The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-05-13
CAR FARE
| HEARING IS SET
FOR WEDNESDAY
City Attorney Livingston Will
Oppose Proposed Increase
From Five to Seven Cents.
Will Demand investigation.

The hearing before the state railroad
commission on the petition of the Mem
PMS street railway for permission to
charge Z cents for every ride on
street car will begin Wednesday morn
Ing at Nashville.
How long the hearing will continue
and to what extent the investigation
VIII go will be determined after the
hearing has been taken up.
n. j. Livingston, city attorney, and
ms chief assistant, Joseph Hanover,
viii leave for Nashville Tuesday night.
mayor Monteverde and C. B. Quinn,
som,mllsSsloner, ,l1 lS are in Nashville and
proDIDly VIII remain for at least the
opening day OF the hearing.
whether the patrons of the street
cars VIII be compelled to pay z cents
or a ride and an additional cent for
each transfer slip will be determined
py the state commission. The question
contract OF the street railway company
With the city, but upon the statements
pr the company officials that as an
emergency measure the increased fare
Is needed to bring operating expenses
and revenues to meeting point.
MT Livingston is inclined to think
that the street car company is in dan
ger of being caught between two fires.
On the one hand 1t Ia endeavoring
70 show the state railroad commission,
#actlng under its old powers, that the
assessment of their properties should
be greatly reduced this year.
On the other hand 1t is seeking to
show the same men, acting as a pub
lie utilities commission, that the in
vestment. Is so large that scent fare
wili no longer pay them a profit on
Mr.. Livingston will attempt to show
by the company's own figures, as given
IN recent annual reports and in the
statements filed with the state COM
mission and the federal court, that as
IA matter of fact, the company Is earn
ing reasonable profit from operations,
il stock dividends, interest and numer-
Gus contingency funds are eliminated
Until the revenues again show an in
Xcrease. ANs
He will make demands that the lists
OF stockholders and bondholders be dis
closed, in order to show whether or
other holding companies control this
.temphis company and what dividends
end interest they have received.
He will probably argue that ths
emergency arising from the war Y
passing and shst with proper manage.
soon show an Improvement oyer condi
tions during the latter part Of 1917 ant
19iS, upon which the company relies
largely in now asking for financial re-
lief
He will also take up the company.
VI Statements made to the state commits.
sion last year in regard to its assess.
ment for taxes, and its petition filed
this year, in which it asks for a great.
reduced assessment from that fixed las
year, botn for state and county and fol
city purposes.
In is o
N TO show, even il the state board holds
that the new law supersedes the fran
chse contract for five-cent fare, tina
that rate even under present. condi
tions will provide a reasonable profit
on the actual investment Of the com
pany.
II that phase of the question at issu'
is taken up, the hearing may have t.
be postponed until further proof can b.
taken.