The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-03-18
THE TERRIBLE JITNEY

THE TERRIBLE JTTNEY
We are inclined to believe that tne members
of the city council are taking the jitneys in Ke-
nosha all too seriously We have closely watch
ed the jitneys since they came back into serv-
ice on court ordor some time ago and if any
man is making enough by driving jitney to
pay for tire on a Ford car he must carry the
passengers after most people go to bed. Keno
sha people are not taking nearly as kindly to
the jitney as they did at one time and it is not
to be anticipated that they will. The effort
of the jitney men to collect fare of ten cents
proved to them in short order that the people
were not so favorable to them that the would
kick in an extra nickel to throw stones at the
street railway service. Even with the price
back at the nickel the itney is not making any
Roadway and the street railway company is
being deprived of very little business on ac-
count of the operation of half dozen of these
cars. We believe that the iitney men should
pay the city license demanded and pay it
promptly and without any partiality being
shown but we can not see any menace" in the
jitney competition. The street railway COM
pany is pretty certain to urge jitney competi-
ton as menace just as long as such claim
appears to be of value in accomplishing the ends
of the company but any one who examines the
financial report of the company will be con-
WINGED that the jitneys are not driving the COM
pany to the poor house.
1t would be just as much in order for the
United State Express company to protest
against boy with a small wagon hauling
groceries from The store to his fathers home
The people of Kenosha are not in sympathy
with iitney competition. They have shown
this They have spurned the jitney to wait on
the corner for the street car They have been
squeezed in like sardines in cars rather than
Gid something which promised to destroy the
street railway service and they are entitled to
al credit due them for taking this attitude.
The patience Of the people is not going to
hold out forever and the city officials are warn
ad that the jitney may be real menace later
IL they do not take some steps to get an under
standing with the railway company. The rail-
road commission, probably in the very near fu-
ture will hand down some sort of an order fix
ING fare rates in Kenosha. 1t may increase the
rates and again it may not. 1t may order the
company to make extensions to the line with
the understanding that the revenues of the
company can be better increased by carrying
more people than by charging more money for
carrying the individual passenger The city in
stead of pounding a couple of jitneys, making
no money should keep pounding the commission
and the railway company with the idea of max
ing the railway company meet the emergencies
Of Kenosha and provide for its future growth.
This is the whole problem of the street rail-
way situation The people are ready to co
operate The commission is ready to be fair
and all that is necessary is for the city and
the company to get together on program of
extensions and see to it that they are carried
out IF the company is ever going to have any
backing to make a service fit for Kenosha now
is it's time to show this backing. The financial
statement of the company does not indicate
oDulency but it does not indicate insolvency.
The company appears to be afraid of the cars
in Kenosha Now if the officials of the COM
pany win just put little faith in the future of
Kenosha and back that faith with some invest
ment in it's own property here it would appear
that the whole problem is on the way toward
solution It can certainly depend on the people
now The people, however, expect their con-
fdence to be met by confidence on the part of
the company. Without this confidence and the
willingness to do something the people are Ii
able to get tired of having the cooperation all
running one way Then the jitney may become
menace. 1t is not even an aggravation now.
TSx7NSATE