Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-10-16
P.R.T. LAYS BEFORE COUNCILS
IT'S HIGH SPEED AND FARE PLANS

change points through which con
Sidcrably more than > per cent. or
about 5O, 900. 900 of our passengers
transfer. These $50 points of oX-
change are like so many dams in the
stream, diverting the traffic from its
natural channels to points at which
free transfers are issued.
Change Will Alter Traffic
If the three cent exchange ticket
is eliminated and free transfers issued
mt the three cent exchange points. tn"
traffic will then follow its natural
course and each passenger will make
that choice of transfer point which
lends itself most readily tn his use.
The result will be that the public will
be better served and the heavy load
on the present free transfer lines will
be shared by the now less heavily
patroniZcd lines For example. the
Lchgh avenue line has outlet to the
delivery district by free transfer down
Twelfth and Fifteenth streets. APP
proXimately 2.O0OO 900 passengers
transfer per annum at these points.
If the free transfer privilege is cN-
tended TO the six other intersrcting
south bound streets reaching the de
livery district. the traffic will be more
generally distributed and the car
riders given quicker and more con-
vcnient service.
Neither Sc exchange nor free
transfer should be accepted at points
within the delivery district. bounded
by the Delaware river. Seventeenth,
Cherry aud Locust streets. The
measure of the carrying capacity
of the system as Il whole. is deter
mined by the terminal capacity of
this district. Passengers riding from
one outlying section to another should
be encouraged to use the outlying
connecting lines The movement of
transfer or exchange ticket traffic
through the delivery district increases
unnecessarily the inevitable congrs-
tion of riders whose business requires
them to reach or leave the delivery
district. The entire use of the tracks
and service in the delivery district
is imprrativcly needed aS terminal.
If the greatest possible service is
! 10 be secured from existing facili
ties, the Be exchange ticket must be
/ eliminated. and this should be ac-
/ compliShcd without such resulting
/ loss to the company as viii cripple
/ ii in continuing generally increased
and improved service, or cndangcr
the continuance of 5c fare.
/ 81 500. 600 will represent this years
revenue from th" Sc exchange
ticket. The following payments,
which do not contribute to the furn-
ishing of transportation. are now be
ing made by the company to the
city annually:
Must Make Some Repair
The company. in addition to its
cash contribution of S55O. 600 per
annum for paving, is required to
/ make the same repairs to streets
necessitated by its own construction
/ or repair work as is required by
other utilities or persons. This as
| between the city and the car rider.
/ is all that the .Ic fare should be re
quired to support. Paving streets
from curb to curb in these days Of
automobiles and iitneys can no longer
be fairly made IA part of the cost of
a street car ride.
The sinking fund commenced in
1872 lnow containing about 81 900.
uOO). if continued in force and with
its future payments similarly in
vested. would be short at least
81 ,OOO.OOO of the amount required to
retire the $50. 900, 900 u. X. u. stock
equity, which. under the 1907 agree
ment. the city may purchase at par
in 1857 or thereafter. Should the
city determine to exercise this option
it would be obliged to provide at
least 81 900, ,O00., which it could do
under the terms of the constitutional
amendment which was passed the
second time at the last session of the
Legislature. The city'S right to pur-
chase should, of course. remain un-
disturbed. hut if and when this option
is exercised the entire sum required
could then be provided by the sale of
city securities.
The car rider wants to keep the
five fare. There scents no Suf-
ticient reason why the car rider of
today should pay three cents extra
fare for an exchange ticket to help
produce n sinking fund to reduce the
cost of street tear rides for future
generations. Under laws. enacted
since 1907. the power to fix rates Of
fare commensurate with the cost Of
producing the service is given tO reg
ulating commissions, who do not re %
gard with favor the idea of loading
upon the back of the present ear rider
costs accruing solely to the benefit OF
car riders many years hence.
The following suggestion is offered
IN adjustment of this matter:
Three cent exchanges outside o.
the delivery district to be changed Il
free transfer privileges as rapidly a
practicable. so that all three cent
exchange tickets be entirely don'
away with before the dawnng of mex
New Years Day. 1920. This vii
give TO the car rider, as II New
Years present. system freed of the
three cent exchange charge. In con
Sideration of this being done the
company to now cease making the
aforementioned payments, anproXl
mating SIS6 900 per annum. The dl
rect financial consideration to th'
company is only about one half OF
the revenue it will surrender. There
will, however. be some addltlona
fares collected in the delivery dis
trict under this arrangement. anG
better still the removal of this
three cent source of Irritation vii
serve to increase the good VIII anC
create added opportunity Tor Ell
fective operation.
FrankfOrd Elevated Extension
The Frankford elevated already
represents an investment OF seVera
millions of city money. If we are
correctly informed the interest ant
sinking fund charges thereon are nov
serving to increase the princlpal o.
this investment at rate approx
mating $250.000 per annum'
There seems no immediate prospect
vi of this high -snee6 line being brought