The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-22
COMMERCE COMMISSION
MAY ALSO ESTABLISH
new SYSTEM OF FARES
Company Ready to Put
Cars on Immediately;
Communication Scrip.

The Illinois commerce commits
| sion, enacting the role of santa
Claus, today granted the Tri-City
! Railway companys holiday wish
and authorized the operation Of
| one-man cars on the Illinois lines
of the company.
| The DECISION was not unexpected
| in view of the attitude taken BY
| the state commission on similar
| appeals from Joliet Peoria and
! Chicago traction companies. De-
lay in decision after hearings which
were conducted in this city seE-
eral weeks ago had caused concern
to both the patrons of the line,
who were anxiously awaiting the
outcome of the petition and tie
company officials, who felt thag
upon their showing of financial
stringency, there could be no de-
lay in granting the remedy sought.
The commerce commission ruling
probably authorizes the fare sys-
TEN suggested by the traction line
which establishes a basic fare of
10 cents, but provides also for the
issuance of commutation tickets,
costing so cents a month and upon
presentation of which. the patron
may ride for 5 cents
Date of the installation of the
new service was not announced,
but the Tri-Cfty Railway company
has been preparing for weeks and
is ready to send out its first cars
upon formal notification of the
commission decision. This is ex-
pected within very few days.
The Tri-City Railway company
received its first information on the
action of the commission from The
Argus, this newspaper having re-
ceived a special dispatch from
Springfield, and B. j. Denman,
president of the company, was
greatly pleased at the news.
Red Line First.
I'VE are ready to shoot one-man
cars on the Third avenue line As
soon as we receive official notice
of the decision from the commits
sion" Mr. Denmau said. However,
it will be two months before we
can have all cars on the Illinois
side operated by one man There
are rs cars in service on IllinOIs
lines during the peak hours and
60 cars during the remainder ot
the time. Some IS of these cars
have been changed or are in the
process of being changed for one .
man operation. Directly after the 4
installation of the new service Oh u
the Third avenue line the next
step will be to put the new service
into operation on the Stephens
park line in Moline.
"The probabilities are that fol-
lowing this the Elm street and the
Long View lines will be the next 10
get the new service Other lines
will follow as rapidly as possible.
TIE Fourth avenue line viii be the
last to undergo the change. At
present car for car will be put on,
but it is our plan to add more
cars wherever needed.
Your dispatch from Springfield
does not mention the cOmpany's
petition for l0-cent basic fare
with monthly cOmmutatiOn tickets
selling at so cents, which would en-
title the purchaser TO ride for .
cents. The company presented
this petition in formal way in
connection with the request OF per
mission to operate une-mau cars,
and it is my opinion that the OHer
Of the company was not untayor-
ably looked upon inasmuch as the
granted our request on
the one-man cars.
continue Present Fare.
However. it is very lIkely that
the commission will set a date for
hearing on the Iare proposition.
Should the fare matter go unset
tied Tor any length OF time the
One-man cars would be ia opera
zion and the conlpany's only re
course would be to collect a scent
fare. as the company would have
no authority to cnange its fares
without oraer from the commission.
With the 10-ceHt basic fare
and tickets selnng at
% cents a month, allowing rides
for payment OF an additional
;ents the company would be giving
lWay ali savings from the OHe-mau
,peration. TINS is true at this time.
,ut we naturally hope that condi-
ions will improve and that the 50
;ent charge for tickets would he
ufficient The company deficit
n the Illinois lines mas been more
4du pcyVfVIt III TIC 4dSA AAa 60
ears under the amount We should
ave earned on the valuation al
owed the company and the Z y per
.ent return allowed by the COM
Mission. l am very much pleased
'yer the decision, and bchsTe thai
he traction lines situation, which
as been very bad during the past
ew years. will be Strengthened out,
nd that the company will be able
> maintain its service to the public
nd still receive the rate Of return
hat has been held legal"
City Takes Defeat Gracefully.
On being notified this afternoon
Z the decision Of the commission.
Iayor Harry 81. Schriyer said 1T
5 a clear case of defeat. The one-
nan car is something we don't ike
F1Ir -