The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1918-03-14
|lkINAY, CANNOT
LAST TWO YEARS,
v SHARTEL SAYS
Higher Costs Cut Profits in
City, He Declares,

The Oklahoma Railway compan,
will have TO quit operating rs street
cars within two years unless a higher
fare is charged passengers, according
to John W, Shauel. general manager
OF the company. Changed economic con
ditions higher price OF material and
labor the automobile n factor ol
passenger transportation and the args
number OF accidents attributed 10
careless drivers are given as some OF
The causes in an article by Shartel APP
posring in the Employer for March.
Notwithstanding the multiplied use
Of the privately owned automobile
Shariel says. from three iourthi 10
fouf-hiths OF the people still depend
on the street car An insolyent ftreet
railway destroys III, prosperity Of any
town and the people can no more al.
bfd TO have an enterprise OF this KIND
fail than can the owners Of the proper
y itself.
Other Cities Raise Fare.
-Reeent economic changes have
borne down very heavily on all enter
prises based on fixed compensation,
such as street car enterprise, In more
than 100 cities in the United State
the existence OF street car tfansporta-
ton has become so imperiled by the
high cost OF doing business that the
traditional Scent fare has been raised
% 6 and 7 cents.
The local problem In Oklahoma City
h fraught with another difficulty. The
Oklahoma Railway company has thlr'
teen routes, OF which six are being
y opers,ed at a margin Of profit and
seven at greater margin OF loss. 1t
would appear somewhat hard and in
equitable 10 lay any additional tax on
the good routes 10 pay losses on the
other lines and, on the other denying
the Improbable lines oi any service
would present a situation which would
be very difficult
Public Copl' Help.
The Oklahoma Railway company
could live perhaps eighteen months OF
two years longer under present condl.
tions II prices Of labor, material and
supplies go no higher. but at the end
Of that time the inroadS OF war and
depreciation on the property will com
pei drastic action either ~ the shape
OF abandonment OF Improbable lines
radical increases IN fare or Insolvency,
On the other hand ! want TO say and
/ say most cmnhaically that proper CO.
1 operation on the part Of the public can
( avoid the ncJc 'ity OF either.
/ "The impression genera ly prevails
that the automobile has been very de-
sruetive to street railway property, but
} the public generally thinks merely OF
the loss OF business,
"Wherein the automobile has proved
J almost fatal TO the street railway IS
forcing prohibiiye increase IN operal-
Nd expenses and a want OF efficiency
in the service which make, the street
railway unpopular, and for which the
company, though blameless is blamed
Autos Cause Poor Service.
"Previous to the advent Of the auto
mobiles, street carEm Oklahoma City
were making ten miles an hour from
the time they left the barn until they
, returned At the present time they are
making less than eight miles on the
average and afford but little better
service than the horse car. before the
advent OF electricity, all on account
OF the automobile. or rather on ac-
| count OF about 10 percent Of the people
who drive them, These drivers absorb
the right -of-wsy, produce accidents and
cause running conditions which require
the mortorman constantly to be ready
for trouble Any auto for all he
knows, may be one Of the 10 percent
Fifty thousand people are being held
up here daily on account Of 500 fools
, at the steering wheel who ought not to
be allowed on the streets with an auto
mobile.
"This recklessne" has reached the
point where it has placed as great, il
not a greater burden on the street rail
Z way operation than the high cost o
doing business.
Auto Accident a Day.
we average an automobile acciden
every day We are run into from ever
angle, from side and rear Thirty O
forty times each day accidents ar
barely avoided by the heroic prompt
ness OF the motorman and to III
serious damage Of property and shakin
up OF passengers. And hundreds an
hundreds Of times each day the iea
Of possible accidents and the inablit
10 tell what course an automobile wi
take causes the cars to come nearly
stop and be put under absolute col
troll. Even after this slowing Of speed
made necessary in the endeavGr to avo
accidents, costs Of automobile acciden
in the last twelve months has almo
hebied."