Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-09-21
Mitten Says City
Must SaUe p. Il. T.

Continued from Pnsc One
from under by forming an operating
company, and then the foolish public
bought the stock and you are trying to
help them out OF the hole? Isn't that
it?" =
Without waiting for Mr.. Mitten to
reply, Mr.. Horn continued. would
not the city be better off IL the under
lying companies would realize that their
contract was not 30 sacred"
, II am asking the landlord to do the
best he can" replied Mr.. Mitten. "If
I blackguarded him, he would not
help"
Councilman Connell then asked IL
the straight fve-cent fare would sv,ve
the company's difficulties. To this Mr..
Mitten reiterated his former assertion
that it would only afford a temporary
relief.
Question OF Zone Fares
Mr.. Horn then interjected with the
question, "Would the granting Of this
straight fare be good argument to
the underlying companies to change
Mr.. Mitten replied that he did not
think so.
At this point President Wcglein be-
gan a brief discussion Of the zone sys-
TEN, and it was here that Mr. .Mitten
intimated that zone system might
eventually be established. although he
did not touch on the word zone" in the
course of his comment.
Beasley Opposes Action
G. Oscar Beasley, counsel for the
United Business Mems Association,
which organization has repeatedly op-
posed the rentals paid the underlying
company, said:
1--WE feel that nothing should be done
in this matter until the question of the
suit against the underlying companies,
brought by the United Business Men,
has been decided"
Referring to the Mitten proposition
for straight five-cent fare, Mr.. Beas.
ley said:
This money is merely to nav rent
You are asked to help the tenant con-
tinue to pay the landlord. His argu-
ment is i am short of rent, you helped
and want you to help me again.
"Any city government that woulu
approve this proposition is not acting
in accordance with correct business
procedure. IT. painful thing to real
ixe that the city, instead of joining in
proceedings against these rentals. should
be considering a plan to help pay them:
This Is only one more spike which IA
being driven into the right of the
people.
''The trouble is that the whole tran
sit situation is suffering from a disease
dating from 1902. which disease might
justly be called megalo rentalitis-
meaning too much rent. This underly-
ing rental proposition is a crime against
the city of Philadelphia. 1t should be
remembered that the Public Service
Commission has jurisdiction in the mat
ter and has reduced rentals to underlv-
ing companies in two other cities"
After hearing the various views of
the members, the committee decided 10
postpone further consideration of Mr..
Mitten's proposition until next Mon
day at 10: 80 o'clock.
Mr.. Mitten's Statement
, Mr.. Mitten's complete statement to
the committee follows:
81 appear before you this morning
In amplification OF my letter of Septems
Der IA, and to describe our present
emergency to you-man fashion
chuNh shp va Va tht lOOl HErce-
ment fares may be changed from time
to time, but only with the consent of
both parties Acting under this bro.
vision, p. r. T. has petitioned the city
to assent to the collection of a straight
Ave cent fare, without transfer or en-.
change tickets; this as a measure OF
temporary relief, to continue until the
value Of the company's property, for
rate making purposes, can be finally de-
''The full inventory OF p. r. It's
property will be ready for presentation
to the Public Service Commission
Thursday next; the pricing of the parts
Is proceeding, but as yet IL incomplete.
hut can be accomplished with sufficient
rapidity to keep ahead Of the city and
Public Service Commission Representa- :
tives, so that there need be no delay.
''In spite Of this fact, however thu
In similar valuation proceed.
lngs elsewhere, notably Pittsburxh.
shows that the verification Of p. II. n