The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1919-11-07
Parties For the Pennies.

/ would only give us six"
"The estimates in this case have
all gone astray," Slocum answered.
The company has said it didn't know
what returns it would get from any
system in spite Of its studies don't
think it great crime to take the
| advice of our engineers and other Ell
1 gineers and form tentative rate. Ii
/ is purely a matter of judgment"
This is the first / have known of
a rate being put on without hear
! ing" McCarter said. "We have been
1 advised that the seven-cent fiat rate
with a penny for transfer is the legal
rate at present except for the zone
/ system experiment. l don't see why
+ the company should accept a rate that
would give it a lower return"
L. Edward Hermann. counsel to the
commission, asked: "But didn't you
say the seyen-cent rate was only a
stopgap- the company was fall
ing short Of its legal return
"Yes, l did" McCarter admitted,
but if the commission gave a de-
cision which would give substantially
less returns it would lead to serious
difficulties"
Commissioner March asked: How
do you know what it would give?'
Il don't know. but ! don't believe
we should try this or that rate TO see
what it would give" McCarter ans
wered.
President Slocum resumed: at is
not so much the rate as the abandon
ment of the zone principle about
which we are concerned. 1t is either
right or wrong If we go to seven
cents the company will be back in a
month for a higher fiat rate"
1--WE will get along on that rate IN
til the valuation is completed" Nc
/ Carter said. Because the politicians
on both sides have condemned the
zone system is no reason we should
discard the principle"
Sloeum continued: This is an ar
i bitrary stand for you to take in view
of the boards cooperation in this
trolley situation. If we wanted TO be
on the popular side of the matter, we
/ should not have bothered with all
these hearings
81 want to say" concluded McCar
ter, shat the rate mentioned in the
papers would only give us 100000
Of the $1,000 600 needed to pay our
fixed charges. If we can't pay these
it means collapse Of the system. We
must look before we leap. We could
live under the seven-cent rate until
the valuation is over We know how
we can get along with it,
Sloeun said they would take Nc
! Carriers statement into consideration
i Commissioner Wright urged immedi-
ate action, but the president ruled to
hold over until after the noon recess.
The commissioners believe the new
schedule viii largely meet the wishes
of many of the municipalities in that
1 it will permit a fair ride within the
limits of most municipalities for FIVE
cents" 1t will also reduce the charg-
to induce them to panonize the lines
and in most cases win bring the ag-
! gregate rate below the Communication
rates charged by competing steam
railroad lines Reports would indicate
| that many of the short haul riders
/ would preferably pay five-cent fare
I for any ride rather than suffer the
! delay and confusion resulting in max
1 ing change to permit the payment of
/ three cents.
SIN making this report the appli-
cation of Camden for the abrogation
of the zone system is incidentally dis
posed of 1t is not the intention to
deal in this report with all the details
which affect traffic conditions in Cam
den. These will be given further con-
sideration with a view to correcting
such inequalities as may appear to
continue
1T is the boards opinion that the
boycott is due to mistaken idea of
the boards authority to order five
cent fare. The board must give due
consideration to the rules laid down
by the courts for its guidance and TO
the return which the company is law
fully entitled to receive.
1T is the hope of the board that
the people of Camden and vicinity
will consider this question in all OF
its aspects, and will assist the board
in the attempt it is making, under
the pecliarly trying conditions which
have resulted from the war, to solve
this difficult problem with fairness to
all concerned
1.-THE board, therefore, refuses the
application of the company to abro-
gate the zone system and to permit
the company to return TO a fat fare of
seven cents, with a charge Of one cent
for a transfer"
The board directed that the new
schedule take effect contingent upon
the public service filing its written ac
ceptance.
War Nurses to Keep On.
Young women who enlisted during
the war as student nurses and who
aided in caring for thousands of sick
and wounded soldiers at the base
hospital at Camp Dix will be permit
ted by the government to continue
their studies in nursing at civilian