The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-07-11
WHY SIX CENTS?

The Pensacola Electric Company has started
movement to procure permission to increase
car fares all local lines in a proportion which
will authorize them to charge six cents, where
five is collected.
At meeting called recently, the president of
the Chamber of Commerce was requested to ap-
point committee of citizens representing the
Chamber of Commerce. the Central Trades and
Labor Council, the Rotary Club and the city at
large, to investigate the affairs of the company
and to appoint auditor to make complete
examination of books and records, at the ex-
pense of the company, and to report its findings
and recommendations to the board of commits
sioners of the city, for their consideration, in
connection with the franchise amendment.
The examination into the books of the PEN
sacola electric Company is only one step in the
direction of settling the question to raising
of rates in the city of Pensacola. 1t is known
fact that street railway lines all over the coun-
try claim to be constantly declining in worth.
But that is not by any means augury that
these lines, which have paid enormous dividends
in the past are not paying fair dividends at this
time.
The only way to find out the best thing to be
accomplished would seem to be to find out the
best things that have been accomplished. Be
caunse a business has been badly administered in
the past is no guarantee that, with proper man
agement, it might not be properly administered
in the future.
1t would seem at this time that more impor
tant thing than finding out the conditions that
obtain in Pensacola today, through an examina-
ton of the books of the Pensacola Electric Com
pany which claims that it is operatirE at loss,
would be to ask the privilege to examine the
books of companies which are operating at
profit, and giving the people real service.
Boston is said to be giving good street car
service and is not bankrupt and the credit is
given to Matthew Brush. Brush is of the
acknowledged powers in the business world, and
is now president of the American International
Corporation, which is building ships at the Hog
Island yard.
The point would bring out is this-the fact
that business is operated at loss is never
guarantee that the people should bear the bur-
den of that loss.
The people, however, are fair-minded This
has been demonstrated again and again during
the world If it should prove to be within
the rights of the Pensacola Electric Company to
raise the fare from five cents to six cents, then
the people will doubtless acquiesce. But going
over the books of the Electric Company will no
more prove that the company has the right to
raise this fare, than going over the books of
bankrupt company would prove that the people
at large must bear the burden of failure to meet
obligations.
Say a man uses the street cars, as many do,
four times day, at the end of the day he has
paid the Pensacola Electric Company "a cents,
but If the raise were quarter of cent he has
paid them p cents. Men who would not kick at
paying one cent more day towards the operat-
ing expenses of the Pensacola Electric Company,
might object to paying four cents day, or
$1.20 more per month.