El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-04
EI Paso Electric Railway Company Makes Frank
Statement of Causes Underlying Its AppIica-
ton For Permission to Increase Its Revenues
In Order to Provide Adequate and Dependa-
bic Transportation Facilities

IN step with its expenses of operation and maintenance
his will be impossible unless the revenues such as
to protect the credit Of the company. without which
will not be in position to discharge its functions and
provide such service IS indispensable to E PasO.
WHY STREET CARS?
It a trusm that city Outgrow its street car
facilities. Unless the street pioneers the way, there
can be no satisfactory growth Inhabitants of FL Paso
be able to get about their business they no;
satisfactorily transact that business Without adequate
transportation facilities. the way Of dependable street
car service. this is impossible.
When FL Paso fixed street car fares at five cents
there were no modem electric cars. The people got
about IN mule and knew Of the convenenoes
of modem transportation. They paid fare every time
they entered car and knew nothing of the economies
and advantages of universal transfers. Whole sec
tons Of FL Paso now built up homes. bare Of
human habitadon and without the value which make
them great assets of FL Paso today.
WHAT STREET CARS DID.
Largely through the medium of street cars FL Paso
has grown. It has expanded into its present proper
hons and It would be brave man who would dare pre-
dict that FL Paso has attained its full growth Exten
sions and expansions vii be necessary In the
future than the past and they not be had unless
investments here be assured of far treatment It IS
unreasonable to suppose there viii be no further invest
the future needs Of FL Paso. Plans were laid here for
a great city. These plans have been interrupted by the
world war and conditions Mexico. of which FL PasO
the natural gateway With the return of peace this
interrupted growth viii be redoubled IN energy and II
matter of prime importance to E. PasO that her street
car system be In position to meet the demands which
surely will be made upon it.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE NICKEL.
1t does not take wise man to understand what has
he ~ral he I'd
street fare pre-war days. It used to buy big
loaf of bread. but doesn't any It has shrunk
In its purchasing power until It so dshgured that
medium of exchange scarcely recognizable. About
the only thing nickel viii buy today that would buy
In other days, street ride. Ask yourself the
question: if you know Of any other commodity that you
buy with five cent piece, that is comparable to
the street car ride you can still get for it.
HOW OTHER CITES HAVE MET THE ISSUE.
The dsfigured nickel IS not at all peculiar to FL
Paso. IN far street car fares are concerned The
Boston nickel will buy for the street company
there than the FL Paso nickel here because the freight
materials entering into street operation and MAIN
tenance costs Boston less than costs FL Paso. Yet Bos
ton charges you seven cents for street nde while
FL PasO is only seeking a SIX cents fare.
The City of Cleveland Ohio became famous few
years ago the home of cheap street fares. You
could ride on street car there for three cents What
Is the today? The cheapest street ride IN
Cleveland Is five cents That carries you through the
first zone If you enter second zone you pay still
another penny. If you continue to still another zone.
you pay still another penny and if you transfer from
to another you pay penny for the transfer. They
have found in Cleveland that street car tanspora-
ton be sold less than it render such
service.
TEXAS CITIES IN LINE.
One need not go to Ohio or Boston to find prece-
f. l.. !
mssioners of the city of Houston have passed an ord
granting its street company SIX cent fare.
The City Of Galveston has done the same thing In
Beaumont the city council has gone on record as rscos