Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-08-16
|CEvHm Plan CITED
is REMEDY FOR MASS.
ELECTRIC RUNWAY PROBLEM

wsshingtea. Ans. K-Etched a5Ainst
the dark background Of the Massaehu-
sets electric railways crisis. q FIRST
hand rspert On cisveland's success win
its now famous street car plan stood
out wildly today before the federal
electric railways commission.
For two hours. Chairman Frederick !.
Mcleod OF the Massachusetts, Public
Service Commits On had spoken Of the
causes leading to the abandonment Of
lines in that state and to a Decent nat
rate carfaFe tn Boston. There was liz
tie hope. he said. that even at the high
rates imposed the afflicted companies
would Be- self-suppoYting, and at least
one line. the Bay STATE. apparently ha
reached the point of saturation' where
increased fares could no longer help it.
Public ownsrship, he said. might well
Be forced upon the state to escape COM
plete destruction Of its local tFanspoF-
taticn systems
Mr.. Macleod gave place to Fielder
sanders. city commissioner of Cleve-
land for street railways. ana the pic
ture he drew was startling by contrast.
TIE Cleveland plan. he sad. worked
out SO successfully that recently fares
went down per cent. almost simulta-
neously with a 5 per cent. increase In
wages to all employees of the company
operating the roads The riant. he
said, was now rated As the finest sur
lace system in the country. having been
completely Iehabili.ated since the plan
became effective.
While features of the plan itself &C
counted in part for this condition. Mr.
Sanders said. the chief reason for the
showing made was popular support
The people Of Cleveland have confidence
in the plan. feeling secure that what
they pay gees into service. they are
ready to pay any necessary rate 81
fare and NO diminution Of trafhe has
followed increases.
The Cleveland commissioner cited
the recent strike as indicating the
necessity Of an amendment Of the
plan to give the city control Of wage
as well at rate fixing. When the de-
mands Of the men were presented he
said. the city council made addition
al operating allowances to the COM
pany to cover the increase, but had
not the power to compel the COM
pany 10 pay the advanced wages
rates Although thus protected he
said, the company refused to pay the
advanced scale and made the strike
the vehicle for a demand on the
part of the security holders for a
return Of seven per cent instead of
six per cent on their investments.
The day-strike which followed he
said. cost the company nothing. but
cost the riding public $4,000 and the
City was powerless-
Explaining what is happening IN
Massachusetts,, Commissioner Mac
Leod said it was obvious that fare
rates must recede instead Of advance
If the net revenues of the affected
companies were to go up Compan-
les that had received no increased
rate. he said. were in better situation.
1t may well be" he said, that the
only solution Is through public own
ership. II il doubtful that under
present economic conditions the
street car service can be continued
to be supported by private capital"
Even under public ownership.
however. he said the people must
learn that they could receive only
the service for. which they paid.