The Colorado statesman., 1918-06-08
The Buying Power of the Most
Active Piece of United States
Money Has Become Less Than
3l/2 Cents During Past Few Years

relief. The electric lines giving service to
municipalities in the United States have
been compelled to fight the continual rising
cost of materials for repairs, extensions, new
equipment and cost of service. The IN
creased cost of all materials used by cleo
trio lines have increased on an average OF
from forty to four hundred per cent In
addition to this they have been justly com
PEELED to increase the wages of their en-
ployes.
Among the principal materials and
their increased cost are the followingi Cot
ton Waste, 1880, Cedar Poles 1859, Ce-
ment 7496, Angle Bars, 1910, Armature
Coils 1880, Rails 1000, Trolley Wire 1900,
Brass Tubing 1880, Car Wheels 75%o, Mag
net Wire $500, Sheet Brass, 174?O, Nails
11O%, Street Cars 1000, Special Track
Work 1870, Steam Coal 1909, Dry Batter
les 500, Rail Spikes 1879, Carriage Bolts
1869, Brake Shoes 76%o, Pig Tin 1879,
Bolts 11496 Bar Steel 200%o, Linseed Oil
266%o Railroad Ties 52@o, White Lead 800
In the judgment of men who have given
the subject of conditions existing in the cleo
trio street railways of the United States,
there are just two ways to save the street
car lines from piling up on the rocks IN
mad. scrambled wreck. To increase the rev.
enues to meet the higher cost of operation
and the needs for additional service, or cut
expenses down to where the cost OF run
ming the street railways does not increase
its income, which of course can only be done
by cutting the service rendered to their pa
irons.
IF wages were reduced or even remained
stationary as they are, big proportion OF
the street railway employees would quit the
cars, Shops track work and offices. rms
=. o1,I or
and is one of the big reasons why President
Wilson has said: "It is essential that these
utilities should be maintained at their maxi
mum efficiency and that everything reason
ably possible should be done with that end
in view. l hope that state and local authori-
ties, where they have not already done so,
will, when the facts are properly laid be-
fore them, respond promptly TO the necessl-
ties of the situation
Denver's street railways have been rum
ming behind and showing serious deficits for
the past few years. They took in big sums
of money annually-but at the end OF each
year they found themselves no better off
than at the start, because they had to pay
out everything they took in and then some,
The man running the peanut stand on the
corner has more left, in proportion to his
earnings, at the end of the year, than the
street railway system Sounds foolish until
you think about it.
Miles of old track should have been re-
placed with new and heavier rail long ago,
but there has been no money for such ex-
penditures Increased revenues is the only
answer if street car riders on the older lines
are to ride over smooth fast track 1t takes
money to maintain tracks, cars and power
system in good condition to give good serv-
ice, and if maintenance were to be trimmed
to the quick there would unavoidably re-
suit the knocked-out cars, bad track, and
slow operation that mean poor service and
frequent delays because of some outworn
equipment we would be 'trying to get along
with