The evening world., 1919-09-09

An Increased assessment Of $4,000 ,O00,
against West Philadelphia property.
Counted the Passengers -
One Of the first things done by Mr.,
Mltten was to station men at street
intersections 20 make an accurate
count OF the passengers boarding and
leaEins the cars. Daily car reports
told exactly what passengers Wero
being carried on each car, and It wae
an easy matter to list the laggards
and ma out where help was most
needed To give people the service they
should have and to give such service
that every possible nickel OF revenua
would flow into the treasury OF the
company.
So,Octing upon the basis that the
service which is either inconvenient or
impossible at tho lowest fare is not
the right kind of service for the peo-
pie and not the proper service TO gain
revenue" the cars were re-routed re-
gardless Of the old charter rights of
the underlying companies. One mill4
Ion dollars year-was thus saved.
The next big step was not manifest
until the war forced the adoption
OF skip stops. When skip stops were
put into effect there was no time for
survey and determination OF where
they would be of most benefit 10 the
company and the passengers. But
they came into, effect, and since the
emergency has passed experts have
surveyed the city and the skip stops
are so arranged now that they add
TO the speed OF transportation OF
passengers, allow the cars to make
a greater mileage and at the s2mo
time earn more money per hour and
give the employees greater earning
capacity. The net result OF the Skip
stop practice is saving OF abodt
100000 annually in the Z. II. T. coab
bill. Another 100000 Is cut from the
coal dill by Scientific stoking. ~
|, The war opened up another new
lesson in economy. The Hog Island,
League Island and other war plants,
demanded rolling stock 70 handle
peak loads several times a day
Equipment was stripped from all
other lines to give the war workers.
transportation to their shops. Event
ually the Emergency Fleet Corpora
tion and the Industrial Housing and
TRANSPORTATION Bureau advanced
money TO enable the p. r. T. TO buy
l2l0 cars for use on the lines where
war workers we're hauled.
The cars, run as 'trailers" by theS
multiple unit system, were acquired
when most all other lines were de-.'
MED the right to add to their equip-
hent. They, solved the problem OF war
labor transportation for the p. r. T..
and enabled cars withdrawn from
fother lines TO be returned for service
where badly needed. These cars have
closed doors. A conductor collects the.
fare, but no motormaA Is needed, as
each Is run coupled &c a regular Pc
Extension of the "traIlers" to the
heavy traffic lines enables better ser-+
vice to the public and much mora
revenue to the company, as well as
getting passengers to and from their'
work much more quickly than, would
| be possible otherwise. The "trailers"
are better than two individual cars
because only one headwaysis needed.
What the 'Trailers" DO.
None but experienced railroad men
or police In charge OF heavy traffic
can realize what IL means 20 operate
added units as Is done by means oe
the ~trailers" without increasing the
traffic congestion. One traffic halt
for a motor gar and a trailer" 10
only half the time the loser OF two
l car units on a highway. Fifty stops
outbound and another fifty inbound
eliminated means very nearly an
hour a day saved to each trailer,
4 There are 210 motor tratlers In service
4 and the time saving Is equivalent to
the operation OF a single car for 2l0
hours, or eight and -quarter
days. With the car revenue at $3.4s
per car hour, as the figures for last
year show, this means s7S0.S0 addi-
tional revenues daily or $2G6,742 a
year, from the time saved alone to
say nothing of the convenience OF
passengers who have need tc travel
quickly.
Investigation has shown that while
many cars stll Are groaning un6oH
TIE loads they are required to cariS9
many others are laggards of tho
worst kinds There are lines which
were opened as real estate developers
years and years ago that have service
equal 10 that required TO move traffio
from congested districts, but these
laggards have empty seats except for
a few trips daily. Service such as
this. that Is really interurban in char
acter, Is to be cut for further saving
and the equipment sent TO lines that
have need for more rolling stock. Tho
schedules to some of the outlying
districts win be cut from say three
minutes TO about ten minutes head,
way. II Is not unlikely that the saw,
ing viii be almost equal TO the latesh
! wage Increase granted last month.