Perth Amboy evening news., 1921-09-09
BUS VERSUS R CAR
By Frederic j.. Haskin.

Ill by treQerlc d. 0aSAIus II
WASHINGTON. Sept. "a city of respect
able size in the Middle West has made the
from work and in pursuit of pleasure without
the aid of street cars. The outcome OF the ex-
pertinent, while not actually disastrous, mas
been far from pleasant for the people of Des
Moines, Iowa, where this occurred.
After long struggles to make both ends meet,
the street cars were run into the barns when
the company failed to make money at the fare
it was allowed to charge. Then, from august 4
until August rs, the city depended Tor trans
mobiles, hay wagons, trucks, and practically
everything else in the line of conveyances down
began, and the fair committee arrangeo tOr "a ns
operation of the street cars during the time OF
the fair, guaranteeing to meet any denclt; -
1t is estimated that of the citys population OF
about 1926 900 people, 105, 900 regularly used the
street cars. The first day the city found itseir
without street cars, there were about sixty buses
on hand to try to handle this press of people.
Crowds were swarming on every corner, tramp
ling on each others feet, kicking ana Josslns,
attempting to force an entrance into Vehlcies
| already crowded to full capacity. Inc temper
of Des Moines was drawn to a hne edge pelore
the morning was well under way.
Retail merchants Immediately noticed the
change. People having difficulty in gettlng
down to the shops cut down the volume Oh ou nMt
ness right away. The thousand men thrown oIs e
of work when the street cars shut down cut OIL
a part Of the purchasing public almost ehtireiy
The bus lines were reinforced by owners OF
nrivate automobiles. The newspapers OF Des
Moines fostered a community spirit, distriousing
nIacards bearing large letters in black. reading
Hon In" These were for wind
shields, and were used generally. RunaDouts
built for two people would maui elsht utersIIv
town on one trip. Larger cars We're neeldns
covered with people clinging to the running
boards and swarming all over the maenines tho
One curious fact was noticed ABOUT ny
crowds after a few days. People, noticing tnal
when buses reached their corners they were :,
uaIIv tanned to the window frames, TOOK 10
-, ,i,;ac- aipht or ten blocks I'D the street IN Tie
direction opposite to that taken by the buses. IN
this way it was sometimes possible 10 80 coat
noint so near where the bus started that a seat
could be obtained. Perhaps a man would nav
10 walk only a dozen blocks downtown ~ 10 10
office, but almost invariably ne preiea ard oct ct
walk ten blocks uptown, pay his rare, ana sel
a ride on a crowded and uncomtortaoie ooh
veyance.
Prizes for Drivers.
To helm the situation, one newspaper oHereo
prizes of inner tubes to private -
owners who carried most people to or from Iii dsl
work. Records were kept and inner euoeo i,
tribnfed Wholesale. A man would load down ms
car almost to the point of breaking tne parneH
and no doubt damage his car SO that the rep"a -
hi vould he several dollars, all for the sake OF
an inner tube not worth a quarter the aAhoun'
of the damage sustained by his motor: no,
Tho street railway people have selzeu upOm
the situation created by the suspension OIL lneIi
services to try and get a better charteL anu der
sumo operations. Their contention IS ne neriod of
the old charter. granted in 1918 1or d pra naoI 70
tyyentv-6ve years, the company was forceo ~ ~
operate at a loss of about $1,000 a mont a,
was in the hands of a receiver When tie cou III
Sranted permission to run the cars into the
barns and suspend service. ,1oines was
1t is an undeniable fact that Des on ;+Seif
eeriousIv hurt by waking up ana HholnS bod
without street cars. The merchants W. 4he
nee, infferent. to the impending chanSe ~ III, a
methods of transportation ABOUT IN 0ut that
decided stand as soon as they lou1o ~ ~ that
arteries of mmer were blockeu' and 20
neople could not get to their stores re ~ ycitv
make purchases. They appealeu - af+er q
oa,aoiI tn restore the street car
vorv few DAYS of observing the new conui.iuns Nv
The original sixty buses We're res suwpaps not a drop
a. the bucket. The congestion seemed u 10 "a
hai as ever before. At the end OF a een e.
canvass wa aSeraI nlants and offices IN Des MONIES,
tba n5, os mt being whether they wantea the Inc
street car service back AGAIN, ln e If the
vote showed 2,922 in favor OF uJ
~ a service, and only 4SS opposed. ..+
The city o~fficials were somewhat amaze did not
some financially strong bus cen npronosition to
handle the city's traffic. IL WaHtions FOR the
there would be a number or appnoat iii sorts of
snruice IF was found, though, that all
serviGe: l were made even by bus operators
Of the "fly-by-night' variety. ounae >" onerate
guarantee that they would De netition from the
for at least a year without
street '''' Street Cars Did Not Pay. .ho
r,o direct cause of the suspension .. W.
4.ont avs was that the charter limited ThS
com anies to collecting a nVe-cen' oai he
company went into the hanas o l ,nd that the
20 c of TINS, anu ~ x,oor so.
c couHo was losing about $4,000 a S Sea receiv.
oStnr securing the courts PERMISSION; tle left
an'e Chit down the expensive property, anu the
the people of Des MONIES to walk The buses,
bI,s if they could get into one. l II fore in
,u y had been charging five cents as da dfs +nl
snn1o cases boosted the price almost - re-
~ 70 Ten cents, and some instances wui wa
~ rdod where the fare for the longer hauis q ~
roised to twenty-five cents. This was oohe oneh
If was found that there was more onJ Two oil The
40 ffc TO keep the buses full and movtns cd
five almost regardless of the rare cna,5eh een
me newspapers, some of whlch mau
Inc oonp;ntion on the subject, all prlnteo
stories of the breakdown Oh ."o
handle the city's traffic by Buses r,uob in
"' The gravity of the situation VIII be is far easier
when winter comes on. IL Is III 80
h"nd1o crowds when walking is posslpie a an
tbe streets are clear, than it viii be w WI clearing
i :" snow with no adequate provision ioI ~ hnnk
Is s y" The buses cannot be expected 10 n n"en
IL aw wdt in the streets along when lhey ~ wv
~ ~ ond of the same time get people - nh q
in the morningf and back nome d hrea weeks
~ nxrnrin,ent lust made was during thIeo rain
eNpv Tho weather was warm and c.eat' .hsae
t wTi on only one day during the hrs' '"
na after the cars stopped runnlns. ,n+ar.
one new NTo;nes people at random about now
thew got downtown. Il RODE on .he sirl said: