The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-06-07
Trolley Situation
to Be Investigated
Committee on Public Service Sc
curities Request Appointment
of Commission.

At a meeting of the committee on
public Service securities held in New
York on April 10, 1919, after a dis
cussion of the whole subject, the
chairman was instructed to send the
following letter to Roger w. Babson,
of the Department of Labor.
AT a meeting of the committee
on public service securities of the IN
vestment Bankers Association of
America, held today, the chairman
was instructed to advise you that the
committee has welcomed your state
ment that the United States Depart
ment of Labor is addressing its eff
forts toward finding Some method by
which the relations between the street
, railways, the car riders and the public
authorities will be put on a more sat
isfactory basis.
'It is common knowledge that the
abnormal increases caused by the war
| in wages. costs of fuel and materials,
and taxes, without corresponding in
crea seS in revenue, has resulted in
! such decreases in the net earnings
of local transportation companies that
they are unable to pay their operat-
! ing expenses, taxes, and a fair re-
turn on the investment and that
while other industries have advanced
their charges to offset increased costs
the revenue of the transportation
companies have not been increased in
the same proportion, and that the
street railways of the country are In
perilous condition.
The whole country is interested in
ADEQUATE local transportation at fair
rates and the expansion of that ser
vice to meet the growing demands of
increasing population and expanding
industry The difficulties of the local
TRANSFORMATION systems are not con-
fined to one section of the country,
| but are general all over the United
States, and are, therefore, of natlonal
| interest, and in all parts of the coun-
try these difficulties seem to be Que
to the same general causes and should
be susceptible to common remedies,
and remedies must be found promptly
/ TO prevent enormous losses to invest
ors, to industry and to the nation.
These difficulties appear to require
| a reimbursement of the relations be-
| tween the street railways, their eni-
ploves. the car riders, and the public,
which can hardly be accomplished
| piecemeaL, but only by a general
knowledge of all the facts and a gem
eraI recognition of the principles
which should govern those relations.
There is nobody nor authority
either competent to make thorough
and impartial investigation of the
facts or of sufficient dignity and i'm
portance to give such weight to It's
findings and recommendations as
would promise acceptance throughout
! the country.
"This committee therefore recon-
mends the early appointment by the
president of a federal board on street
| railway conditions, on which there
would be representatives OF the UNI
ted States Department of Labor ana
other interested departments OF the
government. of the street railway
companies, of the American bankers
Association, the Investment Bankers
Association of America and the
Chamber of GoH1rnerce of the United
states and the National Association OF
public Utility Commissioners, with
ADEQUATE statistical and clerical as
sistants. for the investigation of the
facts concerning street railways ana
the reasons for their present cohui-
ton. and with instructions to state
the principles which should govern
the nroper relations between the
s+reet railways their employees, the
car riders and the public generally,
in order that the people may nave
ADEQUATE transportation at fa1r rates
the rights of the public may De lully
protected the investors in street rHh-
ways may be protected against hoS'
and new capital may. be provided TO
meet the increasing demands upon
The TRANSPORTATION systems in the IN
terests of industry, the growth Of the
communities served and the health
"a welfare of urban populations.