Evening journal., 1919-09-20
TDnIICV TVnrDTC
INULLLT LATLHI0
SHOW NECESSITY
FOR FARE RAISE
ContInued from Flrst PAGE.


on the subject that might be offered
When the taking OF evidence was
concluded. the hearing was adjourned
until Monday night at o'clock, when
further argument VIII be heard from
both sides. All private citizens and
representatives OF organizations who
have flled their names with the board
Will be given a hearing
Mr.. Wilson and Mr.. Tinglcy sub
mitted detailed reports OF the operal-
Ing finances OF the company for a per-
iod covering several years. Mr. Wilson
illed as evidence audited statements OF
The increase in wages. materials, taxes
and all other details entering into the
cost Of maintaining the system Al
though crOss-examlnatiOn OF Witnesses
was permitted, neither was asked many
questions except by Mr., Garretson.
Mr.. Wilson testified for an hour.
Early in his statement he submitted 10
the commission a list showing the
bonds upon which the company is pay
Ing interest These bonds, t0talling
nearly si0OO0.O00 are drawing an aver
age OF about per cent. interest. cost
ing the company approximately $4,000
a year In interest on bonds alone. The
following are the lines and utilities on
which the mortgages are held and the
amounts:
Wilmington City Railway Company
$4,000 Wilmington and Edge Moor
Electric Railway Company. 100000
Wilmington & Southern Traction Co..
$4,000: Peoples Railway Company, ST.
10000; Wilmington City Electric Com
pany, si,0o0.0OO; Wilmington Light d
Power Co.. Si,70i00O; Wilmington q |
Philadelphia Traction Co. equipment !
notes, series "a" $4,000; series 1916, 1
$4,000; FIRST mortgage and collateral /
bonds. Si.4si,OO0
! Mr.. Wilson submitted a report of the
wage increases made 10 employees OF
the company, on which ne based a large
part OF his claim for an increased fare.
As submitted by Mr.. Wilson, the scale
OF wages advanced is as follows
Nineteen hundred and flften, 2i-2ic
January. 1916, 22-26c; September, 1916,
24-2sc; November. 1917. 25-29c: January.
1915 27-90c; June 1918, 37-iOc; Angus.
1918 ii-i5o; August. 1919, 5i-j5c In
January, 1919, he pointed out. extra al
lowance was made for time and
quarter over ten hours. payment was
provided for making cut reports. TAX :
ing out cars, deadheading and similar
duties, and the runs were cut TO nine /,
hours at the request OF the trainmen. y
The wages Immediately prior TO Aug +,
ust 2s. 1919, when the latest increase
went into effect, he explained. were 200 }
to 270 per cent. higher than in 1918,
and the new scale effective that date
raised the rate $50 10 365 per cent.
Mr.. Wilson's tabulated list showed
that wages jumped from Si45,633 in
1911 to over 100000 in 1919 and an
estimated s6i5,0O0 in 1920. He stated
that the wage estimate for 1920 ex-
ceeded the entire passenger revenue for
1911 by 100000.
lie presented figures on the cost Of
materials used for railway purposes,
showing Increases In every line aver I
aging more than 200 per cent over
pre-war prices. One item showed
street paving advanced from 81 q
square yard TO S5; another showed q
axles Jumped from slt.25 to si5, an
Increase OF 400 per cent. !
Mr.. Wilson pointed out that the I
number OF passengers carried has Y
taken a perceptible drop Last July r
showed a decrease OF 60,19i passengers,
or PA per cent. over July 1918, he
said. and August showed the same. He ?
estimated the cost Of paving during Il
1919 as s25OOO0. Taxes for 1919 are a
S25,593 more than in i9is he stated. !
Mr.. Wilson said the books OF the !.
company are open TO the experts OF
the commission at all times, and are to .
be found at the Brandywine power ~
plant. the car barns. at No. S3i Market y
street and in Philadelphia. Mr.. Wilson /,
stated that the company will be unable n
to maintain the increase in wages un- n
less the fares are raised, but was halted n
by Mr.. Garretson, who cross-examined q
him. Jc
Under cross-exsmination Mr.. Wilson &
stated that there is $4,000 In pre- Ii
ferred stock paying per cent. and Si.- Ii
O60O00 In common stock. on which II
dividends were paid as follows; "
In 1913 s5O,75O: 1914, si2i,sO0; 1915, NJ
$4,000: 1916, sis2,7OO 1917, s243,6OO. n
There we're no dividends paid in 1910,
1911. 1912. 1918 and 1919, he said lie Ii
stated the dividends were not paid in ii
cash. but were credited to the Ameri- al
can Railways Company. which had adj C.,
large amounts for construction o
purposes. lie estimated the net income eI
available for payment on common stock W
after paving the accrued interest and
dividends on preferred stock as follows b
In 1913, s222,iii 1911, Si7s,262; 1915, d
s24s.063: 1916, S309.i67, 1917. siiS.A73; ?,
1918, 81 e66, and in six months OF 1919 "
deficit Of s62ei This, he said, included [,
revenue from all sources
Mr. Wilson stated that an appraisal L
Of the companys lines Is being made o
by A. l.. Drum and Company, but will b
not be completed for four or lve 81
months The company cannot wait that
long for relief, he said. G.
"Is the property in the city and out a
side the city being appraised separ- s'
ately?" asked Mr.. Garretson. u
"All OF 10 is being appraised: whether &,
II is being done separately between the te
city and outlying sections ] don't
know, replied Mr. Wilson. in
Mr.. Tingley then testified as 10 the in
condition. He dwelt on the vi
dwindling profits OF the electric lines OF
owing 10 motor competition and pro- al
phesled its eventual oustlng by some I'm
other mode Of transportation, perhaps Of
Henry Ford's new motorized street car in
or the airplane. part Of his evidence G,
was on the amount OF "unaccounted for 10
losses" Both he and two experts en-
ployed by the company testified that ca
such losses here are much smaller than fr
the average. owing TO better conditions. "
Harold s Creamer, who was in the
audience, asked Mr.. Tlngley what part p,
Df the 81 10000 advanced the company
)y the American RAILWAYS CompanV for