Evening journal., 1918-07-31
MERCHANTS OPPOSE
"SkIP STOP ORDER
Tell Utilities Commissioners
They Believe Practice is
False Economy
GIVE EAR TO
THE PROTESTS

Merchants and representative citizenl
before the Board Of Public Utilities
Commissioners yesterday afternoon
urged that body TO revise the skip
stop trolley system now in vogue
especially on Market street between
Third and Fifth. AS a result OF the
contention on the part Of the commit
tee and citizens the board will revise
the system.
]. ChrIsty Conner is leading the fight
for the re-establishment OF stops al
Third and Fifth streets on Market. He
told the board that the elimination OF
the stops at the two named streets was
false economy.
Ezekiel Cooper. representing the
Farmers Bank. told the board OF num-
erous complaints received from the
banks patrons. who. he said ARE
compelled TO walk either from Second
street or down from Fourth, TO reach
the hank building" Morris Levy, OF the
Levy Shoe House, made a similar COM
plajnt. He laid stress on the fact that
the great part OF Wllmington's mer-
chantile tax comes from the merchants
on Market street between Second and
Fifth. He asked the board 10 make a
recommendation to the Fuel Adminis-
traitor al Washington that the stops be-
tween these points be re-estsblished.
Robert p. Robinson. president OF Cen
tral National Bank, in behalf OF the pa
irons Of that institution. said he could
not see the fairness of the order.
According to Walter L. Butler. Of
the r. s. r. Butler and Son store, there
is very little power saved by the elimi-
nation Of stops From his information,
Il appeared that a certain amount OF
voltage must be carried on the wires
70 keep the cars moving and that the
addition OF one or two stops matters
little with the dlminution OF that neces-
sary amount OF voltage, without which
no cars could run. Thomas w Wilson.
Of the traction company. confirmed that
the aggregate number OF stops through
out the country, may. In the opinion
Of Washington result In substantial
saving.
Samuel Greenbaum cited cases in
Philadelphia, New York and Washing
ton, where no stops have been elimi-
mated and asked why Wilmington with
its very short main street should suf-
fer the elimination OF some OF the stops.
He also pointed out that there is al
ready a saving Of coal in the less FREE
quent running Of cars. and stated that
from his own experience cars do not
run any more frequent than between
twelve and fifteen minutes. which he
said is in itself saving In fuel.
J.. T. Montgomery briefly testified
from his own observation that the lack
OF stops at Third and Fifth streets on
Market results in serious inconvenience
TO the housewives going and particular
ly coming from market on Wednesdays
and Saturdays. He could hardly see the
justice OF cutting out all stops on a
stretch OF the main street for FIVE
blocks
Among the others present but did
not address the commission were:
Robert d. Morrow. William G. Bryan,
of Baynard, Banks and Bryan, and sew
eral others
Although the general basis OF the |
complaint by the merchants is ce-
mented primarily by the fact that the
elimination OF stops hurts business, !
ihere was, nevertheless, an element Of
due TO the apparent un-
fairness dealt TO the down Market |
street people, and every one OF their |
expressions testified to that grievance. +,
The commissioners questioned most
Of. the merchants as to their parti |
cular grievance and explained TO them !
that the orders were purely OF a Fed |
eral nature and that the commission |
wire merely carrying out a government
order, there being very little discre-
tion left for the commissioners but to
carry out the orders. Acting, how
ever. on the suggestion made by Charles
II. Ten Weeges, who appeared before
the board at their last meeting sdvis-
ing increasing the number OF skips.
but the revision OF the present system
so that every stop eliminated Will mean
saving the commission will make an
Investigation OF the entire matter. To
have a basis for their investigation. the
commissioners asked William A. Helm
die OF the traction company to furnish
them with a list Of the present skip |
stops. The commissioners will then |
tour the city with the purpose Of re-
vising the entire system with probable |
increases OF the skips but with a view
of eliminating non-essential stops rath-
er than those on the main street.
e. p. Bardo, Of the Diamond State |
Company. explained that
the alleged over charges made by the
company in connection with telephone
was confused with the
advance payments required by the
company from subscribers unknown TO
the company. That. Mr. Bardo ex-
pained was due entirely TO safeguard