The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-08-13
Thinks They Are a Psyche
I logical Necessity in j.;
/ 4 Street RAILWAYS
SECRETARY FAVORS
/ PUBLIC OWNERSHIP
Thinks City Governments Best Adapted
to Management of Street Railways
! Automobiles Blamed for Loss of
Business.

WASHINGTON, Aug. l3.-Troubes Of
traction companies serving American clt-
les were again considered from MANIFOLD
viewpoints when the federal electric rail-
ways commission resumed it's sessions.
Secretary of War Baker, classed as an ex
pert on street car troubles by reason of
his Inheritance of Tom Johnsons methods
I'm Cleveland, had the stand much of the
day
City governments are better rulers of
traction company affairs than state reg
ulative commissions, Mr.. Baker said.
The five-cent fare he classed as ''psy-
Geological necessity, adding that its elm
nation i'll most cities would cut the heart
| out of the profitable short haul business.
The street railway problem is essen
italy local one," Mr.. Baker said Med
icine for one community is poison for
another"
Cooperation between the railroad EN-
| ployes and arrangements, along the lines
| of the Plumb plan proposed for steam
| roads, Mr. Baker thought was possible
| if the public interest was clearly kept
paramount.
! Asked if increases in fares for compan
les in dire straits would not be the emer
| gency remedy, AIR. Baker said he thought
/ it was possibly the only way to reestab
i lish service where no return is obtained
on capital invested.
But If fares are raised, they ought t
be raised by the people who are to pay
i for it, Mr.. Baker continued eff it il
4 done otherwise it will be resented
i Roger Babson, statistican and a direc
1 tor of the Bay State Railway company
blamed automobiles for much of the ca
traffic loss. With 5000 street cars il
/ Massachusetts there are 10000 automo
biles running He suggested that pavin
charges against the companies should b
lifted and general taxes on the bushes
removed after which he suggested tina
street cars and jitneys should be permit
ted to fight put" their future ON basi
of service. s-4ss.t HtHt8ta taa3
| f. F. Ingram of Detroit. a retired man
ufacturer who described himself merel
as citizen, suggested public OWNERSHIP
OF the street car plants, nominal far
charge and absorption of any operatin
deficit by taxation of the land values @
property served by the lines This, h
said, was the only alternative to munic
pal operation. Mayor Couzens, however
contended that only by sociological treat
ment of the matter could any real al
proach be made toward furnishing th
public with comfortable and decent
transportation For the present, the d.
troit mayor said, he favored municipa
ownership and operation at a reasonabl
rate of fare, but said ultimately he Nigh
easily come to believe that the street ca
lines should be as free as the highway
: and maintained at public expense as al
the highways
Most of the state commission repr,
sentatives who testified favored cooper;
tive control over the trolley lines by mi
nlcipalIties and state commissions, the la
ter having revisory powers. Mayor Coz
: zens. however, insisted that home ru
should prevail and the people Of the con
rested centers solve their problems fc
themselves.
Other witnesses heard were Lt.-Co
l-utz, engineering commissioner for tt
District of Columbia, who suggested M
nicipal ownership of car tracks, but N,
Of onerating equipment, and John P. Fc
Of New York