Evening journal., 1918-02-11

NAA' NNAAhA III AHf AAlnt iA' VS. ffAANAA DAAN ~
the crowd ventured the assertion tha
while the dollar would not Duy q:
much as in former years, the nickr
would buy a greld deal more Thi.
paradoxcal statement was at Hrs
laughed at until the speaker proceed
ed 10 explain.
"What ] refer TO IS the purchasing
power Of the nickel n transportation
affairs said he and / viii quickly
convince YOU
on a blank piece Of paper he drew
a circle about the size of "a half dol
lar There" said he. "let that repre-
sent the distance you can travel on
the street cars for nickel today"
Then he drew another circh about
the size OF - 90 gold piece. and
made the statement that The small cir
Gle would represent the distance q
! person could ride for a nickel 70 or
| 20 years ago.
Seeing his hearers We're interested I'm
his illustrated talk, he continued "A
| few years ago, for a nickel you were
carried 'along on a slow trot by horses
perhaps made six or seven
miles an hour-today, you are whske1
along by electricity at IS TO 20 milus
an hour-for a nickel.
Il am not through yet he con-
tlnued "A few years ago, street rail-
way accommodations that were wei
worth 10 were bought for the nickel,
to this extent"-and he drew a circle
about the size Of a dime To-day. the
nickel Will buy accommodations Of
this size here he drew a circle about
the size Of a silver dollar
We could not but admit that his
graphic Illustrations told q truthful
story--that seems TO have been forgot
ten by many people.
Would you like to see the nickel
fade away?' he inquired
We looked with curious interest
while he drew a circle about the size
Of a half dollar. There" said he. that
represents what your nickel would
purchase in the way of material that IS
required in the operation Of a street
railway. a few years ago. What will
it purchase today?" Here he drew
circle about the size of a quarter.
The paths of the street railway Of
flclal have been anything but a bed Of
roses, since the old horse-car days. At
that period Of traction history. eXpen-
ses were low, patronage good and
nearly all the companies We're money
makers But with the advent Of the
cable system and the overhead troll
ley, the golden glow Of street railway
possibilities was in most cases trans
formed into a deep and hazy blue.
With many companies, there has been
nothing but trouble since the ruthless
hand Of custom snatched the horses
from the cars Since that time. many
men have spent the best years Of their
lives In the hopeless struggle TO make
good in traction enterprises, but fate
was against them, and eventually they
were branded as failures and politely
asked to step aside
A careful Investigation has recently
been made into the increased cost OF
operating a street railway property. II
was found that practically every item.
Including labor, has advanced from 26
to 400 per cent. The table herewith in
cludes a list Of items and their in
creased cost. II viii be Of more than
ordinary interest.
The full story Of the managers who
have struggled against fate in Amer
lean street railway enterprises will
never be told. but the following mar
rative Of one particular instance Is
simply the story Of many.
Recently ! attended an important
meeting Of citizens in METROPOLITAN
city TO consider matters OF municipal
interest In the gathering was an AGED
eX-president Of the local street railway
company, whose name. for obvious rea-
son, cannot be mentioned, but for the
purpose OF this story win be called.
Proctor.
Mr.. Proctor was there more as
matter Of curiosity than TO participate
in the discussion, for his opinions are
not regarded as of any particular i'm
portance today. The time was. how
ever. when everybody listened as he
spoke, but the lever by which he had
moved the municipality had been taken
from his grasp a dozen years ago
younger men wanted H.
One tragic day he found his street
railway corporation in the hands OF a
receiver, and this day marked the end
OF his career as a traction magnate. for /
in the reorganization, matters were so
shaped that the only appendage to his
name would be "eX-president
When the door Of public utility op-
portunity closed with a bang. Proctor
was declared a dead failure The same
bankers and politicians who in former
years waited on his doorstep. now con- /
sidered IL unnecessary 90 give him
friendly nod; he is OF no more use to /
them
After the meeting adjourned, ! in +
troduced myself 10 Mr. Proctor, and in .
order 20 engage him in conversation, |
said How happy YOU must be TO /
think that you laid the foundation for
the excellent street railway system
which this city possesses today" /
Whereupon he looked at me with his
weary faded eyes and replied, with a
kind Of hopeless impatience Have .
you ever found any one happy when
contemplating an accomplishment
which people fail 10 recognize4'
The question baffled me ! could not
help but reflect that IL must be a Curl
Gus Arabian Night" kind Of feeling 10
be one day at the head OF a great street
railway organization, hedged about by
power 10 not only hire and DISCHARGE
thousands Of employees, but TO dictate
the nomination OF city and banking Of
ncials. and the next day. possibly
into one OF the companys
street-cars. unmolested and unnoticed
except by the conductor. who says,
benevolently, watch your step such,
however, Is one OF the tragedies in the
street railway drama.
Proctor had laid the foundation for
his street railway system in the days
when horses and mules were the mo-
tive power At FIRST. he made no effort