El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-10-04
Six Cent Car Fare Now Necessary
HElPaso Wants Adequate Service
Conditions Which Have Nearly Four
Hundred American Cities Now Obtain Here

Money IS the lubricant which makes the street car
wheels go round Just the IS the fodder that
makes the mare go. Deprived of funds necessary to
produce service those who depend upon that service
suffer.
AMBITIOUS TO GIVE GOOD SERVICE.
The Ell Paso Electric Railway Company has night
to feel proud Of the service It has IN the past been able
to render the people Of FL PasO well the service II
now IS rendering This has not been perfect but has
compared favoraby-very favoraby. IN fact with street
car service to be found N cities twice the size Of FL
Paso
It the desire of the company to continue to give
good service and furthermore to maintain position where.
when peace shall return to bless the earth and the war
which has tom asder all plans and calculations Of every
public service utility It viii be able to up to
every reasonable demand El PasOs progress may make
upon It.
INCREASE TO MEET EMERGENCY.
The increase Of one cent IN street car fares IN FL
Paso not expected to fully the necessities Of the
situation 1t IS well established fact that fare Of SIX
cents VIII merely tide over the immediate needs and
able the company to grant its increase IN pay
which the National War Labor Board has decreed Is
necessary meet present living conditions It IS not
asking that its burdens be bone BY the people who
street cars It merely Is asking that the burdens which
It no longer IS able 10 carry be shared IN a small way.
REVENUES CUT INTO BY JITNES.
The increase IN operating and maintenance costs
brought about BY the world war could not have been
avoided and can not be ayided now. But when the
street railway system of FL Paso built It not
known that an economically unsound and ndefensibe
competition In the shape of jtnes. would to
skim the business the point where the revenues Of the
company would be 50 depleted deprive It Of rea-
sonably expected revenues. Jitnes mean nothing to
city They are parasites which break down and have no
capacity to build up. The mischief they do brake
upon the ability Of the street railway company to meet
Al
Many cities have refused to submit the iine meance
They have declined to permit these parasites to clutter
their streets and pull down the service of the street rail-
ways. The street railway can give adequate service;
the jitnes give It. They unessental and not
only nuisance but an actual threat against the prosperity
Of the city because, stream may rse superior
its source. no city has yet expanded beyond the
ice rendered by its traction system.
STREET CARS ONLY REVENUE.
The only revenue of street car company the fare
receives from passengers. The purchasing power Of
that fare has been divided by the high cost of living and
does not perform the functions It did when times and
prcies were normal There no question Of mismanage-
ment here. The Ell Paso street car company IS man
aged with the best skill command and It IS admin
istered with rigorous economy.
This no time to give black eye to those investors
who believed the future of FL Paso and the fairness
of her people; who believed and who now believe, \
the stability of their investments Of millions here. The
company has carried its burden and has delayed making
application for relief until the emergency pressing
that further delay would work unbearable hardship
upon the company and prevent It from maintaining ade
quate and dependable service. keeping its property IN
good condition and the time protecting its credit
against that day when vast volume of new capital vii
be necessary order to keep the street railway system
IN condition where discharge its obligations to the
city and its people.
WHAT ARE THE PEOPLE GOING TO DO ABOUT IT?
This advertisement Is plain statement Of facts. The
point has been reached where up to the people of
Ell Paso decide what they going to do about It.
The company believes e. Paso wants adequate street
car service that Is dependable and efficient It knows
this impossible unless the revenues are provided to pay
for this service It knows that the only form Of revenue
this company enjoys IS It's street car earnings Hence
the temporary relief sought from an increase
IN fares paid.
That IS the milk Of the cOcoanut; the whole story IN
nut she'll Does FL Paso want efficient street car
service or does it not2 The company believes It does
and that in fairness the people viii assent to the TEN
porary measure which has been suggested and which
will IN part furnish bridge to tide the company over
great difficulties for which Is not IN the remotest de-
gree responsible.