The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1920-12-18
SIX-CENT FARE AGAIN,

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by organizations Of business men a
string of automobiles may be seen in
the neighborhood of the Commercial
club. When the meeting adjourns the
attendants may be seen climbing into
their autos, taking with them a friend
or two. Mighty few ride in street cars
to their homes.
And yet these are the people who are
shouting loudest for the six-cent fare.
They seldom ride on a street car unless
something goes wrong with their auto
mobiles. Car fares are not fixed
charge in their family budget. An in
crease or decrease in the car fare would
not affect or benefit them in the least.
The chief patrons of the street rail-
way company are the workers and their
families, comparatively few of whom
have automobiles It costs the aver
age workers family $3.50 year for
street railway fares. A six-cent fare
will mean that the worker must con-
tribute from his earnings and that Of
the earning members Of his family,
$50 more every year, and this in the
face of the present general threat to-
reduce wages.
The street railway company has al
ready passed over the high-price peak.
It has "weathered the worst Of the.
gale.'' We are promised reductions in
prices to begin at once. Everybody
is preparing for it. The merchants,
their shelves heavily laden with goods
bought at wartime prices, are refusing
to buy more on a falling market. They
are taking losses on such as they now
have in stock. Unorganized workers in
the woods and at other seasonal occu-
pations are compelled to submit to re-
auctions in wages. Even some Of the
organized workers are threatened with
cuts.
In the face Of all this the street
railway company expects the city to
grant it the right to increase its rate
20 per cent, to allow it to raise its price
when everything else is coming down.
cit is poor rule that does not work
both ways.' The company has had
a good many fat years when it could
have carried passengers at a profit for
less than five cents. It made no reduc-
tion then. It dissipated it's excess
profits during it's prosperous years. It's
officers thought nothing of that "rainy
day. about which the workers are
constantly reminded. Now in it's old
age it is crying for relief, and it is
asking the city to help it out of hole
into which it has fallen by its own
folly.
Differing from most other lines Of
business in Duluth, the street railway
company enjoys a monopoly. It is oper-
ating under contract The city was
not permitted to change or amend that
contract during the days when the
street railway company had everything
its own way. If the fve-cent fare
was thought to be excessive at any
time In the past we were told that
nothing could be done to change the
fare until the present franchise or con.
tract expired. We recall one instance
some years ago when we tried to have
it give six rides for quarter to school
children. The company refused. Such
. change would have operated in behalf
Of the people.
Now the shoe is on the other foot
The company is having, so its officers
claim, some lean times. All at once
it has been discovered that its franchise
Or contract with the city can be amend
ed, something we have all along beer
told could not be done. Of course il
could be amended at any time will
the consent. of the company and city
but when we. wanted reduced fares
better service or additional lines tn,
company would never consent to
change in it's franchise. It bossed tn,
job and was satisfied
The company is now perfectly willin,
to consent to a change in its franchise
with regards, however, only to its car
rying charge to the public. It will
not consent to other changes, some O.
which are absolutely necessary to com
pei adequate service to the public, an,
without compelling the city to 90 int
court every time Improvement is de
handed.
Its position is absolutely untenable
selfish and inconsistent. No matte
how much the controlled business inter
ssts may attempt to engineer the pres
ent scheme to; seek six.ceut fare tn
council dare not authorize it withou
giving the people chance to pass, O.
the question.