Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-06-15

| rector Twining made the toIloWlng
statements:
All tho subway and elevated lines in
| cuded in the Taylor plan can
| be built and the two systems unified
| without any Increase in the tax rates, II
| the people are willing 10 pay an average
| fare not TO exceed five and three-quartcr
cents commencing in 1921, which will
take care Of the city's interest and sink
ing fund charges.
The estimates made in this department
show that tho ideal condition, the profit
able operation Of the unified system on
hvc-ccnt fare, may eventually be actu-
ally possible.
citizens should not delude themselves
into the belief that the average fare is
only five cents now.
The control and solution Of the entire
problem center in the fare
We believe that we do not err in stat
ing that the opinions then expressed by
Director Twlning arc his opinions now
In his mind, the big dominating difficulty
is that OF fare, a problem occasloned
wholly by the fact that temporarily more
than five cents worth Of service would
be given by the high.speed system for a
nickel
Mr.. Twining, in other words, does not
believe that the comprehensive system is
lacking in feasibility, but only in imme.
diate feasibility on a five-cent fare. From
his public statements we gather that all
difficulty between tho company and the
city would dissolve overnight and an op.
Grating agreement quickly be reached
were It agreed that an average basic fare
Of seventeen tickets for 81 would be
instituted If returns indicated the neccs.
sity for It. Moro than that, the Director
is convinced, we venture to say, that the
superior service rendered would Justify
such temporary fare, particularly as
in his opinion, reductions would he pos.
sible within a few years.
The essential difference, therefore, be.
tween the views Of Mr.. Taylor and those
Of Director Twining is this: Mr.. Taylor
who has invariably maintained that there
would be deficits in early years Of opera.
tlon, believes that no increase Of fare
should be levied to meet the city's in.
terest charges on transit bonds, since
later surpluses will make up for early
deficits, and Offsets in the form Of in.
creased tax receipts, etc, will justify the
nickel fare; Mr.. Twining thinks that the
deficits should be met from the begin.
ming by fare equal to the cost Of the
service and that the amount Of increase
in fare in these circumstances would be
at the worst but a fraction Of a cent, the
increase being only temporary. With the
views Of either adopted the company
would be fairly protected.
In either case it is admitted that no
deficit would result from the operation
Of the Frankford elevated, and that the
necessity for providing for any deficit
would not appear until the Broad street
subway and the rest Of the new system
came into operation.
The, whole transit muddle, therefore
resolves itself into very simple elements
There will be a deficit in the early years
Of operation; shall it be met by an in.
crease in the average fare, taking the
form Of a temporary transfer charge on
the high-speed lines, or out of offsets
such as increased tax returns resulting
from the improvement in transit?
One method or the other is necessary
and either assures this magnificent public
improvement. We suggest that with the
issue In this form there should be little
difficulty in reaching a solution Of the
whole problem.