Evening journal., 1918-06-03
SEVEN Cent Fare
REQUEST BEFORE
UTILITIES BOARD
tcontInued From First page.l }

assured That 10 IS absolutely
necessary. and that assurance be given
10 the people OF Wilmington that after
such increase in fare Is granted, bet
ter service shall be given. In this con-
nection Mr. O'Kane brought broad
smile on the cOuntenances Of the COM
missiOners and visitors when he said
that the trouble with the traction COM
pany is that il carries too much wat
tered stock. He also cited cases in con-
nection with the service Of the com
pany where a car Of 30 capacity car
ried 95 people.
ITS not Mr.. Wilson's fault, he said.
''He is simply put In a very bad predica-
ment" In response IN the Labor Unions
representative. T. W. Wilson, general
manager Of the company, stated that II
twas not q matter Of over capitalization
but one Of paying interest on bonds.
We are unable 10 do that" he said.
Have you paid dividends on your
common stock during the past two
years, Uninterrupted c. D. Garreison.
member OF the commission.
Yes" answered Mr.. Wilson. I'VE
paid a three per cent. dividend. but !
don't see how we can do il this year.
The American Railway Company. who
are the common stockholders OF this
company. have invested one million
dollars in this company. and I think
that they are entitled to a return"
What have they gotten FOR that one
million dollars asked Mr. Garretson.
"Our note" responded r. W. Wilson.
Among the letters read before the
commission for and against the pro
posed increase in fare was one from
Pierre 8. dupont. president OF the du-
Pont Powder Company, who urged not
as holder Of Is shares Of preferred
stock, which he said was his sole hold
ing with the company, but as a citizen
that the increase asked by the trac-
1 ton company be granted as soon as pos
sible.
The Penn seaboard steel Company, A.
F. Crichton, Colonel J. Ernest Smith and
the Farmers Bank all urged granting
the fare increase. The Bricklayers
Union. No. 4, on the other hand, IN a
letter urged that the increase should
not be granted, and that only the phys
ical valuation OF the compsny's prop
erty be accepted by the board as The
basis Of estimating the profit TO which
the company is entitled.
4 committee OF motormen and con-
ductors. headed by p. ]. Deputy, re-
quested the commissioners 10 grant the
seven-cent rate in order that the COM
many may be able 10 pay the con-
ductors and motormen a living wage
He told OF the sentiment Of the public
10 nav the increase, and Of several per
sons. who thinking the decision OF the
I Al hrnT
given. rendered the conductors six and
seven cents instead Of i've as their fare
Ezekiel Cooper treasurer Of the Far
mers' Bank, and ]. Christy conner
urged that the increase be granted, anc
/ that the Traction Company be request
ed 10 stop the cars at Third and Marke
/ streets. Mr.. Conner explained ths'
/ the fact that the cars do not stop a
Third and Market streets causes motor
men 10 let loose" on Market street, 10
ward Front, making the Third am
/ Market street crossing altogether to'
dangerous. He also argued mat h'
passengers getting OF at Fourth an'
/ Market streets are subjected to TN
danger Of being run over when the9
have 10 walk a block toward ThirC
street
]
/ followed the report az a motion made
| by c. n. Garrettson, the commission
adjourned 20 meet again this AFTER
noon.
After dealing in hisOreport with the
cost Of production. the sdyisability OF
| the location Of the Fifth street plant
the operation Of the Brsndywine power
house. division OF power and its dis
Ifrbution and the operation and main
ltenance Of car equipment Engineer Man
son offered a number Of ways in which
general speed up OF the company 5
property may be accomplished so as TO
/ increase the speed Of the cars from I.4e
miles per hour TO s.5 per mile. In order
10 accomplish that speeding up the fol
lowing propositions were advanced by
the engineer. Traffic regulation, reduc-
tion in passenger stOus, recruiting IN
the business centre.
In connection with the advisabillty OF
traffic regulation, Mr.. Manson submitted
a Dlan Of the city showing that nearly
oyerv line runs either on or across Mar
ket street. The congestion on Market
street. he said during the rush hours
is great. Automobiles. trucks, etc, ap-
parently move along this narrow main
street which throws all the trafilc on
the car tracks. This congestion results
in twenty minutes being consumed IN
the total running time from the Hote
dupont down Market street TO the
Pennsylvania railroad station and re-
turn. Take for instance the Delaware
avenue line which has a mileage on the
round trip Of 629 and total running
time Of 81 minutes, % minutes Of which
.are lost in the congested section, Mr.
Manson pointed out.
lie also recommended that left-hant
turning Of vehicles from Market street
into cross streets should be eliminated
Turns" he said. should be made on
other streets so that all traffic IS ethel
along or across this main thorough
fare"
Among the other recommendation
was the decrease OF the number OF stop
in the outlying parts OF the city. a one
way operation on Market street fo
street cars, thereby allowing the auto
mobiles and other vehicles TO use one
half Of the street.
Among the most important OF the rec
concentrations made by Engineer Man
son were the education Of the publi
as well as the motormen. The publi
ought 10 be educated to ENTER tn
rear door and leave by front door" h
said. Time is saved with this arrange
ment especially on the cars hsvln
E small plstfSms. The education OF tn
motormen in coasting." he said, "woul
result in much economy Increase I
coastlne time reduces the cost OF oper
alton per car mile. II is not only a
economy to the railway company, bu
Alec a sten toward the saving OF coal.