Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1921-12-09

LyQld j. MeeCu, beeCHeT-hdy Realty
Co, Ralph CARL, Jonathan Hand and
Charles A. Douglass.
With all of these protests pouring
in on him so suddenly, Mr.. Mitchell
"got busy" and wrote a long letter to
the Mayor as the representative of the
kBoard of Trade and of the Board of
City Commissioners. Some of the
most salient features are quoted under
date of Monday last, December 5th:
Replying to your telegram of this
A. M. and personal interview in my
Office on same date, relative to regis
tering the objections of your Board
of Commissioners against any curtail-
ment of service on the Wildwood
branch, I beg leave to advise you that
it is not our intention to curtail, in
any way, the train service to your
city, and we do not understand from
whom you obtained this information.
During the winter months it is neces-
sary that we curtail our expenses from
every standpoint, in order to make our
earnings cover our operating ex-
penses. To accomplish this we must
effect every possible saving in train
operation and car mileage. The pres
ent makeup of our morning express
train, leaving Camden at S.51, is one
combination baggage and smoking car
and three passenger coaches. This
combination car is used as a smoking
car for passengers to all points. This
cOanIinO a nOoc fIpa,,Oh - Go1o NTo-.
Smoking car passengers going to Sea
Isle City, Ocean City or Wildwood
change at Sea Isle Junction or at Wild
wood Junction to smoking car provided
on connecting trains. To operate a train
made up of three coaches and one
smoking car requires a crew of five
men. If we ran two smoking cars an
extra brakeman would be needed at an
added expense of 1925 per day, be-
sides car mileage and extra cost for
coal consumed. Thus it will be seen
that the arrangement referred to-,
which went into effect last Monday,
enables us to save considerable money
and provides a fair operation. As
made up, these express trains provide
seating capacity for about 300 passen-
gers; whereas the average number of
passengers carried at this time of the
year is only about so each way, or less
than n carload. Through car SER
vice has not been discontinued to any
resort.
Under conditions cited, we do not
think we would be justified in running
empty cars, not needed, at an addi-
tional expense, when we are trying to
curtail u expenses, and we trust
that you will look upon this present
operation as being fair and equitable
and not ~inaugurated with any inten-
ton of %curtailing your train service
or of putting into effect an operation
that will in any way affect the patron
age of our railroad in your city"
h letter was read by the city
clerk before Mr.. Finn was called upon
to speak on behalf of the West Jersey
and Seashore Co. He demonstrated
very clearly the necessity for economy
on the part of his company and as
sured his hearers that the manage
ment is at all times ready to listen to
grievances, fancied or real, and ready
to cooperate in every way for mutual
benefit. He ever intimated that it
might be possible to have Wildwood
made the terminus for the solitary
smoking car, instead of Cape May. He
based these hopes on the fact that
more passengers are carried to and
from Wildwood than to and from Cape
May. If preponderance of traffic has
any weight with his superiors, Mr..
Finn expressed his willingness to in
tercede for Wildwood in the manner
as suggested.
1t is said that the Encouragement of
operation as described is to continue
until about March LIST, and that a saw
ing of at least $4,000 will be the re-
suit. Asked if he thought an arrange
ment could be made with his company
for the running of an excursion train
from Philadelphia to Wildwood, via
Vineland and Millville, on New Years
Day, Monday, January I'd, Mr.. Finn
said he believed that this can be
brought about and he suggested that
the matter be taken up at once with
the Division Passenger Agent.
A resolution was passed authorizing
the city clerk to advertise for bids on
1000 feet of 6-inch cast iron water
pipe and 5000 feet of 4-inch pipe, both
to be Glass GA" Bids on same will
be opened on December 10th.
Another resolution authorized the
publication of a Notice of Intention
that an ordinance will be introduced
on December 27, providing for an ap-
preparation of money to continue beach
front Improvements. Adjourned 1926.