Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-01-08
CROWDEDCARS
TO STAY SO FOR
LONG, LONG TIME
Traffic Increases 40 Per Cent,
While Facilities Are I'm
proved 2 Per Cent.
YET, DIVIDENDS COME

gers who attempt to ride either to or
from work on one street car might as
we'll make up his mind to grin and bear
1t, for the rest of this winter, at least.
There is no immediate relief in sight
from the congestion that has resulted
from the lack of proper facilities on the
part Of the indianapolis Street Railway
Company. indianapolis street cars are
overcrowded simply because there are
not enough street cars in Indianapolis
to haul the crowds that want to ride.
How utterly inadequate is the rolling
stock of the company at the present mo-
ment is well illustrated by the fact that,
although the traffic increased 25 per cent
In 1918 over the previous year there
were no new cars added to the service.
And although 1t increased nearly 2j per
cent in 1919 over 1918 the only new cars
added were less than a half dozen bor-
rowed from Terre Haute.
The street car company isn't giving
out any figures on the subject, but 1t is
not necessary to have access to it's rec
ords to know that the street car traffic
in Indianapolis has increased approx
mately 10 per cent since the public serv.
ice commission shook up the operating
department. and that the facilities for
uling passengers have increased not
more than per cent in that same time.
The result is that street cars which
used to be crowded are no longer mere
" crowded. They are jammed TO the
last inch OF available space before they
complete the downtown loops and they
go sailing by hundreds of perfectly
good passengers with their nickels In their
hands, who would gladly donate 10 the
dividend fund of the Indianapolis Street
Railway Company If they get close
enough to conductor to hand him their
fares.
1t isn't the intent here to define whose
fault that is Fixing the responsible
ity for the errors of the past will not
get any one a foodhold on a street car
But It might be we'll to say that the
present inadequaey of the rolling stock
OF the indianapolis street car system has
not come unsuspected or without due
warning.
NEED FOR NEW CARS
LONG EVIDENT.
Long before the local interests that
were intent on making foreign capital
wish IL had never come into Indianapo-
lis succeeded in freezing the "Philadel-
phia crowd" out Of the control of the
local company. the need for new cars was
apparent Orders had been placed for
cars The price was particularly adj
vantageous and the prospects OF get
ting rolling stock sufficient to relieve
what was then a desperate situation were
bright
Then the stock johbing began. Every
effort Of the traction aud terminal com
pany to get the money necessary to pay
for these new cars was blocked. Men
who willingly paid doubled prices for
their cigars loudly howled against the
injustice" Of paying % per cent more
for their street car rides. The story is
a lo9g one. 1t is sufficient to say that
in the interval when the street car COM
pany was waiting for the community
to become sane enough to realize that s.
cent fares were just and reasonable, it
lost It's new cars from sheer inability
to raise the money with which to pay for
them.
SO today, Indianapolis has the scent
fare, but it hasn't the street cars. And
what is worse 1t will not have the street
cars this winter.
The traction company has an order on
file for new street cars with the Gin
cinnati Car Company. 1t will be filled
when the car builders get good and
ready to ill It, If the indianapolis com
company can go somewhere else after its
the work they desire anyhow.
The traction company also has some
cars coming from the Barney Smith
shops at Dayton. These are summer cars
that are being rebuilt into the standard
ized type for this city. They were rolled
to the Barney Smith company some time
ago. They have been there long enough
to be rebuilt several times. But there
were reasons, financial, labor and other
wise why the Barney Smith company did
not hurry.
When all these cars on order are run
ming in indianapolis, which will prob
ably be along about the middle of the
summer, and not much before, there viii
not be enough cars in service to give
reasonably good service to the people of
indianapolis.
Combining the cars that are ordered
with about 100 more that are needed and
not ordered, the system in indianapolis
would be in a position to care for the
people who would ride Therefore, when
the new cars are in service the system
will not be more than 100 cars short of
having enough to give proper transpor-
tatioh facilities in Indianapolis.
Indianapolis will get more cars
eventually, but it will not be before the
rigors Of next winter call attention to
AND THEN THERE'S
THOSE DIVIDENDS.
Under the terms of that delightful mer-
ger which the public service commission
approved last summer the local street
car company must pay dividends on the |
stock in the hands of those who formerly |
held street railway stock or the traction |
and terminal stock holders will obtain I
q voice In the mana cement of the COM
pany. The old street railway stockhold- |
ers control the company as it now
stands. They propose to retain that con
troll. Therefore they will continue to pay |
themselves their dividends. When money
is required for dividends it can not be
spent for new cars. Without money new
cars can not be obtained. Without new
cars greater revenue will not be derived |
from the present rate of fare. Conse- |
quently about the only chance that the I
people of indianapolis have Of obtaining |
more cars is to buy them out of their
own pockets. And while the public spir- |
tied gentlemen who are now operating /
the street car system are getting their
dividends regularly 1t is not conceivable |
that the public of Indianapolis will pay
fol more cars in the form of increased |
fare. These said public spirited gentle
men know that. That is why they are |
not today beseeching the public service
commission for authority to increase
fares.
indianapolis street cars will be
crowded for at least two years and
probably much longer. They will be
crowded because they are few in mum
Der and will be too few in number when
all the promised cars are in operation. |
This condition will continue very active
until summer. Then 1t will be partly re-
i,,t