The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-04-28

may have its place in the discussion. but for the purpose of close study by personal contact, viewing alone the citizens side of the problem, the mat ter can be regarded upon the ground that any sporadic transportation sys- tenn that will eventually destroy the one sole responsible source of ade- quate service by encouraging compe- tition without material substance so that when the first is gone the other can in no wise take it's place and meet the demands of the situation, is a grave mistake of municipal economic admin istration.
 Addressing ourselves to this sub ject from the viewpoint of the inter- est of the real estate owner agent, or dealer, it is only necessary to con
 slider what the street railway has done for suburban development and municipal progress. In every direc- ton surrounding our modern fast growing cities will be found beauti- full home life made possible alone through the efficient transportation furnished many times at an actual loss by the citys street railway companies. For a public carrier to derive a profit from the business of carrying pas sengers for a fare of 5c 6c or 7c the cars must be well filled for a fair per centage of the day. This is not the case on the suburban lines of most cities. Only during a few hours in the morning and evening are the cars loaded to anything like capacity This means that during other hours serV- ice on these particular lines is rend- cred at a loss which must be made up on the more congested city lines where the haul is short and the traf fife heavy. In Birmingham there is a in rrh bNr Of the latter condition, a profitable busi- ness is available. It is in this ter ritory chiefly that the jitney finds it possible to operate The result of this unfair situation is best explained In report, just furnished this com mittee by the receiver of the street railway company, from which we will quote the following:
 For the purpose of rendering ade- quate service there has been expended by the receiver for extraordinary im- provements in the way of equipment and renewals the sum of S1,640,S96 and the receiver finds as a result of the jitney operations the earnings for the first fourteen days of April, this year, with 7c fare, are less than for the corresponding period of last year on a. 6c fare by 3 per cent or $S.5S1.
 "On the other hand, the Birming ham TidewatT Railway company, which Is not affected by jitney opera ton, shows an increase during the same period of per cent amounting to S730.
 Taking up separately the lines paral- leled by jitneys, the best example is the experience on the West End line. On this line the receiver has expend- ed approx imately $300,000 in repair ing track and paving approximately two miles of double track on Tusca- loosa avenue, and the purchase of 9 new trail cars, and in the overhauling and re-equiping of 10 motor cars In addition to these expenditures, the schedules have been speeded up, the headway between cars reduced and the service very materially improved. Almost immediately upon the com pletion of this work. the receiver finds large number of jitneys operating to the end of paved section on Tusca- l loosa avenue, with the result that for the first fourteen days of this month the earnings on the West End line on Tc fare have been less than for the corresponding period last year on the 6c fare by 15 per cent or $2,341.
 "The theoretical expected increase from the 7c fare would be Is 2-S per cent, against which the actual result, | due almost entirely to titney opera | tion, is a decrease of Is per cent.
 By way of comparison, the South Ensley line, on which there is no l jitney competition, produced an in- crease for the same period of Il per l cent or $1,296; while the East Lake 1 line, on which the jitney operation is nominal, produced an increase for the same period of per cent or SITS.
 Encouraged by the results obtained
 with new cars and improved service on the Highland avenue and Lakeview lines, the receiver purchased Is new cars and placed these in service on the Avenue B and Twentieth street loop lines, at the same time increasing the service approximately 50 per cent.
 "As result of jitney operation. the earnings from these lines for the first
 fourteen days of April on a 7-cent
 fare have teen less than during the
 corresponding period of last year on 8
 6-cent fare by per e. nt or $325.
 "On the North Birmingham line the
 Ieciver discontinued trailer operation
 and completely equipped the line with
 motor cars reducing the headway be-
 tween cars from 12 to minutes anG Speeding up the schedule. This equip