Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-11-23
|||l|IlSIF LEASE TAX
I CLAUSE TAYLOR'S IDEA
City Officials Turn to Plan Per-
mitting Fixed-C Charge
Transfer
AGREEMENT is SOUGHT

l The clause to he inserted In the Smith.
Mitten transit lease by which fixed charges
OF the system could be Incorporated In the
tax rate and not against the riders. II the
city were ever well enough off financially to
permit such action, and IL II Is thought the
advisable thing to do. is the idea OF A.
Merritt Taylor former director OF transit
friends of Mr.. Taylor pointed out today.
Under the provisions of the Smith -Mitten
lease car-rders were TO pay more than a
five-cent fare, II there were any deficits
hut owing to the opposition to the method
In the Smith-Miteen lease, 1t is reported
the city transit officials are now turning TO
the former directors plan of fnancierlng
rather than raise the fare.
Announcement that such a clause was TO
he inserted In an amendment to the lease
was made by william Draper Lewis, the
Mayors advisor in transit matters. last
night at a meeting of the United Business
Mems Association. With Director OF Tran
sit william S. Twining and officials OF the
p r. T. he has been holding conferences
during the last week In an enort 10
straighten out the lease muddle to the sat
isfaction Of everybody concerned.
n the company and city fail to agree on
the Smith -Mitten lease 1t Will be referred
hack to the Joint Committee OF Finance and
Street Railways for action ana II reported
out of committee will be acted on by the
present councllmanic body. The Philadel-
phia Rapid Transit Company Is said 10 be
In favor of the original Smith-Mitten lease,
but has been opposed to the proposed
Amendment which will eliminate exchange
tickets and 81. zoo. 900 of their prohts annu-
ally.
n became known today that city transit
ofTlcials and officials of the company are
trying to reach an agreement and hope
that Il will reach by the early part OIL
next week There is little less than
month left in which the present Councils
have to act on the ithMitten lease. and
II was hinted today tnat the administra-
ton might attempt to push lease through
Councils before the end of the year.
E This would be possible TO accomplish. be-
cause the present body of Councils is con-
trolied by the Smith-Vare combination.
while II the lease is laid over for the next
body of Councils for action it might prove
n difficult thing to pass, In view of the fact
that the new body will be almost evenly
divided between the Town Meeting party
and the Smith-Vare Councilmen.
Director Twining and Doctor Lewis will
hold another conference with =. r. T. Co.
officials today in Dicertor Twinings Of
ice In the Bourse in an effort to reach an
agreement on plan for the abolition OF
the eight-cent exchange tickets
1t Ia understood that the r. r. T. officials
consulted with e. r. Stotesbury, executive
director. Of the company. and acquainted
him with the stand made by the city transit
oficials for the abolition of the exchange
tickets unless the car riders were protected
in some other manner.
Director Twining and Mr.. Lewis. speak
Ing before the United disbursements AS
sociation last night. told of the work that
has been going on at the conferences. and
asserted that the Frankford IL" would not
pay Il dividend operated as an independent
line because Of the high cost OF construction
and that neither the Philadelphia Rapid
Transit nor any other comp my would under
take to operate the line independent OF the
other high-speed lines