Perth Amboy evening news., 1918-03-27

lls my judgment IL ID lmpract1cal IN
the present emergency. would
welcome any inquiry that would ul-
Itimately lead to some practical sys-
Item, worked out along that line.
Mr.. Wakelee: You don't mean,
in the place of the present relief?
Mr.. McCarter: No. I mean as
an ultimate solution Of the difficulty.
I want to say another word in
ary relief shall be granted Il said
something Of this character two
weeks ago when I was here), have
tno disinclination whatever to a rate
case in the railway. I am SO satis-
fed in my own mind as to what the
value Of this property would be on
a proper rate case, and I am Sc. will
ing to abide by a proper verdict
based upon that, that at the proper
time and in the proper way, would
be perfectly ready to go along, at
such time as the Commission might
think was proper, with thorough
Investigation on a rate-making bas-
Is, and TO expedite 1t all we could.
But this is no time for that, to COW
,er the emergency of which I am
speaking.
Mr.. Wal1elee: You mean, regard
less of this franchise provision for
q five cent fare?
Mr.. McCarter, Yes.
Mr.. Wakelee; Regardless of that?
Mr.. McCarter: Yes. l mean to
say, to base return on the proper
ty on the principal involved in the
,Passaic Gas case. It won't help
these municipalities any; It WON'T
help the situation any; 1t won't
help the people any, If the had the
legal right to enforce the rights Of
which Mr.. Congleton spoke this
morning. The worst thing that
could happen to this community
would be to put this railroad in the
hands Of receiver and put it out
llof business. A tired horse never
pulled full load. The Commits
isioner in oregon used that illustra-
tion in the decision in the Portland
lease. 1t is absolutely true. If they
have that technical right, which
Idon't think they nave, 1t would be
these cities II 1t be shown that this
jcent fare to live and thrive and
work under. These companies just
be put on sound basis if the COM
munity is to prosper.
II they made a binding contract
seventy years ago, and 1t turned
out to be d fool contract Il don't
think they nave; I think the law is
the other way), but If they did, 1t
would be the worst public policy, in
my judgment, for the municipalities
to attempt to enforce it. They would
be biting off their nose to spite
their face. What everybody wants
and what we want to give, and what
iyou all want to have, is the best
kind Of service that company of
this kind can give, when 1t is equip
ped to give 1t.
Now, the difficulties Of surface
transportation are very, very great.
The service can never be, never has
been, nor can never be, just what
you want or like it to be; especially
three montns Of the year Of win
ter like this last one.
There was very instructive ar
lticle published in the New York Sun
two weeks ago, written by Mr..
lShonts, President of the Interurban
Company. We all admit that great
subway system in New York Is the
finest thing of its kind that any Of
,us have ever seen, think; and yet
Mr.. Shonts says 1t is absolutely in
adequate. and always will be. And
notice that Mr.. Travis Whitney,
for the New York Public Service
Commission, only this morning Is
lout with a statement In which he
says that the great. vast accretion
TO that system, now nearing compile
tion, is behind the times. and by
the time 1t is put into effect the
lon~ mi ha olp nroof
on 1t as 1t has been on the present
subway.
Mr.. McCarter referred further to
the recent article by Theodore
Shonts and spoke of the difficulties
encountered by Public Service Rail-
way during the past winter.
Now, 1t does seem to me, Mr..
McCarter continued, that 1t Is to
the interest OF all that we should be
put in q position to do the best we
can with this difficult job. 1t GER
tainly won't help IL our hands were
tied and we cannot do anything.
simply because Of the people insist
ing on riding for five cents when 1t
costs more tnan that to carry q
passenger. Mr.. Whitney shows in
his statement, to which I referred
this morning, that UP to date 1t has
cost for every passenger who has
ridden on tle new dual system, Of
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit in
which the City Is a partner, six and
one-third cents, and the City has
got to pay the bill and put up the
balance out Of taxation, unless the
fare is increased. 1t goes back to
the old problem that 2 and 2 make
IA, and not 3.-
I Now, gentlemen, what have
tried to do is to make the compre-
Ihensive statement of the situation.
We seek simple justice. The needs
of this company I think have
shown to be greater than are the
needs Of the electric company or the
gas company. This matter should
be decided purely and simply as an
economic question based on the
facts irrespective of clamor, and we
believe 1t will. I have finished.
Other witnesses were then called.
ADV.
Santa Marta.