The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-05-26
CITY CARLINES
SHOW PROFITS
S9,838.38 Clear, Supt. Muir
phine Reports for Month

seattlo's new municipal railways
are making money
Report OF the first months opera.
ton by the city. prepared 90 be pre-.
scented Monday to the city council by
supt. Thomas T. Murphine. shows
the net profits, after every possible
charge against the lines have been
made. 60 be fe.sssas.
And this deHIate the greatly in
creased wages which have been
/ granted all workers on the lines:
that every liability. including inter
I est on bonds and sinking fund pay
mcnt 20 care for taking up bonds.
has been deducted. and that little
could be done toward reorganization
Of tire system in one short month.
sisi.23s.ts Collected
The total receipts Of the railways,
according to the report. were ttgi,.
ss2.is. Known operating expenses
took saai A.3e. while estimated
charges for interest. Industrial insur
anee and claims during the month
ar. about $50. 600
Depreciation during the month. the
report says. II more than offset by
the great maintenance work being
done. Only three operating econo.
mics have bern put into effect, and
their saving does not show on the
April report. when other real limo.
vations In operation have been II.
fected. Murphine expects the net
profit OF tho lines can be greatly In.
Creased. II not doubled.
skipStops Next
'Dcadheads" discontinued. stop
page Of service on the Ray street
stub line. and change In the 2ad ave.
Tine 10 bring IL down towA and make
IL pay are the first three moves to
atop losses TO tho street railways.
The next big move will be Inaugural
ton Of the akip-stop move.
Comparative statements, showing
the daily increase in revenue for
each day this year over tho same a
year ago have been installed b. aupt
Murphine 10 give him AN absolute
check on the figures. In April. the
! monthly increase In rnvenuc was
100000. or II per cent more than In
April. 1919
Ballard has too many car lines.
says Murpifsne Consequently, the
report chow. ballard lines are los.
ing almost $500 day. The skip.
stop on these lines IL expected 10
top the loas and put them on n pay.
NIX basis. ny ultimately putting the
skipstop plan in operation on all
lines. Murphlne reports he expects TO
I - 4
Cost Goes Up
Increased service. more cars. and
+ consequently greater expenses. sent
i cost Of operation shooting up SO rap
( ally when the city took over the lines
that railway men feared tho city
sould not hope 20 make ends meet
{ However, Murphine'a economies have
balanced tho AituAuon. and with
moro car hours. an increase In pa.
tronagc has been noted.
The report says the street railway
department win also benefit By about
I 5000 In actual saving by the en-.
actmcnt OF new traffic regulations
suggested by supL aurphsne and
Police Chief Joel Warren.
In conclusion" Murphlne's report
reads. ~we would stata that we are
stni OF the opinion that ~ permitted
I TO operate the street railway trans.
/ portation system now owned by the
I city In the manner heretofore point.
ed out 90 your honorable body. that
Is 60 say. putting tnto~sffect tho op,
rating economies recommended by
this department.. and are permitted
20 discontinue nonrcyenuc producing
lines that give practically no service
to the public. and are not compelled
10 operate nonprofitable extensions
Of the system. and are not compelled
10 operate various experimental
transportation schemes. that from
the revenues derived we shall be able
to pay all operating expenses. all In.
tereet on the bonds. and set aside an
amount sufficient to retire the bonds.
and we shall he able to do this on "a
20