The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-08-10
CAR LINE WILL
QUIT BUSINESS
If CHANGES ARE NOT AL
LOWED FRANCHISE WILL
BE SURRENDERED
SERIOUS SITUATION
People and Council Must Decide
Issue at Once-Car Com
pany's Statement.

A street railway or no street rail-
way, that is the question.
The matter is up to the City Coun-
eil, representing the people, and a
decision must soon be made, or the
present owners Of the car line fran
chise will surrender the same and
abandon the service.
This fact was made clear to the
Council and reiterated to The Dis
patch by Mr.. r. P. Claggett, general
manager of the company, the past
week. Mr.. Claggett appeared before
the Council Wednesday night and
asked favorable action on the com
pany's request for change of it's
lines, but no action was taken.
| On Thursday The Dispatch asked
Mr.. Claggett for statement of the
company's position towards the pro-
posed changes, and he went into the
question very thoroughly He stated
that his company had already ex-
pended $3S,000 for the improvement
of their holdings here with the idea
of improving the service and getting
the properties upon better paying
basis. As long as normal conditions
ensued the local properties were just
about breaking even. With the ad-
A. = var conditions the company
was confronted with a crisis. The
situation was met by the council here
which allowed an increase of cleo
trical and gas rates which served to
/ safeguard the light service. The in
creased fares on the car line proved
unsatisfactory and the company vol
UNFAIRLY restored the cents fare on
/ August the first in the hope Of re-
fceiving its revenue from this source
Mr. Claggett stated that the ear line
was losing thousand dollars
month and it's continued operation up
on it's present bases was out Of the
question
The changes in the lines Of the
railway asked are not very material
or very radical No city in America
1 the size Of Columbus has two paral-
lei lines Of street railway for four
blocks as we have on our Main street
and College street lines We are ask
ing the people 10 endorse the action
of the Council in giving US authority
to take up our line on College street
from the intersection of College and
Seventh street, south, west 70 Third
streets and its place TO run the line
to the NJ. 4 0. depot from Col. W.
ID. Humphries' corner, north one
block to Main street and the VI. & o.
cars to traverse the Main street line
west to Third. The company is ask
ing that they be allowed to take up
their Market street line, with the
dangerous passing Of the Franklin
Academy and the Lee High School
and to leave Military road at the
home of Capt +. II. Sharp and run
west on Eighth street 70 Main, and
thence west on Main street for its
Military road cars to Third street
by taking this route for our Mil
itary road line,' said Mr.. Claggett,
"our liability at the school houses is
eliminated and the people on Mill
tary road and that section will still
have car service to the main business
section Of the city. II the Council
will allow us to rearrange these lines
we will continue our service; If we
are required to maintain the present
lines and install the necessary equip
ment for street paving over this large
area, costing about $4,000, we will
be bound to surrender our franchise"
said Mr.. Claggett.
This is the street car situation in
Columbus today. The company claims
that to install the necessary rails and
equipment for street paving on its
College street and Market street
lines will cost it $4,000. II they are
allowed to take up their lines the
rails can be sold for enough to make
the changes they want to make. With
the future uncertain they viii not in
cur this cost, preferring TO surrender
their car line franchise, which is sep
lrate and apart from the electric
light franchise. If this Is done We
viii have no car service al all
The issue Is squarely up 70 the
council and the people