Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-11
Circulation Every 1000 A
Evening Yesterday 1914
WEDNESDAY,, DECEMBER IL, 1918.
The End of the Skip Stop.

eTT welcome was tllc hLiiiouiiISii'4'
to the people of Wilmington, this week
that there was TO be an end TO the skip
sfop" plan in the schedule o. trolley
TRANSFORMATION service in this city The
.skip-stop" plan never proved popular.
People we're accustomed to getting on or
OF the trolley cars AT any street where
they desired to get on or depart, end
having to wait for certain streets where
they could embark or leave did not always
suit their convenience. And when it did
not suit their convenience, they COM
plained.
But It is not just 10 blame the trac-
eon company for this ''skip-stop plan
q operating the cars. The traction conf
many did not invite il. The change was
for ced upon it by the Fuel Administra-
tion. created hy our Federal govern
s..nt as one OF the ;gencies that world
contribute to the winning Of the war
It vaS held that much electric energy and
. corresponding saving of coal needed
for other purposes, could be secured by
the trolley lines OF the country omittng
quite number OF the stops they had
tecn accustomed To making. 1t WIS
:. q cd tina, every stop and start cost 50
much electric energy, and that by rcduc-
ing the number of stops. that much energy
Ii the form of coal consuT ption could be
saved And it must lc admitted that
~ 7 y q
IN coal was something worth looking
after
TT, now. thanks he 10 the God Of
Nations. the waI i over. and We ale not
- arted 10 submit TO the vaIiors dcp'iEn-
tI,as ttat were considered necessary ri lie
...,.ssr. With It's Tremendous expenditures.
: in progress And among tie vGIioLs
reiievsnces that have bcen made avail
able is that Of the slip stops" in ouf
trolley service. Now tie service goes
back to the former status Of taking on
people wherever they may choose 10 get
on. and letting them of where tEey nay
desire
II Is not even an apology TO say that
the traction company IL as well plec sed
TO return TO the former service as the
people viii be to have it. It was not
pleasant thing for the traction company
TO have TO endure public condemnation
for the "ssip-stop' schedules. The COM
psny would not have adopted these sched-
ulet had it not been for the imperative
order Of the Federal authorities. With
this order the traction company had 10
comply.
But now that the order Of Federal
authority has been lifted, the traction
company is only too willing TO return TO
former conditions. II desires this for
two reasons: First, TO give the lest SER
vice TO the people: second, 70 secure the
best financial returns in its business.
Many people are inclined to take
sarruw-rninded and entirely wrong view
of the service rendered the people by The
public utility corporations. They are too
much inclined to lend their cars to the
clsmors of partisan politicians that
every public service corporation is an
enemy to the people and intent only
upon feecing them out OF every dolla.
possible But this Is not the case The
public utility corporation is on the same
plane as tie ordinary Business corporation.
II il In business for the purpose, fIst of
rendering satisfactory service 10 the pub
.ic, and second, OF deriy ing fair profit
from its service. II is the favorltc policy
of designing politicians to make it appear
to the public. all the time, that the public
service corporations are concerned only
IN robbipg them but this is not so
The main Interest Of public service
%. roration. IN these times, Is 20 well
serve tic public, and 10 earn tic j =
pro;:t that may he desired from good
ser} ice Cone is the day of corporate
insoIence when the head Of any greet
The public be damned That doctIinc
10 longer i.nds favor Tie public utili-
lies c0rPorufiols Low cndeator 10 serve
tLe public And We believe this Is the
dcai Of the public utility corporations
u the city Of Wilmington. No matter
what may be said about tic policy Of
public utility corporations in the past.
there is no reason 10 doubt that those now
existent liz thc city Of Win ington have
no 0rler desire tlan to faithfully serve
the interests Of the Iefblic, and 10 carn
u much profit ~ other coIporations.
engaged in otLer lines 81 brsiness. derive
from tier operations. And Is the he'd
of ono public corporation said, 'opt
best asset is the good opinion Of the
public There Is no reason why the
public ser, ice corporations and the people
should not work together for tic coin
E.oH good