The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1918-03-28
WILL INTERURBANS BE
PALSIED AS STEAM
ROADS HAVE BEEN 7

Tho showings made to the public
rtili IS commission in appeals for re-
lief the public service corporations
prove hat many of them cannot con-
tinue operation unless rates are re-
adjusted, and none of them are re-
ceiVing enough in return for service to
permit expenditure for bettermsnts or
extensions.
Steam roads having paralyEed busi-
ness by breaking down, causes appre'
hension that the electric roads, being
subject to the same war conditions.
may suffer the same fate.
Why IS the greatest Of nations
paraIyzed2
Because ill-advised national and
state regulations have added to oper-
ating expenses Of the steam roads so
limiting their incomes that they are
improbable to investors and cannot
borrow at a reasonable interest money
for terminals and extensions.
Will the electric reads be made
profitable by Increases In business due
to the breaking down Of the etOam
systems7
Of1cials Of several electric roads
asking increases in passenger rates.
have put their books before the public
utilities commission and shown that
operating expenses have been In
creased more than half within two
years and many sources Of expense
have doubled since the rates were
lfxed.
Reduction of the number of steam
trains and the uncertainty of their
movements, has thrown upon the cleo
trio roads more passengers than they
have cars to carry.
Can't they get additional ears7
Many of them cannot A losing bus
mess has poor credit.
Will they not get greatly Increased
Income from added freight traffic
which now is taken to them because
Iof the embarooes, priority orders and
blocked terminals Of the steam roads3
The books of many of them show
that they have no surplus with which
to buy additional rolling stock.
, Will the patrons of these roads
favor an Increase In Interurban
rateS2
Those who know the situation will,
for the American people are fair
minded.
Can dema0ogs still win votes for
themselves for public office by attack
Ing public service corporations?
Probably not, If the present expert
ence from the collapse of transporta-
tion brings to the public knowledge
the necessities of these corporations.
l. Electrical power for light and
heat and traction, and conversation, is
distributed through copper wire.
Previous to three years ago, the price
Of copper for this use ranged between
IL and IL cents. It now is % cents.
2. Previous to the outbreak of the
European war coal cost $3.50 a ton de-
liVered. The average cost now to trac-
tion roads out of Columbus is $3.43
and the freight charge is paid by the
purchaser. And, too, when the price
was $1.90, screened coal was deliv-
cred. Now it is "run-of-mine" with
slate, stone, earth, dust and all. This
difference in quality makes heat
unit cost double what it was when
the price to consumers was flxed.
3. Utility enterprises have certain
ly fallen upon evil days. and are
with problems of which
their patrons are wholly unaware. The
market price of utility securities has
steadily declined during the last two
or three years. and many of them have
no market value at all.
II they fail the public will be
the greater sufferer; for there will be
no inducement for others to take the
hazard of attempting to furnish the
service. These problems require some
sane thinking on the part of both
producer and consumer.
s. Not only the business Of nation
but its existence as well, depends upon
transportation. Its cost is unimpor-
tant for 1t affects all alike and, any
way, the public is well protected
against extortion by the public utili-
ties commission. The quality Of serV.
ice is all-impOrtant. and efficient serv.
ice cannot be had unless the cOrpor-
ations are allowed rates which will
produce money enough for mainten-
ance and interest on capital.