The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-12-16


 everything he wore and everything that he needed to do business with. The Connecticut company within the last eight months increased the wages of its employees to such an extent that 1,250,C00 has been added to its annual payroll. It finds that 1t now has to pay $17,000 for trolley cars that cost only $6,000 a few years ago. Every business man knows that the cost of everything Is greatly in excess of what it was o5-Iy two years ago. Ffnd- ing that it's income is insufficient and that there is no prospect of it's being sufficient, under present fare arrange ments, the company is forced to seek means to put itself on a sound foot ing.
 The Danbury & Bethel R. R.
 'In this State the Danbury & Bethel Street Railway and the Hartford & Springfield Street Railway Systems are in the hands of receivers. The Shore Llre company has not earned it's operating expenses.
 Tn Massachusetts, the we'll financed Boston Elevated System is now under State control and is charging an eight cent fare.
 The large Bay State Street Railway System, which operates lines north and south of Boston, is in the hands of a receiver. Its fares are based on mileage and zones and within the last few days it was refused a ten cent fare. Tho receiver has discontinued the operation of 30 miles of track and has petitioned the courts for permis- sion to abandon 2S0 more miles of ter ritory north and south of Boston be- cause they failed to produce enough to pay their operating expenses
 'The large Public Service com pany, operating in Jersey City, New ark, Hoboken, and other New Jersey 1 cities, is charging a seven cent fare with an additional charge of one cent for transfers, this with the ap- l proval of the Public Service Com mission of New Jersey.
 Tn Providence, R. l., it now costs the public fifteen cents to ride be- tween points where the charge for merly was five cents. The city has been re-zoned and the distance one may ride for a single fare has been reduced, There is a central Emile zone in which five cents Is charged an outer zone of 1 3-4 miles in which another nickel is charged and five cents Is charged for each 1 Is miles thereafter and one cent Is charged for transfers
 Railway Earnings.
 "The returns of 388 street railways in the United States show a net de 0p Q o during the six months ending Juno 30, 1918, as compared to the same six months in 1917, or a net de. crease of $12,733.036. These stree railways comprise 63 per cent ot the entire electric railway mileage o- the country. Their net income fol the six months ending June 30, 1917 was $15,546,3S7, whereas their ne income for the same six months ir 1918 was $2,T3S,OOO
 ''The street railway from Ware tC Gilbertville, in Massachusetts, anC through certain towns in centra Massachusetts, has been abandoned
 the rails torn up and the equipmen
 sold for junk. The line from Lee tt Huntington, about 21 miles of tracl running through a sparsely settled 7 territory, has been discontinued, ant , the line from Lanesboro to Cheshir also has been abandoned, and in Nev . York state several rural lines hav } been discontinued.
 "The Massa achusetts legislature las year enacted a law authorizing elite 5 and towns to contribute money t = street railways in order that servic 3 might be continued. Within tn l last few weeks three towns, Grea l Harrington, Sheffield and EggremonI I have voted to pay $S,600 to tn l Berkshire Street Railway so tha = service, on lines which have not pro duced sufficient revenue to meet thei
 expenses, might be continued lest tn towns be isolated from each other I . Massachusetts, under the law, a tow l' may contribute S1 for every $1,OO U of its valuation for the precedin
 year and cities may contribute 5 z cents for each $1,000 valuation fo n the preceding year.
 These fac $ are stated that tn public may be informed regardin
 the predicament that street railway
 throughout the country find then
 selves in. The Connecticut Go. ha
 spent millions to develop the con
 munities in which its cars are opel
 ating. It has paid the state mi
 lions in taxes. It has paid, in tf
 last few years, millions for pavinl for bridge construction and for tYr
 provements, all designed to increas the prosperity of the communities 1
 which 1t operates as their prosperit in normal times contributes to u company's prosperity. It is n asking anything today more than square deal and it Is confident tn; the majority of the people of Col necticut will be fair-minded and jul : in their conclusions when they hay had an opportunity to understand u , condition of this company and Il 2 causes of it~ condition.