Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-11-09
CITY TO OPPOSE
2-CENT CHARGE
FOR TRANSFERS
Corporation Counsel Ashby
Reiterates Stand Against
Increasing Revenues.
WOULD BOOST RENTALS

| Complete opposition will be the atti-
| tude OF the city of indianapolis toward
( the petition of the indianapolis Street
, Railway Company before the Public
| Service Commission for the right to
charge cents for each transfer, Corpo-
ration Counsel Samuel Ashby stated to-
day. He reiterated his stand of several
days ago that any increase in rates Will
result In less revenue and higher OPP
! Grating expenses for the company.
FAVORS HIGHER RENTAL
FROM INTERURBAN LINES.
If the company is in need Of financial
relied. which the corporation councE
does not admit, 1t should be obtained
! through an increase In the remuneration
the company receives from interurban
! companies which use its tracks and ter
minal facilities, Mr.. Ashby said.
The view which the city administration
takes of the street railway situation Is
outlined IN a statement which Mr.. Ashby
issued as follows;
1.-The city has at all times been opposed
to any increases In fares or any charge
for transfers, the latter for the reason
that we deemed IL unfair and tnequItable
to transfer passengers many OF whom
ride a much shorter distance than those
who do not use transfers. 1t has been
the contention Of the city at all times
that any fare above cents would not
be wise for the company from the stand
point Of revenue as any increases In fares
will reduce the number of passengers.
1t has been shown that such increases
do not bring a proportionate increase In
revenue.
The indianapolis Street Railway Com
I pany has been able to operate during
the war and the period following the
war without loss. It's reports for the
year 1919 show that It was able TO pay
all operating expenses, use at least q
per cent OF the gross receipts for the
maintenance and upkeep Of the property
and earn $3.50 as a return on its in
vestment, part OF which was actually
used to pay dividends and the remainder
to make additions and batterments to
the property. Its reports for the first
six months of this year continue to show
that It was not operating at a loss.
have not analyzed It's more recent re-
ports.
CITES CIrY's STAND on
PREVIOUS QUESTIONS.
''The city has repeatedly brought to
the attention Of the company the fact
that the interurban companies coming
into the city Of indianapolis only pay
3 cents per passenger for trackage and
cent for terminal privileges. according
to the original contract that was made
about 1902 at a time when the passenger
/ fare on the interurban roads was from
/ cent to IL cents per mile. The public
service commission has granted the in
| terurbans increases IA their passenger
fares to 2 cents, which Is from 100 70 200
per cent increase over what the fare was
when the original interuFhar contract
~ F~Af nlf
Railway Company. Notwithstanding this
fact there has been no Increase granted
to the city company for It's interurban
service In other words. when the con
tract was originally made there were
some lines that charged on their
/ through passep gers or S cents I'D paid
to the city company cents. These same
| companies are now charging as high as
| IS and is cents for through passengers
for hauls inside the city limits, but still
| paying the city company only 4 cents
| FOR the use Of It's property.
"The city does not desire to be un-
fair to the interurban companies but
submits that inasmuch as the interurban
companies have been granted increases In
their fares. very largely on account of
| the increased cost OF power and mainte-
nance which service Is rendered entirely
by the city company on the city tracks,
I 1t is entirely fair to the interurban com
/ panies that they should be asked to di-
] vide this increase with the city company.
BELIEVES OPERATING
EXPENSES WILL DROP.
THE interurban companies have no in
vestment for right Of way or tracks or
! terminal facilities and are getting the
same rate Of fare as the railroads which
are under tremendous expense, spending
millions on track elevation alone.
Our feeling is that operating expenses
4 viii decrease instead Of increase and that
( 1t would be unwise to mako any increase
/ in fares at this time"