The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-03-18
RAILWAY MEN
NEED CITY'S AID
Hearing Develops that Co.
Seeks Money to Extend
Properties Here.
SERVICE INADEQUATE
Commission Gives No Intima-
ton What 1t VIII Do in
Regard to Fares.

The old suggestion of a partnership
with the city for the extension of the
street railway lines, the admission that
the service was inadequate, the dec
laration that the company had no
money for extensions, and the admis-
sion that the company was raising
money now, some of which might be
used for the extension of street rail-
way lines in the city, were the out
standing features of the hearing held
at the city hall this morning at which
time the railroad commission with
Carl D. Jackson, its chairman, presid-
ing, sought to get facts by which it
could sanction an increase in wages to
the men employed on the cars here as
recently made by the state board of
Cancellation. Commissioner Allen and
Engineer Miller also represented the
commission at the hearing. The COM
pany was represented by a full coterie
of engineers, who had voluminous fig
ures and attorneys who had plenty of
suggestions. The city was represent
ed by Mayor John &. Joachim, City
Attorney Slater, Chairman Palmgreen
and the members of the transportation
committee of the common council. The
commission had indicated that in order
to provide for increased wages Of en-
ployees it was necessary to increase
fares in Kenosha or provide extended
service SO that the company could get
a greater return from operation here,
Mayor Contends Against Claim.
The mayor and the city attorney
both contended against any increase
in fare and declared that what the
company needed in Kenosha was an
increase in service so that the de-
mands of the city could be met and
the receipts of the company enlarged.
The first thing to be considered in
the report of the Cancellation board,
said Chairman Jackson, was whether
there is any objection to the allow
ances made to employees of the cleo
| trio company. Ralph w. Hoyt, attor-
ney for the company; Walter Drew
attorney for the E. M. B. A., and Mayor
Joachim and City Attorney Slater for
the city of Kenosha stated there were
none, and the commission passed on
to the consideration Of the second
phase of the report: What effect will
the wage scale have on the earning
capacity of the electric company?
Chairman Jackson stated that the
company should pay fair wage scale
and also should have fair revenue
for the money invested. Statistics
furnished by the electric company
showed that the wages of street car
line employees for the year ending
June 80, 1917 was from "a to 81 cents
an hour; for the next year ending
June 80, 1918, the wage scale was from
35 to Al cents an hour; for the year
ending June 80, 1919, the wages were
from SO to 46 cents an hour, and con-
tinued at that figure until February
Is, 1920 when the electric line tenn
porarily increased the wages to from
48 to 55 cents an hour, but that this
was only temporary and that this scale
would expire by limitation on March
18th. Chairman Jackson stated that
in addition to these wages there was
bonus of 81 and 4 cents an hour.
Witness Shows Meager Returns.
The first witness on the part of the
company was R. G. Smith, statistician
engineer of the Milwaukee Electric
Railway and Electric Light company.
The company showed by this. witness
that the earnings of the railroad for
the last year Melted only $4,000 which
was about only 10 on the money in
vested. That to allow the company to
earn 77a%o would require net income
of $4,000 or an increase of $4,000
more than the returns for last year.
This statement was based on the rev.
enue for the year ending December 81,
| 1919 which was $184,000. The operat-
ing expenses other than depreciation,
were $162, 900, leaving net income of
/ $4,000. But the wage increase al
lowed by the board of Cancellation
would amount to $4,000 which de-
Quoted from the $4,000 would leave
only $4,000.
H. A. orth, assistant general man
ager of the railway, then took the
stand and testified in regard to the
price of cars and the cost of operating
one-man cars.
The only witness put on by the city
was Jacob Orth, by whom it was shown
that the heavy traffic was from the
city limits to the business district.
/ Mayor Joachim then made the point
that while Milwaukee and Racine
would carry passengers from five to
1 seven miles for cents, it was not
fair to charge Kenoshans more than 5
cents for only few blocks ride To
ride from end to end of the city would
not be over two miles, he stated.
Do Not Want Jitneys.
Chairman jackson then asked the
! mayor and city attorney if they want
ed to go on record as advocating a
distance fare or coming system in Ke-
nosha when City Attorney Slater
stated that Kenosha wants transpor-
tation and did not want the Wisconsin
Gas and Electric company to operate
at loss but didn't want the railroad
commission to permit irresponsible
persons to compete with the railway