Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-06-05
0bUT TRANSIT plan
0RPAY FARE RISE
Director Twining Asserts Pres
ent Program Would Require
$4,000, 900 More
CONDITIONS RAISE COSTS

Higher trolley fares or less ambi-
4 tious transit plan
This is the situation here, as seen
by the Department of City Transit in
4 Its 1918 report, made public today.
Diversion of money already appro-
priated to complete one or two of the
most needed lines is suggested in the
I report.
The city's transit system under pres
ent conditions, the department esti-
mates, would cost upward Of $780,
600, 900 more than the original csti
mates. Director of City Transit Twin
ing placed S125, 900, 900 as the probable
Z cost of the Taylor program.
S7,40o, 900 Was Appropriated
Councils, in 1914, Appropriated
81 400, 900 Coward the construction
and Improvement of the whole line to
Rhawn street.
''It is hoped" the report states,
that this amount of funds from the
9 loan of June 30, 1915, can be trans
ferred from the appropriation to the
City Hall section to complete the Frank
ford line to Bridge street; otherwise
a new loan will have to be authorized
by the people"
This transfer of transit funds is au
{ thorized in the bill introduced in the
Legislature bt Senator Salus The bill
would permit the city authorities to take
3 the funds authorized for one line and
divert them for the construction of
another line The bill is now in Senate
committee.
In recommending necessary legislation
Director Twinging's report states:
Il recommend that the amendment to
Section s of Article IN of the state
constitution, which was passed at the
legislative session of 1917. known as
the 'Hecht constitutional amendment.
be again introduced at the 1919 Assem-
bly, in order that it may be submitted
to the vote of the people at the follow
ing general election.
Purpose Is to Acquire Property
The purpose of that amendment is to
make it financially possible for the city
to acquire by condemnation, control over
any or all transit facilities, now oper-
ated under franchise in or adjacent to
the city. An act authorizing such pro
cedure by the city was passed by the
last Legislature and approved by the
Governor on July 10, 1917. but without
the aforesaid amendment the city lacks
the ability to finance the condemna
tion of the large system of the Phila
delphia Rapid Transit Company. which
the city may desire to acquire in case
the contract with the city which was
made with the company does not work
out satisfactorily.
AT the 1917 session of the J,egisla :
ture bill favored by the department,
and the Mayor, known as the 'Salus. o,
through routing bill, failed of passage
Ihat bill was designed to supplement
the public service company law, ant
would have given the commission power
to order unified operation and ioin;
rates between lines owned by a munici
pallty and private corporation, thus
virtually forcing the commission to de
termine the terms for unified operation
of such lines when agreement could no
be reached amicably.
Necessity of Bill Not Urgent
''But as the city and company hav,
now reached an agreement providing fol-
unified operation of the two systems, tn,
* necessity for the bill does not seen
urgent.
1T is now generally recognized by
the public that the conditions under
y which the city entered the transit field