Evening journal., 1919-04-24
THURSDAY, APRIL "a, 1919.
lUR TROLLEY SYSTEM AND HAIR TRIGGER
AGITATORs

ry1lIERE class Of persons which thinks twice before
Il acts oncel
There is another class which acts twice before it
thinks once,
TO the latter class belong those corporation hators
and agiaors who propose that at this uncturc in the
Of reconstruction and rehabilitation the Wilmington
and Philadelphia Traction Company shall be asked TO
reduce IFS fare from six cents 10 nye cents.
senmentally Of course. nyecent fare is preferable
at an times 10 six-cent fare. BY the sentimental
token four-cen fare is preferable TO nvc-cent fare;
thrcc-cen' fare 20 fourcent iarc two-cent fare 10
three eccnt fare; fare twocent fare, and
ride for nothing a one-ccn fare The ideal rate from
sentimental point Of view, would be for the company
to pay a passenger nyc or ten cents for riding It's
cars.
But street railway lines not run on sentiment. II
they to- operate for the convenience Of the public
they must have a rate OF fare which viii pay expenses
provide for extensions and bettements and leave
sonabe margin Of profit for those who have invested
their money in the properties.
And thus it is with the Wilmington and Philadelphia
Traction Company u permitted to raise It's rate Of
fare from ve cents TO cents because OF the abnormal
cost Of labor and materials during the II, follow
ing the signing OF the armsiice the cost Of labor and
materials bad fallen to normal sub-norma and II the
old nyecent rate had returned reasonable net proht
then there would be reasonable ground for asking for
reduction
That however is not tho case Labor and materials.
except copper high, and instances higher
today than they were before tho armIsiioe signed
That is something that seems 10 have been left wholly
Out OF consideration by harrgger agitators who arc
urslng an immediate reduction Of the trolley fare
Inquiry eliciis the Official Information that from jan
nary 10 December 81 1915 the trolley lines Of the VIII
mngton and Philadelphia Traction Company in Delaware
were operated at a loss Of sii2,sis66
January 1912 the loss arising the operation OF
those same lines was s.. .lsi2i
In February. 1919, tho loss was si271i56
Based upon the average OF 9gpO loss per month for
January and February tho for tho year arising from
the operation Of The trolley lines Delaware would be
sioeSSiso OF irne 5000 less than tho loss in ieis
II may be argued that January February are lean
months and that the heavy Summer and Fall rafno will
beat down that assumed 1919 de0cit of siOoA3isO We
admit Il cheerfuly. Suppose it beats down $4,000
or even to $4,000 That docs AFFECT the principle in
,olvcd The truth remains that The conditions surround
iug the company should be such that will be no
deficit Certainly hc 1919 deficit which is an inevitable
Accompaniment OF the fare existing coud-
ions should be increased by reducing the fare to
cents time when the cost OF labor and materials
is high as it was durins the period, and.
have said before. in instances higher.
The people OF Wilmington do not want the Whining
ton and philadelphia Traction Company starved and
wrecked They are dependent upon IL FOR cheap
and quick Transportation II is 10 their material interest
that be made financially sound and through financial
soundness, fully efficient in operation.
Nc say these things at this time because think Il
would be bad for the sensible people Of our city 10 be
msed by hair-tigger sstators who usually act twice
before ihey think once and who seldom think straight
when they think at af
we peheVe we express communal sentiment when we
~ u''' naF-'rsser astator is "a public pest