The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1921-02-23
GAR SERVICE AT COST IS LATEST
 TOLEDO SCHEME

Toledo, o-Ultimate municipal ownership of the city car lines and rolling stock is the aim of the ex- Toledo, and which is being watched with interest by other cities all over the United States.
 Under the Toledo plan, which has borrowed many of it's features from the so-called "Tayler'' grant, under which Cleveland car lines are oper- ated, car riders receive service at cost. The point at which the two plans differ most vitalIy, however, is the provision whereby ultimate own ership of the lines is vested in the city, under the Toledo plan, through the establishment of fund consist paid in carfares, which is used for the extinguishment of the bonds.
 The Community Traction Company, a city controlled corporation, has taken over all the interest of the To- fedo Rai1-Light Company in the car lines issuing in payment therefor its bonds, which are guaranteed principal and interest, by the city. The price at which the lines were purchased was fixed by a boad of arbitration. The first act of the new company which began operation of the lines the first of the month, was to reduce the rate of fare charged from seven cents to six cents and to reduce the charge for transfers from two cents to one cent. W. p. Cam. newly ap- pointed traction commissioner for the | city, estimates that the reduction in fares saves car riders s2,000 daily, besides paying $500 each and every day toward ultimate ownership of the l lines by the people themselves. There has been, officials say, a | marked increase in traffic since the change in ownership. Under the old regime, with fares at seven cents, with a two-cent charge for transfers, | "jitney'' lines to many parts of the | city thrived, but with the advent of | lower fares and the feeling of own ership that the new plan has inspir- l ed in Toiedoans a marked reduction | in this diversion of traffic is reported. A "barometer'' has been established which will automatically determine the rate of fare to be charged. This of $400,0o0 with which the Commun- | ity Faction Company began business. | When the ''barometer' falls below $30o,o00 fares will automatically be raised, and if the fund should at any time exceed $500,O0O the people im- mediately receive the benefit in the way of decreased rate of fare. The Community Traction Company | is a temporary expedient only and the aim of city and company officials is | complete and undisputed municipal l ownership of the lines, paid for grad
 ually by the car riders themselves.
 Toledo has for many years been the storm centre of battles over rates of
 fare and service given by the traction l company. Starting back in the days | of Golden Ru1e'' Jones, who served as Mayor of Toledo until his death, some fifteen years ago, one admins | tration after another has tackled the problem, only to get the city and | traction officials further apart.
 A little over a year ago the off cia1s of the Toledo Rai1-Iight Com
 pany, failing to secure what they thought was an advantageous agree
 ment with the city. ran all their city cars to point in Michigan, and for weeks every one was compelled to walk or use some other conveyance to reach factory, workshop or office
 Under the succeeding administra- ltions of Brand Whit1ock, later Min
 ister and and now Ambassador to | Belgium, and his successor, Cornell
 tionS between the city and it's prin-
 cipaI public service corporation went
 from bad to worse. Traction off. | cials refused to extend service t, points where the immense growth o1
 the city indicated the need asserting fin kSnothf-Za. W ausnoV
 | that regulatory acts upon the part o!
 the city and constant interference
 with it's service made such action i'm
 possible.
 The present plan, which thus ia,
 has worked satisfactorily, has tn,
 support of all factions. Owners O
 Rai1-Ligl1t stock express themseIve
 as well satisfied to be rid of the bur den, and the reduction in fares a.
 well as improvements in service
 have secured general public sup l port