The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1918-10-14
HIGHER FARES
ON BERKSHIRE
TROLLEY LINES
Necessitated by Increased Costs
of Operation
GOES IN EFFECT NOV. 13
Fifty Cents to North Adams, As Cents
to Hoosick Falls, IS Cents to
North Bennington.
sOES IN EFFECT NOV. 10

Editor of The Banner:-The great
cost Of operating electric railway
service over the lines Of the Berk-
shire Street Railway Company, occas-
ioned by increasing costs Of materials
and necessary increases in the rates
of pay to all employees, has reached
the point when the revenues are no
longer sufficient TO meet the costs of
the service and it is necessary to OBJ
tain substantial increases in these
revenues by increase in rates OF
fare.
Another very strong motive which
causes the Company to ask for an in
creased rate in fare, is the fact that
owing TO war causes there has been a
very heavy percentage Of loss in
travel. Something over 5000 young
men have gone to war from the ter
ritory covered by the Berkshire lines,
and apparently no other people have
come in to take this places. The
young men in question were some OF
our best riding patrons and their loss
is severely felt
In addition to this. the automobile
Is an ever increasing competitor, and
especially during the summer months
has taken practically all Of the pleas
ure traffic which the Berkshire Road
formerly enjoyed.
I The need for increased revenue is
condition which is not peculiar to
the Berkshire Street Railway, but Is
common 10 all street railways through
out the country and all manner OF
/ fare increases have been resOrted to
on different properties in an effort to
obtain Teyenoe which viii be sutIici-
ent for the con tinued operation of the
property
( We have delayed presenting a plan
/ for the needed increase in order that
we might have the benefit OF the ex-
pcrience OF other companies. especial
I ly as a method OF increasing the unit
: fare to six or seven cent rate has
met with SO much criticism, and op
position from the patrons of proper
ties similar 10 the Berkshire Street
Railway
After a careful investigation OF the
use of the service made by the public
OF the Berkshire Companys lines, the
plan has been worked out and has
been hled with the Public Service
Commission providing for uniform
rate over the entire system and still
maintaining the FIVE cent piece as the
unite OF fare. This has been accom-
plished by a Encouragement and a
cutting down OF the length of the fare
zones in the suburban territory and q
reduction OF the fare area in the
cities, and in each OF these section.
a fare OF FIVE cents will be charged
In many parts Of the country lines
which are not producing sufficient
revenue TO warrant their continued
operation are being abandoned anC
the physical property sold for scrap
Il is the hope of the management tina
II will not be necessary to go to this
extreme in connection with any o
the Berkshire porperty. but il is abso
lutely necessary for the present a
least. TO discontinue service upon thu
lines south and west of Great Bar
rington and upon the line from Let
to Huntington
This is neCessitated in order tina
. the revenues may be sufficient to pa.
. the operating expenses and taxes an,
still maintain the credit Of the com
pany that il may continue goinI
concern and not be forced to discon
tinue the service which Is vitally es
, sental to the communities from Grea
harrington north.
Without the increase in revenu
p coupled with the economies to be oil
tanned by dlscontinuance of IN
. service which is now operated at
distinct loss. the property can no lon
er be operated In manner TO give tn
J. required service to this more densel
settled portion OF the territory.
|. Under the new tariff the fare fror
r North Adams to Bennington will b
fifty (50) cents and from Benningto
J. to Hoosick Falls forty.fve (l5) cent
with the addition of the war tax 10
l. all fares of over thlrty.6ye (35) cent
from Bennington to North Benninl
Z ton fifteen (i5) cents This ne
schedule becomes effective Nov. 1911
}. There is a strong feeling on IN
/. part OF the officials OF the compan
that the results of operation in We
mont and Now York In the past d
/; not warrant the continuance OF III
service under present conditions, bl
Z, recognizing the importance OF n
line between Bennington and Mort
l. Adamg as an outlet for southern We
mont for both passengers and frcish
b a trial viii be made to show whetho
under the new rates Of fares, a co
n tnuance is warranted,
Il. IN the final analysis, It would see
that we must ask the public to be
as chcorlully as It may. the increas,
cost proposition which we have G
deavorod to- make as equitable al
just as possible
g. Ncrkshirc Street Railway Co.