Evening journal., 1918-01-03
NO PROFIT IN ALL
NIGHT CAR SERVICE
Receipts are Only 5 Cents
Above Wages of Operat-
ing Crews
NO RETURN FOR
CURRENT, UPKEEP

The Wilmington and Philadelphia
Traction Company has submitted a
letter 10 the Board Of Public Utility
Commissioners stating that the re-
ceipts on its all-nlght cars amount
to about cents more than the
wages Of the motorman and conductos
amount 10 for the month The re-
celpts while 3 cents in excess Of the
wages Of the all-night car crews, do
not make any allowance for Ope alton
or the power plant, maintenance OF
The cars and wires, depreciation, in
tei est and taxes. which aye the big
gest items in railway operation. In
other words. all the receipts were
paid out in wages to the car crews.
The check-up Of the traction COM
pany shows that the bulk Of traflc on
The West Fourth street line was on the
car leaving the western end Of the
line at A. NJ. IN, and leaving Todd's
Cut at SIS A. NJ, and also on the
car westbound leaving Fourth ami
Market at 4 O'Clock Saturday and
Sunday nights The average number
Of passengers per trip on the -Four IN
street line during the month was 1--WE
while there was an average OF only
three passengers per trip on the Della
ware avenue line.
The letter to the Utility Commission
is as follows:
Wilmington, Del.
December 90 1911
Public Utility Commission, Whining
ton, Delaware
t,Gentlemen--ln response TO the re-
quest contained In your letter Of De-
cember ~, / enclose herewith a re-
port by our auditing department OF
the result of the all-n.ght car service
for the month ending December ID.
1917.
Yours very truly.
IT. w. WILSON,
"VIce-President and General Manager"
Wilmington, Del
December 2s, 1917
"Alr r. W. Wilson Vice-Pres dent
and General Manager, Wilmington,
Delaware.
Dear Slr-pursuant 10 your request
for report of the operations Of night
service Instituted on November -,
1917. beg to submit herewith state
ments showing:
THE daily total Of passengeAs and
receipts on the Rivervev and West /
Fourth street and Delaware avenue |
line for the FIRST months operat on |
Detail on traillc statistics by trips for /
period OF one week beginning Deem /
Der 4. Riverview and West Fou IN |
street line and Delaware avenue line /
THE result Of the first months 4
ope. alton shows the daily average 10 |
be as follows:
''Number Of passengers carried /
Biverview and West Fourth street, 81 /
Delaware avenue. 81. Total. iis
Receipts, Rlverview and West |
Fourth street. s8 80: Delaware avenue,
81 80 Total $500.
IN Der or hours operated. River /
view and West Fourth street, 5% /
Delaware avenue, 4 Total 9%
Wages motto men and conductors.
and West Fourth street,
s345; Delaware avenue, s2lo Total,
$3.50
From these figures It is readily
seen that the earnings Of the Della
ware avenue line are not sufficient to
pay the wages Of the tranmen by So
cents per day. whereas the receipts on
Riverview and West Fourth street
exceed trainsmen's wages by 90 cents
per day, and on the combined service
we received but 5 cents more than
what the trainmen's wages will
amount to-
in addition to the wages Of the
motormen and conductors there Is, Of
course, the usual expenses on account
Df the upkeep Of track, line, cars and
their electrical equipment.
1.-The power costs are considerably
higher than the average power costs
due TO the additional amount Of fuel
required to operate generators that
would be inactive during the night.
"The accident liability Is something
hat cannot be estimated as the acct
Tents. 10 case Of a collision with an
on account Of damage to
ar and automobile could easily
mount 10 more than a years gross
revenue from this service.
yours truly,