Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1920-08-15
U. 5, COURT FINDS SIX-CENT CARFARE !
 NOT SUFFICIENT
Orders Memphis Company Receivers to Collect
 Cents

Memphis, Tenn, Aug. 14.--Mem- phis, like Nashville and some other
 cities, will have seven-cent car fare in few days. Collection of the seven-cent fare will not begin tomorrow, August 15, however, as ordered by United States Judge Me Call just before his sudden death last night. Judge Cochran, acting judge of district, has summoned the receivers of the street railway and the city attorney to hearing to- morrow morning, when it is expect ed Judge Cochran will approve the finding and set the date for collec- ton of seven-cent fares and 10 tickets
 for 65 cents, as ordered by Judge Mccall and the public utilities com mission. He is quoted as saying that it is his offhand opinion that Judge McCall's finding in the case, grant ing the receivers of the street rail- way company the right to charge a seven-cent fare, is just one, but he did not want to decide the is-
 sue without first giving the city of-
  their side of their case.
 The seven-cent fare was ordered more than three months ago by the public utilities commission, but ex- ecution of the order was deferred pending a three months test of the six-cent fare. The court order points out that the six-cent fare is insufficient, and that with increas- ed expenses, the company's receivers must have more revenue in order to continue operation of tn system. The city commissioners acquiesced in the
 test and the courts ruling.
 Expenses of $25O,OOO.
 Increased wages and fuel costs will
 add approximately $250,O0O to the annual expenses of the company, said Acting Mayor Edgar, who pointed out
 that instead of yielding $5O0,OOO ad- iitional revenue, based on an estl- mate of 50 million passengers an aually, the increase in revenue from the increased fare would probably not exceed $3OO,O00, as most patrons will take advantage of the 10 tickets for 65 cents.
 "It will be seen,' said the acting mayor, "that the company will be left with small margin in which tc operate. If the price of coal makes further advances, their second larg- est item of expense would also ln- ,rease."
 Paper Perceives Need for Increase. Approval of the seven-cent carfart in Memphis is given by the Mem ,his News-Scimitar, one of the news papers which insisted upon the test if the six-cent fare In it's issue If yesterday, the Scimitar's leading editorial discusses the court action saying: "Memphians will not waste time kicking against the prices, they may IS we'll get out their seven cents for ear fare with the feeling that they are contributing to the bare neces- sites of the street car company.
 "The last judicial order of Judge Mccall on earth put this city in the anne class with Nashville in allow | .ng the lOng-fequeSteu iaise III S"A fare. But it was the only action rhe judge could take under the cir .umstances. Presumably the bes, receiver talent available had tried
 to operate the lines on the six-cen' fare and had failed. The three months legal trial period was up and still the finances of the company were hopelessly behind, and there was nothing to do but comply wltf | he order of the state public utilities | commission and allow the increase Possibly there is business geniu | in the world somewhere that coul' run the Memphis lines at a reason able profit with five-cent fares. Blu
 the emergency did not call forth tn man. and the best the public can d. lis to consider that the books hay
 been kept straight under the man agement that is, and that these book show that more revenues must com into the till if the company IS t
 continue to operate"