The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1919-08-02


doubie-truck cars and ffty-hve cents
per hour for trainmen operating one-man
Safety cars. and thereby avcrtcd strike
That since such new wage increase
was granted by your petitioner TO its
trainmen on July Bird. 1919 retroactive
to June lst. 1919. the shop and barn
men Of your petitioner demanded in
creased wages OF five cents per hour,
and after strike of ten days your pc
titioner entered into an agreement with
such shop and barn men increasing
their wages five cents per hour for all
those employees receiving less than
forty cents per hour. and increasing
their wages two cents per hour for all
employ ees III It's shops and barns re-
ceiving forty cents per hour and over.
That since the settlement of such
strike and the granting OF such in
creases to It's shops and barn men the
Iineman and electrical workers in the
employ OF your petitioner have de-
mana,d an increase in vases from six
ty-eight cents per hour to one dollar
per hour. and are threatening strike
unless such increase is granted, and
the trackmen employed BY your petit
toner are demanding increases in
wages commensurate with other in
creases already granted by your Pc
tltioner within the last three weeks.
That BY reason of such increase in
wages granted BY your petitioner since
July 1st. 1919 and other increases
which must necessarily be granted 70
other employees Of your petitioner 10
avoid a shutdown OF its operations.
the operating expenses Of your petition
err Will be increased by the sum of 500.
600 per month over its operating eX-
penses prior to June lst. 1919
That your petitioner has no avail
able net revenue 10 pay such increases of
wages nor 10, pay any return upon is
Preferred or Common shares If capt
tai stock. nor to provide for tn pay
lnent OF interest charges upon new
capital which must be invested in said
renewals of its tracks and paN ements
and extensions TO its system IF RAJ
ways by reason of the fact thai during
the last nine monhs your petitioner
has had no appreciable net income o.
proft Whatsoever. the actual net in
come or pront having been for such
period only sSs1
That the only means of enabling your
petitioner to pay such increased wagee
and return upon its shares Of capital
stock and 10 provide interest charges
upon such needed additional capital is
10 permit your petitioner to increase its
rates or fare and transportation
charges as herein applied for
That without such increased rates OF
fare your petitioner will be unable to
pay the interest upon It's present in
debtedness to repay maturing loans
from the United States Government.
and will necessarily be thrown again
into bankruptcy from which il has just
emerged, thereby causing permanent
and severe loss 10 the public and its
employees as well as great loss TO cne
investors in its present issue OF securi-
ties
II. Your petitioner further shows
that in November. 1918. il put in OPP
GRAFTON its Tin Plate extension and has
since received the revenues therefrom.
and in February. 1919. put in operation
ten one-man Safety cars. and has since
received the increased earnings and
saving in operating expenses produced
thereby and that during the last year
your petitioner has had the greatest
gross revenue and earnings in the his
tory OF the property, but that all such
increases OF gross revenue have been
entirely consumed in increased operat-
ing expenses. taxes and hNed charges.
although your petitioner has done eN-
erything in its power that II was prac-
teal TO do in view of the public de-
mands for service. 10 increase its op-
Grating expenses and to keep the same
At a minimum. and that therefore in
the period Of its greatest gross earnings
and greaest prosperity OF the territory
served by it. your petitioner has not
earned OF paid any return whatsoever
upon approximately 1850 Of the securi-
ties authorized by to be issued by II by
the Public Service Commission OF In
diana IN payment for its ply steal prop
critics, and your petitioner submits that
it will be wholly impossible for IL 70
continue 10 serve the public and TO meet
the reasonable demands of the public
for the maintenance OF its service II
the capital which has honestly been
invested in its enterprise cannot re-
celve a return commensurate with the
ordinary return upon investments and
the well established hazards of the
transportation business and that II Is
impossible 10 maintain the efficiency OF
any public utility without the capital -. =
vested therein and which is sought for
furtner investment beln6 assured OF Il
safe and reasonable return for its use.
IL Your petitioner further shows
that in various cities and states
throughout the United States the street
railway lines therein operating have
from time to time during the past two
years been granted the right TO charge
Increased rates of fare ranging from
SIX cents in many cities to ten cents in
the Cities Of Pittsburg. Boston and sew
eraI others. and that the cost OF pro-
ducing transportation has practically
doubled within the last four years.
whereas your petitioner Is only permit
ted 70 charge the same rate of fare that
was always charged by street railways
throughout the United States during
the past thirty years until the increases
in fares. ranging from six 10 ten cents.
recently granted to street railways Ia
other states than the state of Indiana.
Is. Your petitioner further shows
that il Is now charging a fare Of ten
cents per passenger for the transper-
tation Of a large number OF passengers
between sad Cities of Gary and Ham
mond. and Gary and East Chicago. al
though the distance such passengers
are transported are approximately ten
miles in each case for a fare Of ten
cents or at the rate Of approximately