The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-02-06

If the unfortunate financial COndi- ton of The Connecticut Company were confined to this company alone, it might well be said that this con- dition has been brought abou- through improper financing or man agement The above is not the case inasmuch as practically every street railway in the country finds itself in desperate straits, so reason for this condition must be sought from other than the above mentioned causes.
 Tt has been claimed that the uni fcation of the several cities into q single system has been against the public interest but such is not the case. Long rides have been made possible without transferring at the terminal of the different systems. It has also made possible the perman- ent employment of expert electrcal, civil and mechanical engineers that could not have been permanently employed by a small property. It has made for economy and efficiency in the secret service department con Jinuously operated by the company instead of employing sporadic outside forces Car house fires have occurred which would have prOstrated by loss of equipment small system, where as in the unified system transfers of equipment from other cities have made continuous service possible. Frequently an industrial slump oc- CUTS in one district that would be embarrassing to a small company but which does not cover the entire ter ritory of the unified system Wrecks costing as high as S75,O0O have un- fortunately occurred which would have been very serious to a small property, but which were carried by a large property with less effort.
 Tt also has been claimed that sevice in the larger cities could be proftably maintained on a cent fare if they did not have to assist in the support of some smaller proper ties. Undoubtedly it is true that cer- tain divisions and certain lines of di- visions are more profitable than others, but were a rate to be charg- ed on each separate line of a mini mum at which that line could be op- erated proftably, the rates on other
 
 greatly that the riding would be so reduced that in all probability the line would not pay and an abandon ment would follow, the cities losing business from the suburbs.
 Street railway operating accounts are kept on a car mileage basis and logically their prices for transporta- ton of passengers should be based as far as possible on mileage.
 ''No tailor buying his cloth by the piece would dream of making his price of the finished suit without knowing how many suits could be gotten out of the piece and adding the cost of findings and labor. Ap- parently this Is what the street rail- ways have not been doing and where as there may have been in the past sufficient leeway between the cost of transportation and the charges for the same, ,Sincreased costs of material and labor apparently demand that a nee scientific method be employed.
 Take the situation in New Haven for instance, which applies equally well in Hartford; in days of horse cars a passenger could ride from the approximate canter of New Haven to the end of the line in Grand avenue, 2.2 miles, for the unit fare, or could have ridden from Fair Haven to York and Chapel streets, westbound, a distance of 2.5 miles for the unit fare. If a further ride to Westville of 2.f miles was taken an additional unit fare was paid.
 Tt is difficult to understand why people recognize the increased costs of material and labor and pay with out protest 10c instead of Sc for q shoe shine, 25c for a collar instead of 12 1-2c., 85c to soc for hair cut and yet expect street railway to pay for it's labor and material with for mer rates of fare.
 'Tn horse car days car cost from $500 to $500, a pair of horses $500, the daily keep of a horse 50 centA