Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-06-24
3 TRACTION
LINES GRANTED
RATE INCREASE
Three-Cent Fare Authorized
by Public Service Com
mission.
ORDER EFFECTIVE JULY 1

and the Indianapolis < Cincinnati Irac-
ton Companies were the three petition
ers who were nowed power to increase
their rates.
With the establishment of the Scent
rate commutaton book prices will be
increased.
Rates in Indiana have since Jan. 10,
1919, been 2ss cents a mile.
New passenger rates on the electric
tines are equal to the rates charged by
steam railroads throughout the state,
snd parity with rates charged by SINH
lar electric lines in Michigan, Illinois
and Ohio.
The commissioners refused to grant au-
thority to the Union Traction Company
TO increase the price of Communication
books on account of the poor service
shown commuters.
NO ACTION ON BROAD
RIPPLE RATES.
New rates affecting Broad Ripple on
the line operated Jointly by the Indian
8poHs Street Railway Company and the
Union Traction Company are still pend
ing.
It is petitioned that a 1O-cent fare be
charged on that line, but commissioners
have not yet taken action on the ques-
ton
Employees Of the Prest- O. Lite Company
at Speedway City viii be charged ac-
cording to the new rates to commuters
on the Terre Haute, Indianapolis & East
ern Traction Company.
Rates to be charged on the line pass
ing the speedway, as adopted for the
rest of the system and BY the other two
traction companies, are quoted at twenty
five times the price Of a one-way trip
for forty-trip book, with a minimum
of S325 for each book
g he Nh1 nnw three
cent fare.
A valuation Of $4,000 a mile in the
case of all three companies was used
as rate basis by the public service
commission. which held that such
- valuation is conservative.
cTsT OF COAL
REASON FOR BOOST.
. Advanced cost of coal is stated as the
principal cause Of the necessity for fare
readjustment, though the evidence re-
vealed continued upward trend OF cost
OF all other items Of maintenance and
operation.
At various traction hearings the evil
dence showed that coal which ten years
ago cost traction companies from so to
so cents a ton at the mines, according
70 market conditions, and that was
transported on freight rates which ran
from 30 to 65 cents a ton according to
destination. now is hitting the high
levels Of approximately 81 a ton deliv-
cred.
Increased cost Of coal, labor, materials
and supplies used in the maintenance
and operation OF these utilities, as shown
IN the finding, would, II present rates
were continued, reduce the earnings to
approximately per cent or less, ae-
cOrding to the commission.
The order further indicates that the
mile viii not Offset entirely the in
creased cost Of the upkeep Of the utili-
lies.
Estimates Of the commission indicate
-, in the case Of the Union Traction
FCOmpany, the earnings under the new
fare system would be only per cent
81 on the valuation Of $4,000 a mile, with
10 allowance for depreciation.
In a like estimate the earnings Of the
T. H., I. & Z. Traction Company would
be 5.3 per cent, including 1 per cent for
depreciation on equipment, and for the
Indianapolis & Cincinnati Traction Com
pany So per cent, with no allowance
for depreciation.
SAY NEW RATE
Is INADEQUATE.
While these rates are inadequate, ac
cording to the companies, interurban
railroads are unable to go beyond che
fares of competing steam railroads.
Both the Indianapolis & Cincinnati and
the T. H., I. & Z. Traction Comuanies
fled petitions for increased rates on
April 2S. while the Union Traction Com
pany petitioned for increased rates and
= commutation fares on March 16
Commuters fled remonstranees in the
Union Traction Company commutation
fare case, alleging poor service.
Following an investigation of the in
terurban train service at indianapolis
and Ft Wayne by the commission for
the months Of March and April Of this
year, it was shown that the service Of
s the Union Traction Company was far be-
low the standards Of other railways
Train services of the Union Traction,
the 7. H, l. < E. the Interstate Public
Service, formerly the FIT. Wayne & North
ern Indiana. companies were compared in
the investigation.
CALL UNION TRACTION
SERVICE POOR.
1t is held by the commission that not
only was the service of the Union Trac-
tian Company below the standard IN
point of running the cars on scheduled
time, but the company was unreliable in
"a cancelling scheduled trains.
Following a table which shows in
ferfor character Of service the public
eSyice commission in its order says ''it
spparent that the service on the peti-
bfner's road is inadequate. and is far
'short Of what the patrons have right
to expect"
The commission admitted that it was
reluctant to make the decision, in view
OF the present financial condition of the
company.
The present charge by the Union Trac-
ton Company for a forty-trip book is
11k cents a mile, with minimum charge
OF So for each book.
Arthur ". Brady and H. a. Nichol ap-
peared in the hearings for the Union
Traction Company.
MANY PROTESTS
AGAINST INCREASE.
The petition was protested by sew
eral hundred individuals.
The new Scent rate to go into effect
on the Union Traction Company win af-
feet patrons in Anderson, Muncie, New
castle, Marion, NoblesviIle, Upton. Ko-
komo, Peru. LOgansport, Elwood, Alexan-
dria, Wabash. Blufton, Hartford City,
CONTINUED on Page TwO.)