The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-09-15
MOLINE ASKING
FOR FLAT FARE
OF FIVE CENTS
Instructions wired City Attorney Al
Chicago After Action Taken
by the Council

Moline today Is asking for a fat
scent street car fare.
Plans of the Tri-City Railway
company to introduce one-man cars
and a fat 10-cent rate, with a stld-
ing scale for holders Of monthly
tickets purchasable at 80 cents
each, received an unexpected and
serious blow from the city councn
last evening.
James NJ. Johnston. Moline city
attorney, is appearing before the
Illinois commerce commission to-
day, and when the representatives
of the railway company present
their petitions the attorney will act
in accordance with the following
instructions:
Council instructs you to oppose
one-man cars unless scent fare is
granted"
That order was telegraphed TO
the city attorney last night, after
a thorough discussion OF the street
car situation by Moline aldermen
II is unlikely that the state COM
mission will reach a decision today,
as members of the board are at
present occupied with considera-
ton of appeals for lower street car
fares, gas and telephone rates in
Chicago.
The situation is further compli-
Gated by the appearance in Chicago
today of Representative Harry NJ.
McCaskrin, who has already filed a
petition with the commerce COM
in, hi nL he
man cars be not allowed to operate
in Rock Island, Moline, East MO
line and Silvis.
Mayor Harry Schriver Of Rock
Island and John X Scott, city at
( torney of Rock Island, are also ap-
! pearing before the commission to-
day. 1t is understood that they
were instructed TO oppose introduce
ton of one-man cars under all cir
cumstances.
! East Moline is not represented al
/ the hearing. Mayor George Sleeth
+ is appearing for Silvis. but the at
titude of Silvis officials has moi
been announced.
Moline aldermen, in arriving al
their decision last evening, were
/ guided by the alleged failure of the
railway company to take care of its
right of way in Moline and by the
theory that street car revenues car
not be increased unless cheaper
fares are granted to everybody, re
CARELESS of whether or not they
purchase tickets at the rate of 81
cents a month.
Members of the council contend
of Sfrna
car problem is increased traffic ant
they believe that can be obtained
only through lower fares. The,
hold that the ticket plan will no
cause an appreciable increase il
the number of street car riders.
That plan provides for fat rat
of 10 cents to all who do not bu,
the monthly tickets. Those who d.
buy the. tickets at so cents eacl
may ride for 5 cents.
Moline aldermen feel that per
sons who do not now ride stree
cars because of the 9-cent fare vii
continue to walk rather than pa.
so cents for a ticket and the priv
ilege of riding for a nickel
The action of the council in op
posing one-man cars unless
straight scent fare is granted wa
taken. according to some aldermen
in order to help the Tri-City Rail
way company increase its revenue:
The main reason why the coun
Gil wants revenues increase
through the scent ride is to obtai
action from the railway compan
on Fifteenth street, on Twenty
savantI1 street and on Twenty-thir
street railroad crossing.