The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-09
In the Old Days.

In the days when local capital controlled
the Tri-City Railway and Light properties
there was none Of the uncertainty or dissatis-
faction at present existing between the utilities
herein referred to- and tho people they serve.
Day in, and day out, year in, and year out,
things went along in the even way. and there
was mutual understanding, and mutual con-
fdence When the company wanted anything,
it got it under reasonable conditions, and those
conditions were readily complied with. New
franchise and extensions were granted public
Improvements, were participated In by the COM
pany cheerfully, and the service which was
about all the city cared about, was beyond re-
proach The community led in metropolitan
equipment and it's citizens pointed with pride.
to the stranger within the gates, to the up to
date metropolitan street cars. The company
well merited its popularity which continued
for long years after an outside holding corpo-
raion gained control
OF the three cities, Rock Island at least,
while regretting to have local people whose
homes and fortunes were linked with the well
fare of the locality dispose of their interest
in the enterprise, nevertheless welcomed the
coming OF outside capital in abundance sufi-
Gent to further develop and expand the won
derful properties that possessed the tri-city
field. At the same time it was pointed out that
the newcomers should realize that the biggest
thing they had acquired, second hardly to the
franchises of tremendous value, was that un-
purchasable quantity, known as goodwill. 1t
was that that spelled success to the home COM
pany, and to hold 1t it was only necessary to
keep faith with the people
The home company had built up that ad-
! vantage, not only by making good, regardless
Of the cost, but by doing a little more than
was bargained for. 1t would no more have
thought Of taking away from the people that
which it had already given them in equipment
and service, than it would have thought OF
abandoning its holdings. Under no pretext or
| pretense would it have undertaken to substi-
tute inferior rolling stock for that to which its
patrons had become accustomed. Its policy
was forward, not backward, and when the bob
tail car went it disappeared for good in their
opinion, along with the mule and other sur
vivors of bygone days in street TRANSPORTATION
let toQay comes the present owners OF the
street railway system with not only propo-
sition, but purpose to jam it through, if pos
sible, through the aid Of the public utilities
commission Of the state, to do away with an
equipment that ranks with the best, and pu,
in its place single truck car, on which one
man is supposed to do the work Of two, servx
as motorman and conductor, safeguard the pas
sehgers, make change and collect fares, aut
conduct them safely through the streets ani
avoid accidents, and prove generally, . sort O
handy andy, Jack Of all work
No, the old company or any of its immedi
ate successors, would not have had the effront
cry to attempt anything like that, in com
munity where it had been treated SO we'll.
True, times and conditions have changed
and the cost Of travel is more The people I'M
derstand this, and are willing, The Argus be
lieves to meet it-but they are not willing
nor will they submit to inferior and less SAT
means of transportation, simply because tn
corporation has abandoned its sense of pride il
the premises, and wants to provide poorer ser
vice at a higher COST and cease to fulfill an
part Of its obligations to the community in tn
way Of public improvement, as a small mean
Of return for the franchise which has cost tn
corporation not penny.