The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1921-01-21
A TROLLEY EXPERIMENT.
Cleveland Traction Company Reducing
Expenses

When one goes a-trolleying in Cleve.
land the fare is six cents, or nine tick
cts for 80 cents. The people say it is
too much, and extraordinary steps are
being taken TO bring it down to the old
nickel. The railway company, which
operates under the original and as yet
most successful service at cost fran.
chise, has begun doing what most other
business concerns have found to be nee
essary in this period of readjustment-.
reducing expenses. Last week the wages
of track laborers were reduced from 90
cents an hour to 40 cents, and a cut of
equal proportion, the president Of the
company announces, will be made in
the salaries of all the officers and other
employees, although there can be no re-
adjustment of the trolleymen's wages
until after May !, when an agreement
between the men and the company ex-
pires. The Cleveland company buys IT'S
power on a three-fold basis, paying a
fixed charge of maintaining power in
its wires up to normal minimum, an
additional charge for extra power fur
nished during the rush hours, and a
charge for coal used in furnishing pow
er when coal costs the power company
more than 1925 a ton. The power COM
pany now demands an increase of APP
proximately 80 per cent, and it finds
not only the ordinary consumer, burt
the trolley company, the city admins
tration and the car riders, united in OPP
posing the increase, for if it goes in eff
feet the trolley fare will have to be
raised again, and six cents is held to
be far in excess Of the highest price the
people of Cleveland ever expected to
pay for rides within the city borders.
The efforts of the Cleveland trolley
to get back on pre-war basis
will be watched with great interest. |
Cutting the salaries of officers and EN-
ployes is one way to reduce expenses |
that will not be popular with the men,
although the officers probably can stand |
it. Materials and equipment are com
ing down, so that the cost of mainte
nance as well as operation should be
reduced. These reductions will be re
iected in the fares. The income of the
stockholders, regardless of
he rate of fare or the amount of bust
less done, remains AT six per cent, not
IN abnormal profit in these days, so
hat Cleveland never is suspicious of
he motives of the company or improve
nent. Some time ago an arbitration |,
granted an increase in the
rate, making it seven per cent,
,ut when it went to a referendum the
people did not indorse it and the rate
everted to six per cent. Suit now is
icing prosecuted for return of the extra
me per cent paid under the repudiatedt
Igreement
The most interesting feature Of the
Cleveland situation is the knowledge
he people have of every detail of main.
enance and operation, and their def
lite control of the company's expenses,
trough the Tayler franchise, which
,uts almost complete power in the
lands of the city council and street
ailway administrator. Cooperation be
ween the people and the company is
Elective to the highest degree; the
treet railway is regarded as being IS
ouch public property and dedicated as
ompletely to the public service as are
he water department, the sewer sys
EN- or the streets themselves. Mini
lum rates of fare, assured income to
lvestors, assured good service to the
eople and public control of a vital
ublic service are all possible under the q
leveland system.-Hartford Times,