Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-05-12
REVENUES DROP
IN FACE OF CITY
CARFAREB BOOST
Higher the Rate, the Less
Revenue Theory of Corpo-
ration Counsel Ashby.
DECREASE 1920 A DAY

Although approximately 80 per
cent of the street car passengers are
paying cash fares, and although a
1-cent charge is being made for
transfers, revenues have dropped to
1920 a day less than last years in
come figures presented by the In
dianapolis Street Railway Company
to the public service commission
showed today.
Officials of the company attributed the
loss in number Of passengers resulting
In the drop in revenue to the business
depression and to increased 1itney bus
competition. Samuel Ashby, corpora
ton counsel for the city, attributed the
loss to the increased fare, declaring that
the higher the fare the less the revenue.''e
Robert l. Todd, president Of the car
company, told the commission that the
city is not enforcing license regulations
as they apply to the operators of Jitney
buses. Mr. Ashby was asked concern
ing this and he replied he did not know
Jitney busses were supposed to have
city licenses. telephone call to the
office of the city controller brought out
the fact that this office contends that
Jitney busses come under the provisions
Of the taxicab license ordinance Mr..
Todd stated that when a circus was in
the city recently at least forty jitneys
operated on West Washington street
without licenses.
APPEARED AT REQUEST
OF BOARD MEMBERS.
The company officials appeared before
the commission at the request Of that
body which is attempting to decide
whether to continue the present order,
providing for 6-cent fares and twenty
tickets for 81, which expires May II, un-
III June 1 pending a hearing to deter
mine what steps shall be taken or wheth-
er an attempt should be made to
reach some conclusion before the order
expires. John McCadle, chairman of the
commission, asked for an agreement be-
tween the company ana the city to ex-
tend the present order until June l. but
Mr.. Ashby refused to agree on the ground
that continued high fares will reduce the
revenue still more.
Figures presented by the company
show that for April, 1921, the decrease in
the number of revenue passengers was
651,O05. They showed that the decrease
In revenue passengers for the first seven
teen days of April, when the present or
der was not in effect, was 29S,Oo0 as
compared with the same period last year,
and that the decrease in revenue passen-
gers from April Is to April SO, when the
new order was in effect, was 399.OI5. as
compared with the same period last year
During the first seventeen days the de-
crease in transfer passengers was 1886. .55S
as compared with the same period last
year, and during the latter part of the
month the decrease In transfer passen-
gers was 2S1 .22S, as compared with the
same period last year
HERE 1T IS WORKED
OUT IN PERCENTAGE.
Worked out in percentages, the figures
showed that during the part Of April
when the old order was in effect the
decrease in revenue passengers was 6.72
per cent and transfer passengers 25.32
per cent while during the portion of the
month when the new order was effective
the decrease in revenue passengers was
11.33 per cent and in transfer passengers
% per cent.
A comparison Of the earnings Of the
company for the same period show a
similar falling off In revenue. For the
period from April II, this year, the
revenue was shown to be S224 O7119 as
compared with $22S, $3.50 for the same
period last year, a decrease of 197 per
cent. For the period In April during
which the new order was in effect the
revenue was shown to be S175, ,S54. So as
compared with $177,614 for the same
period last year, a decrease Of SO per
cent.
The percentage of cash fares paid, the
figures indicated, is slowly dropping,
the lowest figure reached in any one day
being a fraction above 20 per cent.
PREPARE FIGURES
FOR HIGHER TRANSFER.
The company presented figures esti-
mating the result of a possible 2-cenk
charge for transfers These figures
showed an estimated additional revenue
Of $421 "a for the year. The COM
pany still has pending before the COM
mission its petition for a 2-cent transfer
charge which was not acted on when the
fare increase was granted.
Just before the local company appeared
before the commission the interurban
companies fled a petition for permission
to make a terminal charge at the local
freight terminal of 8 cents for each 100
pounds of freight. This is a part Of the
plan for improving local freight facilities
which has already been gone into by the
commission.
Representing the local company at the
hearing were Mr.. Todd, Ferdinand Win
ter, attorney for the company Dr. Henry
jameson, president of the board of d.
rectors; Joseph MCGOWAN, treasurer, and
Henry c. Thompson, vice president