The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-07-24

| sort of revision of franchise has been
referred to popular vote it has been
defeated.
The authorities at Washington have
been much concerned over this condi-
| ton of affairs, Finally federal street
| railway commission has been appointed
| to investigate conditions throughout the
country and report with recommends
| tons. The investigations have been
going on for ten days. This is the
occasion for the gathering of the street
car magnates from all the cities of the
nation. They say that they are at
! tending a wake over the corpse of a
great industry. Representatives. Of the
government are inclined to look upon
themselves as a coroner's jury.
The federal government feels consid-
cradle responsibility for the position
in which the street railways find them
selves. During the war the govern
ment maintained a war labor board
to settle disputes between employer and
labor. That board usually granted in
creases in wages, There were logical
reasons why there should be increases
in the pay of labor-even the operators
money in other industries, why not on
the cars? Trainmen who had been get
ting from 20 cents to IS cents an hour
were granted A and 4S cents. In De-
troit they recently struck for so cents
and got it. In Chicago they are now
Forty-five per cent. Of the cost,of street
railway operation is spent for labor, SO
these increases play havoc with the
balance sheet. The government also
raised the price to industries on such
materials as steel products, and the
street railways are huge consumers of
these. There are but two industries
in the country that consume more raw
materials.
So the government wants to bring
relief to the street railways. 1t holds
that they are more than corporations
which may or may not make profits
They are necessities to the well being
of every municipality. The whole pub
lie will be injured if it Is not possible
for them to operate. They cannot OPP
crate unless they can pay expenses and
interest on the Investments. The gov
eminent wants to lay down scheme
under which it may be made possible
for them to operate, but, under which
they cannot charge higher fare than
that to which, they are entitled.
The federal investigating commits
sion has no authority to enforce its
findings. 1t can only make recommen.,
dations. The owners hope that local
communities will follow the recommen-
dations of the federal commission. The
verdict of that commission will give
them something as a defense against
the condemnation of the voters.
There are one or two solutions al
ready under consideration. In Cleve-
land and in Cincinnati there is pro-
vision for an equalizing fund which
becomes a sort of money reservoir
from which operating expenses are paid
If, for example, the companies are al
lowed to charge 7-cent fare, II the
experiment provides ample funds, the
reservoir will rise. When 1t gets to a
certain point the fare automatically
goes back to s cents. If the level Is
maintained this fare is pronounced ade-
quate. If the level falls below a GER
tain mark, indicating a loss, 1t is au-
tomatically raised again. So is barom-
eter established that will provide suf-
ficient money and prevent an exploita-
ton of the public.
In the meantime, there Is great
discrepancy in the fares charged in
different cities. In Boston where the
elevated and the surface systems are
operated by a state board of trustees
under an arrangement which guarantees
a return to the investment. fares went
first to cents, then to s and finally
just recently. to 10 cents. In Cleveland
where there was once a Scent fare, the
rate Is now 5 cents, with an additional
cent for a transfer. Washington has
gone from six tickets for a quarter to s
cents straight, and now charges cents
for a transfer, which charges are held
to be inadequate. There Is infinite
variety in the amount one pays for
street car fare and transfers between
Maine and Mexico.
(Subject of tomorrow's letter, Histories
.- of the War