Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1918-05-07
TRACTION COMP ANY
SEEKS PERMISSION
TO INCREASE FARE
Asks Public Utility Commission
for Authority to Charge
Six Cents.
CANNOT MEET EXPENSES


Having experienced deficit Of $50
1906 for the first three months OF TINS
wear. aS shown hv dcductlng the revenue
from the operating expenses, and desiring
To increase the pay OF the conductors
and motormeu. IS humane proposition
and as a means OF keeping the force m
tact. IN order To continue the trolley
service. the Wilmington \ PhlladelphIa
Traction Go. has pctItIoncd the hoard OF
Public Utility commissioners OF " Ilming-
ton for permission to increase the trolley
ftrc from five to >iN cents Based on the
present traffic. il IS figured that such an
lntrcaS,. would net about S20ORN more
wear than NJ the present fare rate. winch
Inc Cotnranv believes. would enable II Ia
meet tie increased operating expenses
intending an increase Of pay 10 the men
al FIVE cents m hour all around. winch
Item would amount 10 about SNouM
As the I tIlitv Board has not had an
opportunity la 90 over the petition,
winch vas filed only last night Richard
G NcNluiien. president 81 the board,
SAID TO-DAY that lie could not discuss IT.
lie sand however. thar the board will 10
called together nj o clock tonight 20 con
sIdrr IT, lie was 81 the opmon that,
because, uf the legal phase Of the matter
the board viii refer the pctlon 70 the
city solicitor. before taking any action
10 ascertain whether i las 2 legal right
to act. there beng a difference 81 OPINION
81, to whether ANYTHING could hc done
without specific legislative authority.
In view of the fact That IN act passed
II, the Legislature March p 1891,
amending the charter II tie Wilmington
City Railway Co, provided that SAID
4 { Sh
not at any time he allowed to charge
zreater amount than tlvc cents for any ono
tare or ticket or rde ii their cars through
the said citv and hat an act passed
April : 1891, amending the charter 81 he
front and mon Street Railway Co,
provided that said The Front and mon
street Railway Company shall not II any
time be allowed 10 charge a greater amount
than fiye cents for any one fare or ticket
or ride in their cars through sand city,
there Is a difference 0f opinion y To the
limitations, If any. the ttlllty Board may
have IN the matter As tie Traction 50.
leases All OF the local lines ana the law
applies specifically IN only these TWO cases,
and i net specified in the Traction 10.
charter, OPINIONS differ a 70 the limitation
18th regard 10 the latter.
In addition to the Wilmington City
and Front and mon companies. the
Traction 20. is tho lessee also Of the y IT
lu.ngtun Il Edge Moor Gordon Heights.
Peoples and " Iltnng' on. New CaSJlc \
Delaware CITY railway companies
In view al the Tact that the supreme
Court of New Jersey has decided that the
Legislature delegated certain power in
the matter Of rates 10 the Public lIIty
commission the Traction co. il i
understood. VIII contend that the same
situation obtains here, III winch event II
would be W To the ltilty Board 70
grant or refuse the request The city
solicitor will he asked hrSt, however, to
decide whether the board can act IN The
matter
special meeting OF the commission
was called today for o clock tonight IN
the MAYORS office 1t viii be open 70 the
pubAc.
MN SEEK MORE PAY.
The far, that the company contem-
plated asking permission 70 increase the
fare developed last night, when com
Iuittee o. - motorInen and conductors
crnploved by the Traction Co met
Thomas W Wilson. yice-president and
general manager. al Alr Wilson Office,
81 Market street. with reference 10
IN increase Of wages
The present scale 81 wages for the
Inotormen and conductors Is - follows
fIrst wear, - cents an hour second. -
cents. third 20 cents fourth wear and
thereafter 81 cents Al hour Al Increase
of five cents an hour all around asked
The increase would amount 10 So, 900
year.
Mr. Wilson told the committee that
he agreed with the men that they are
entitled TO the increase they request.
L. , F.r.
see rs way clear TO grant the men uort-
money Is by increasing the fare Of the
lines to SLY cents Mr. Wilson toid the
men thai he world make application t.
the Pubic unity { commission Of VII
n1ington ~ once Tor PERMISSION TO do tins
The traction official had statistics pre-
pared bV Lvbraut Ross 81, hers and
Montgomery. certified QsbiIc account
ants. showing that there via d deAcli
III the company first threc month, bu~I-
ness for this year Of SO. l3505 Mr. Wi
son mentioned ,Ofne things hat 20 into
the operating expense ~ ~ road and
compared the figures o. Il ic~ YEAR ago
and nov The increase is from 100 "a
400 per cent Rails which, formerly cost
SIS a ton now sell ii $50 Ties, for
Inerv 81 cents each, are nov s p. troi-
lev wire which could be bought for from
9 to u cents q pound. j. now ~ The
meeting between the committee and
Mr. Wilson was an auucable one
The spokesman for the men said that
they did not COME 10 use bulldOzIng tao
tics He SAID that living conditions were
beyond their reach and that they believed
they were honestly entitled to an increase.
After they were shown tht company side
and explanations made al to the deficit
ard the Increased expenses IN operation.