Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-05-26
IA. v. GIVEN RIGHT
TO CONTINUE SEVEN
CENT FARE FOR YEAR

A decision vas rendered Saturday Iy
the Public Utilities Commission order
ing Caat the operation Of the schedule
OF t.e Lewiston, Augusta & Wate-viH,
Stree, Railway providing for a are 81
seven cents. be continued for one Seas
rom June !. 1913. unless sooner AN
celed by the commission after nearing.
o. such notice as i may order, elsne-
u-or is own motion or urol petition
nv u O. more aggrieved persons. or un-
,ess further extended by the commission
Or a~opl.caiion by the Lewiston, Angus
"A < wa,err.ie Street Railway TIE
Public Utilities commissioners say In
their report:
The change II the schedules OF the
companv under the order of June 3. 1873.
involved an Increase IT tie fares. such
INCREASE being claimed 20 be necessa.+
owing TO increased cost Of operation.
resulting from wage increases and the
mounting costs OF all sorts OF materials
and sup. lies shat went into the main
tenance = operation Of the trolley
service. Since tina: tine other increases
in wages have been made. and there has
teen but li.,l= recession in the cost of
materials and supplies.
The company at the hearing or NAY
2 this year presented a statement u
it's operating revenues and expenses for
TIE years, 1918. -s:i, 1915. 1916, 1917 GnJ
1873. and a detailed statement OF its
revenue. and expenses by months from
June, 1916. to May i. 1873. This site
-.r ehru.- etay u-di1A sho ay.ar- 1;
since June. 1918, have been materially
greater with the exception o. n or
two months) thar they were in either
Of the other years, it also shows thu:
the cost OF operation has in most of
the months outrUa the increase in rev.
eaue. This has resulted in the neces-
s.ty Of the passing by the company .;
is dividends on its preferred stock. and
since October. 1913, has resulted in a
deac.t each month. such detic I ranging
from sl751 in April Of this year UP 10
Eta.ly 5000 in October, 1915, and shows
that for the calendar year 1915 the de-
Acit was sis5 SIS, and that the dehci. for
the ii months ending May /. 1913, was
ESQ.
This latter deficit is, however. sun.
slant ally less than that for the same
period a year previously. when the de.
ficit was 81, 7.3. While the statement IS
not entirely encouraging, it is not any
where as near as discouraging as were
the conditions the faced ap-
parently a year g But in spite Of
the better showing during the past year
d substantial deficit still exists, and : .
company faces the propos ton tina.
wages VIII probably renain for a tine
at least at the present level and other
costs OF operation will not be materially
lessened fo- a considerable period Of
time.
1T is therefore claimed by the COM
pany that the same conditions vhica
warranted the increase in force a wear
ago are still existent and make il aece T.
seary and reasonable to further extend
the operation OF the same schedule Of
fares.
are convinced from our exam:-
nation Of the accounts Of the company
and from our general knowledge az 70
conditions upon this particular street
railway and by the street RAILWAYS rem
orally throughout the State and the
Ln1ed States. that no reduction in fare,
Is a. present warranted. Conditions
may be different at the end or a YEAR
ard II they are the public is entitled
70 nave matters adjusted in their in
terest.