Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-06

ment In the present proposal to A pro-
cess by which such city funds could be
So 30 appi.eo as TO reduce or hold down the
company.
10 the effect that
ro,e,t,y AZ any time while the question Of fare
revision is before the Public Service Com
a'',ssion the city may by ordinance waive
a portion properly limited as TO amount
s, and periodl Of the interest and sinking
lunu chsrges payable to IL under Item z.
nd ana such desire and intent on the part of
Sy she CITY shall be placed before the Public
s,ao S,ervlce commission to be taken into con-
siueratlon IN liking the rates of fare.
lc) Abolition of exchange tickets.
As three:cent exchange tickets will
virtually all be abolished automatically
pg the operation of the new rapid transit
lines with universal free transfers, the
the further use of exchange tickets for
only about four years, or until the Broad
street street subway Is opened. The total rev
uance would be less than $3,ooo.0oo
SOME ALTERNATIVES
The various alternatives that have been
proposed are
First For the company to give up ex-
change tickets without remuneration.
Second. For the company to give up
exchange tickets after reimbursement
therefor out of the city treasury, as pro-
vided. in effect, by the 1916 proposal
Third. To continue the use of exchange
tickets as at present, until the commence
ment of operation OF the Broad street
subway. but limiting the company's divi-
dend during such period and giving the
city share In the revenue from such
exchange tickets during this period, as
provided In the present proposal.
Fourth. Immediate abolition Of ex-
change tickets and compensation 10 the
company by some concession IN the con-
the city treasury.
In our opinion. small charge for
transfers between high-speed and surface
lines, or for all transfers, would be pref
erable to the three-cent exchange tickets,
which are used only in certain localities
and are thus discriminatory.
If 1t be deemed advisable that ex-
changes should be abolished Immediately
and that the city should reimburse the
company therefor until the opening of the
Broad street line our foregoing sugges-
tion (c) would provide means OF SO
doing.
(6. Advisability and composition OF
Board of Supervising Engineers.
We believe that board of control
should be established to vest in the city
proper degree of control over the unified
TRANSFORMATION system and to insure by
joint authority of city and company the
smooth operation of this contract. We
question. however. the advisability of the
proposed method of constituting such
board.
LINE If1l,Ado bOAND
The proposed board is modelled after
the Chicago board. which was established
in the Chicago traction settlement of 1907
The establishment of this Chicago Board
OF Supervising Engineers. which we be-
lieve was originally suggested by uf,
was necessary from the city's standpoint
and desirable from the standpoint of the
company because of the fact that at that
time there was no city board or depart
ment authorized to deal with transit mat
there regulatory
body to act in a judicial capacity between
the municipality and the company.
In view OF the fact that the City OF
Philadelphia has already established the
Department of City Transit with a COM
plete and efficient engineering organiza-
tion, which in our opinion is fully able
vision and control Of these facilities. and
in view also of the fact that the Public
Service Commission Of Pennsylvania is
established by law to pass in a judicial
manner upon any dispute which may arise
between these two contracting parties. we
believe that so far as possible the details
OF constructionand operation under the
proposed contract should be left in the
hands of such legally constituted authori-
ties. On the other hand, we recognize the
feasibility or necessity of enlarging as
with the proposed contract or by statute
the powers of the Department OF City
Transit as representing the city's interest.
Our suggestion as to this board is that
the Director of City Transit represent the
city and that the company appoint and
pay for its representative, who. together
with the city's representative. should be
empowered to pass upon problems sub
ject to this joint control. In case IL is
found advisable these two parties should
be empowered to add to the board third
member appointed by the Public Service
Commission for such term as they deem
desirable. or directed to submit any mat
ter in dispute to the Public Service Com
mission. In this way we believe that the
workings of the contract would be more
smoothly and efficiently conducted with
out chance of friction between two differ