The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-09-27

the Bay Shore line, except where five
cent fares are now charged.
At the same time we recommend that
the use of workingmen's ~ cent
tickets to be limited to morning and
afternoon workmen's trips, namely.
five trips in the morning between 5
and a. m pnd five trips in the af-
ternoon between $3.50 and $50 p. m.
We suggest that pay-as-y you enter
glass fare boxes be installed.
There have been financial mis-
takes and errors made by our street
of three cents, and the street car com
pany cannot give us an old fashioned
five cent ride for a three cent-worth
nickel.
There is another course we, as
community, could adopt. We could let
the company struggle on into bank
ruptcy and then rather than lose our
street car line voluntarily raise the fare
when receiver finds it impossible to
continue carrying at cents. But that
seems to us very unfair and UNI
business like. We do not wish to ruin
the men who have planted their money
in our city. We, as a community, can
not prosper If we commit wrong
either to capital or labor; both are
entitled to a square deal.
The foregoing plan, at first blush.
would seem very satisfactory, but it
is fraught with a great danger; we
ought to see further ahead than the
nose on our faces. 1t may be that at
car company, but we believe that they
We're human and excusable under the
trying circumstances and conditions
that the war and a rapid growth of
our community brought about. We
make this recommendation in the ex-
pectation that better rolling stock may
be provided and more efficient SER
vice be rendered.
Our dollars have shriveled to sixty
cents, our nickels to about the value
some future time our Scent nickel will
again be worth five cents, and that
money will then have a greater value
or purchasing power than at. present.
1t obviously would be unfair, if such
a change should occur, that we could
not then return to our present five
cent fare. So the following second
choice of remedies is offered in the
hope that it may adequately cover
both our present needs, as we'll as
provide our future probable contin-
gent changes in money values.
We recommend the policy of a vari-
able rate as the proper basis of a
permanent and just arrangement. AS
a basis foundation of justice to the
actual capital invested, let such
variable fare paid always be in such
an amount as will practically guar
antee a net return to the stockholders
of per cent per annum on their
actually invested but not borrowed
capital In other words. let the
fares to be charged be enough to cover
the cost of production, plus reason
able sums for repairs, maintenance,
taxes, betterments and requirements
and interest charges on borrowed
money, leaving a margin of per cent
on actual investments of the stock |
holders as above stated.
Till TO January 1, 1921, after the
adoption of our commissioners of such
a rule or ordinance or amendment of
the franchise, let the. investiga tors had
by your sub committee and it's recon-
determine the rate to be
charged. Thereafter. let there be an
official audit by properly qualified ac
countants every year, and upon such
audit let the rate of fares to be
charged for the ensuing year be fixed