The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-10-01
SAYS STREET LINES
NEED PUBLIC HELP
Loring Tells Commission Roads
Cannot Get Back Credit by
Private Management.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3o.--Participation
OF the public in the financing and pos
sibly in the ownership of street railroads
is the only policy which will bring
restoration of credit and satisfactory
conditions in the industry, Homer Lor-
irS. chairman OF the trustee board of the
Bay State Company OF Boston, to-day told
the Federal elestric railways commission.
The witness asserted that rising costs
of materials and labor had ruined the
financial standing of operating COM
panies.
with a few exceptions, I doubt II the
companies can get their credit back I'M
der private management" he said: land
that is most important argument for
public ownership. The public state of
mind is such that 1t means to grant
the companies few IL any, favors. The
companies cannot serve the people prop
erly without credit The only way the
gap can be bridged over is through some
form of public credit and II the public
lends its credit it must have a deciding
hand in Operating the properties during
the period for which credit Is extended
l am disinclined to see public owner
ship tried now
John A. Beeler of New York, as a
traffic expert, suggested that some hope
for betterment lay In Increased operat-
ing efficiency. Faster schedules. i'm
proved routing, skip stops. Encourage
ment of short haul business, he said,
| might add to net incomes.
Morris L. Cooke. formerly a Phila-
delphla city official. endorsed Mr.. Lor-
ing's view as to the possible outcome of
the situation.
81 am not opposed to Government
! ownership as such.' he said, but would
view with more than concern the bur-
den OF exercising such municipal func-
tons by our cities. But frankly 1 see
no adequate solution which does not In
volve a maximum of public control and
possible ultimate Government owner
ship"
Henry Ford wired to-day the COM
mission that ne did not care to testify
before 1t now. as his working model OF
new gasolene car which it has been
said would revolutionlze urban trans
portation, had not been completed.
Ralph s. Bauer, president of the Az
ISOLATED Boards of Trade of Essex
County (Mass.). during the morning ses-
sion told the commission that street
cars, like elevators In buildings, should
be operated without charge for rsoers,
and that municipalities should pay for
the service. The business community
/ should be glad to pay the expense, he
said, because car riders are messengers
OF prosperity"
'Tf It is good business for the public
TO take tolls of roads and bridges and
spend millions to keep them up for the
free use OF the people," Mr.. Bauer said,
81 contend it is better business publicity
to take over the moving highway and
carry people free. The service is almost
entirely a social and not a transporta-
( ton problem"
Massachusetts street railways are op-
Grating in Improbable territory because
of demands for service there, and the
owning companies are in desperate
financial state, he said. The principal
benehciaries are the owners OF central
real estate and larger retail enterprises
who have profited immensely without
being called upon to contribute a cent
to the operating costs of the factor that
has made those profits possible" he
added.