Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-01
SLAMS SERVICE
GIVEN ON CARS
logan Nicholson Acts As Detective
On InterurbaRs to Ascertain
Treatment Accorded.
EXPLAINS SPECIAL DISPATCH.
State Utilities Man Says Resuspen-
sion Does Not Mean No Rul-
ing Can Be Given.

Yesterday afternoon might well
hr-e been called the East Moline
and SiIvis session for representa-
tIves of those cities, the state utili-
ties commission and delegates for
the TFi-City Railway company.
Logan Nicholson, concrete work
er Of East Moline, testified before
the commission on the kind of ser
vice offered street car patrons go
ing to and from Silvis, East Moline
and Moline. Mr.. Nicholson spent
Saturday evening of last week and
Sunday afternoon as a detective on
the street car lines.
His findings looked bad for the
II way company. In testifying that
du ing his detective career on those
two days, he said he rode on cars
TO and from East Moline and Mo-
line. On all the cars he rode, he
found them packed, simply block
ing admission to patrons who were
waiting on corners for a car.
People were standing up all
over" he said. There were some
IN he aisles, some on the back plat
forms. some in the front yestibule
with the motOrman, some on the
steps and some wherever there was
room. The car was so crowded
that they couldn't jam another per-
son in and they passed up patient
waters on almost every block"
T Nicholson started his detec-
tive work at 1915 last Saturday ev-
e15lg. boarding car No. at Ninth
street, East Moline. By the time the
car arrived at First street, East Mo
lire, II was so packed that fifteen
patrons had to be passed up. When
the car reached the Moline down
toV1 district, the detective, pro TEN,
descended and started on an inves-
t5Eation career on cars in Moline.
He would ride several blocks. get
eff. jump on the next car, walked
from the back to the front end of
The car and kept this up until 10
o'clock that evening.
Makes Sunday Check.
Sunday afternoon at 2:15 Mr..
Nicholson again took his little book
ana started street car riding and
exa mination. Each time he would
write his findings in the book. The
first car in which he rode Sunday
carried 121 passengers. The car
arrived in Moline at 2:45. The ser
vice detective aIighted and began
Investigation of cars, though not
riding. but from the outside until
5 o'clock that afternoon. Then he
started all over again.
ILr NiCholsOn's findings will have
q great effect on the service be
tween Moline and the cities directly
east of il, is the belief Of East Mo
line officials. The meeting adj
i1Hrued before a decision was
res ehed on this service. Mayor
Fred maritime of Silyis and Joe
G esIer, eX-mayor of East Moline,
also testified that they have made
Investigations and found the same
trouble crowded street cars.
Explains Dispatch.
H II. Slater, utilities commission
representative who was in Moline
yesterday hearing testimony in sup
port Of the plea of the street car
companies for permission to in
crease fares, when told Of the dis
patch received yesterday from
Springfield in which 1t was said
that the case of the Moline, Rock
Island & Eastern Traction company
and the Tri-City Railway company,
asking for an advance in rates for
railway service in Rock Island, Mo-
line. East Moline and Silvis was re
suspended by the utilities commits
sion until July %, explained that
Il does not necessarily mean there
viii be no ruling until July %.
Only Formally.
The rates were first suspended
til Jan %. and yesterdays order
was merely a foruality to give the
commission additional time for in
Eeztigation. The decision OF the
commission can be announced at
any time the inquiry is completed.
The fight for the seven-cent
street car fare in the three cities IS
now subject To the decision by the
state commission, but before that
decision is made q state accountant
viii examine the cOmpany's books
10 determine whether the figures
on expenses and income presented
by the company are correct. H NJ
slater animated yesterday that the
Investigation by the state will take
about ten days.