The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1920-03-19
MIAMI CLAIMS
BEST JITNEYS
Where the Auto Won and the
Street Car LoSt-HoW 1t
Worked Out.

Miami, Fla, March 11.-Miami has
a jltney service which Is said by
widely travelled persons to be one OF
the best in the United States. But
this jitney service has a greater dis
tinction than that. 1t has fought two
corporations and the city council and
licked them all. 1t now parks its
cars on the street car tracks which
are mere mementos OF a dead enter
prise, and II has also put a bus line
out of business. These giant-killing
feats 1t accomplished in a dramatic
struggle by reason of having the
people back of 1t. The Miamians
liked their little jitney service and
hey refused to let it die.
This battle between the indepen-
dent jitney operators and the street
car and other corporations is of
course an old story. About 1917
the street car company made some
kind of an attempt to have the jit-
neys put out of business and the
attempt failed. Then the car barn
and all the street cars burned up.
and the car company was out OF the
running.
The real enemy of the jitney
rivers was organize in the form OF a
buses over the jtney route. They
intended to charge ten cents for the
same trips that were costing the citi-
gems a nickel in the jitneys. II is
also said that they had signs all
painted and ready for use, charging a
quarter for trip that could be made
in a jitney for a dime.
The town council passed a law
which placed limitations upon the I
operation of jitneys. The most for
midable of these made II necessary I
for each driver of a jitney to furnish I
bond of several thousand dollars. No |
jitney driver could possibly pay. 1t
was intended TO be the death of the .
Miami jitney service.
The bus line put eig.t buses into |
operation, with the fare fixed at a .
dime, where the jitneys had charged .
\ nickel. Almost nobody would ride
In them. They made their regular
and scheduled trips in lonely and
smpty state.
Meantime all OF the jitneys reap
peared on the street. They did not
operate for hire; each of them car
ried a sign saying Free Union Jit-
ney" and a general invitation was
extended to all TO ride wherever they
ks
Jitneys Now Win.
The jitneys won the town folk over
completely Every one rode in the
free union jitneys and no one rode in
Tia buses. When he got out of
titney, the passenger threw his fare
on the seat, and he often left n quar-
ter or b0-cent piece instead OF n
nickel. The titney operators made
money giving free rides.
Meantime the Jitney operators. who
had organized themselves into local
No. 494 OF the International Brother
hood OF Transfers, Chauffeurs, Sta
blemen and Helpers. went into court
and found a judge who declared that
he ordinance compelling them 10
put up bond was unconstitutional.
They then resumed operation at the
usual fares. The buses came down
N fare to cents. but could not get
my business. The bus line got an
,ther ordinance. Just like the FIRST
one, passed, and the iitney drivers
again went into court and had II
declared unconstitutional. That tin-
ished the bus line.
This iitney service is a good ex-
ample OF a very loose organization
m which every one Is a free opera
~ bhiOA mas II lltHlutHI anu /
/ lodge room; II has business agent
IN the street. Each driver is free 10
rive where and when he pleases.
supply and demand is relied upon TO
egulate the number OF jitneys oper-
ting on each street. and this laissez-
aire policy seems TO work very well,
Is you never have to wait long for
car anywhere. The only hard and
asst regulations have to do with the
ares. Each operator carries a card
N the windshield which announces
IN the outside that It is n union lit
ley, and on the reverse carries
tatement of the fares to all points.
Thus there is no chance for misun-
Nearly all OF the jitney operators
ire young men, most of them little
more than boys. They make from
70 to $50 week each over and
Ibove all expenses OF operating their
airs. That Is in the tourist season.
n the summer a good many OF them
70 away, and the rest manage TO
make a living here.
/