents that went 10 HarIls-
h,,rr Yesterday In the Interest OF tne by-
ss,rv surface trolley line resulted IN the
n-s...sslon Of almost unanimous opinion TO-
~ l,ho, tho public Service Commission
snuld grant a certificate Of public convent
s,sn authorlzing the Department OF Cty
srss,si. 90 proceed with the construction OF
~ line without any further Inquiry.
m. question raised by Commissioner
p,sn as 10 whether II would be equitable
y sspend about sl,a00,000 for line to
henent fewer than ono-thifd OF one per cent
- inc citya population, II was declared,
sronid he more pertinent when applied to the
,h,ee-mIIe extension OF the Frankford Il
above Bridge street
This extension tackled on to the original
TayIor plan will run through virtual farm
land which IL already enjoying trolley SER
yice and will cost approximately $500, 600
~ three miles, as against cost OF *l,-
10 600 for tho ten-mllo Byborry line.
TwINING DIDN'T KNOW
Although none of the Northeast delega-
,,on offered any objection to the change In
ro,lte OF the surface line from that orisi-
uaiy. planhed By former Transit Director a.
Merritt TAYLOR Commissioner Ryan asked
Transit Director TwIning point blank why
me change was made. Mr.. Twlning replied
that he did not know.
The inquiry by tho commissioner was
made when IL developed that cars could
have run on the Taylor line at speed be-
tween twenty and twenty-five miles an hour
and on tho present proposed route at only
twelve 70 fifteen miles. As speed seemed to
~ the object Mr.. Ryan sought to learn
what had been gained by sacrificing speed
for the new route.
ugas evident from the testimony and the
estimates made by both Director Twtning
and Assistant Director Atkinson that more
than five cents will have to be charged for
. ride over the full ten miles OF the line II
the operation is to be profitable. Commits
sloner Ryan. after some hearty calculation.
tsntatlvely suggested that n fare OF fifteen
esnts might protect the operating company
nom loss,
Director Twlnlng offered estimates to
lAow that about 100000 persons would
ride over the line annually, and at a fare
eF 1--WE cents the total fare returns would
Be $50, 900. The operation OF the line on
the other hand. not including any interest
or sinking fund charges on the cost OF the
line, would aPount TO s55,000 annually II
ears we're run every half hour.
coNNELLY AS SPOKESMAN
City Solicitor Connolly. who represented
the city officials before the commission.
made a plea for five-cent fare but II was
not indicated how the line could be made
profitable. Mr. Connolly intimated that
under such conditions the Philadelphia
Rapid Transit Company might not operate
the line. with the result that IL would be
ety-operated as well as clty-bullt line,
Director Krusen. Of the Department OF
Public Health and Charities. also pleaded
for the construction of the line on account
Of the benefits II would bring 10 the city
farms at Byberry. Assistant Director Mace
and Assistant City Solicitor Lowengrund
were at tho hearing. but did not speak.
;. Iseladsd in the dslegaton from the Northeast M
gilman George Mitchell 9f the y,nfthe
ms Iwepty-third Ward: the Rev. G; W. Mae
" Eidgs. the Rev, William, Mecleilsnd. DE. r
" LodSs. Y II. 'Elstshsr. =, fcRinsen. ].
f1lSS,, II BrgSklShuTst. r wooden, r. wilson
stevens; ~ = Mitchell n, n9nneII. e AshtST,9l.
Roegts. J. stevens, W BabinT,on. j. Roberts,
Iya H. L. psSaib. Rf, y H. fS5sS SsysT, wnia%
t.aisL Bonner, w. l.lngo II, Meis, IL.
S.arksy W. nuckmRn, William Nichols, G.
eff4saman. Sifman L. Farrell, l., Mott and n. NJ Con-