Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1921-11-26
FLAYS
HIGH RATE FOR
PUBLIC UTILITY
Tells Street Car Co. They
Should Be Thankful for
Jitney Law.

No public utility is entitled to a rate
sufficiently high to produce money with
to make additions and betterments de-
clared Corporation Counsel Samuel Ash
by today in reply 10 the statement issued
by Dr. Henry Jameson, president of the
board Of directors OF the indianapolis
Street Railway Company, yesterday call
ing upon the city and public service COM
mission to work out some plan of tinan-
cial relief for the company.
Dr. Jameson said the executive COM
mittce OF the company had been informed
by Robert l. Todd, president and gem
eral manager, that If efficient and con-
tinuous service were to be guaranteed
there must be added to the COmpany's
equipment Immediately, at least twenty
five new cars, 10000 kilowat hour gen
orator at the West Tenth street power
plant and at least two and preferably
three power substations. He said the
company did not have the money with
which to make these additions or even to
carry out such minor. necessary improve
ments as reconstruction Of the tracks
In Delaware street between Washington
street and Massachusetts avenue and that
the company does not believe that the
additions to revenues to be obtained from
the elimination of jieney competition will
be sufficient to meet the needs. He said
he was not going to say that a higher
fare would have 70 be asked for but was
putting the problem squarely up to the
city government and public service COM
mission with the hope that they would
net quickly.
PLEAS FOR
MORE HELP
Mr.. Ashby's reply was the same that
ne has made to pleas of the street rail-
way company for revenues with which to
make additions to the plant heretofore.
The corporation counsel always has taken
the stand that the company should either
make the plant betterments out of reve-
nues or invest new capital in them. The
public, the corporation counsel contended.
should not be compelled to pay for the
enlargement of anybOdy's business
The street railway officials, on the
other hand, always have answered this
statement with assertions that the public
should be willing to guarantee the finan-
cial stability of the company on the the
ory that good, continuous service is the
prime consideration.
''1n DR.. Jamesons statement he talks
about needing money for new cars, ex-
tensions and power plant improvements -
said Mr. Ashby. 1T has been the position
OF this administration at all times and
VIII be that no utility Is entitled to a
rate sufficiently high to produce the
money with which to make additions and
hetterments. These are capital charges
[ have no objection, of course. if the
company should ever desire to pay them
out of dividends"
City officials, commenting upon Ur.
Jameson's statement that jitney relief is
not enough declared that they feel that
street railway company should be thank
full 1t got the jitney regulation ordinance
from the city
We've tested it in the courts and 1t
held good and IL is being enforced, not
specially for the benefit of the street car
company but for the benefit of the
public-and the public will get a benefit
out of it," said Mr.. Ashby.
There never was a serious jitney com
petition until the street railway company
got 6-cent fare, 1t was said.
The records will show that the jitney
question never officially was brought to
the attention of the public service com
mission until the street railway company
reported the failure Of the Scent fare"
Mr.. Ashby said.
Some city officials felt that the state
ment of Or. Jameson was preliminary to
petition Cor a higher fare from the
public service commission. The company
now has a petition for an Scent fare
pending, but this never has been pressed.