The labor world., 1922-08-05
A sIX-CENT FARE AT LAST.

Judges, Morris, Sanborn and Booth,
in the street railway case would in.
dicate that government of, by and
for the people is but phantom and
that government Of property, by prop;
erty and for property, through the
United States courts, has beer m&dc
a fact.
Nothing that has occurred in years
has so aroused local public sentiment
against the federal courts as this las:
ruling in the street railway case.
The matter Of a six-cent fare pa]es
into nothingness compared with the
daring Of the court in usurping legis-
lative powers and doing thing that
a state commission could not consist.
emily do after careful and painstak-
ing investigation.
The commission did not accept the
company's figures as to valuation. 1t
determined a value of more than
million less than that claimed by the
company. It decided that a charge OF
six cents for single fare or five rides
for a quarter, based on the past carry
ing experience of the company, would
yield revenue sufficient to bring
fair return on the conpany's invest.
ment. It took nearly a year for the
commission to determine the question.
The company then sought an in
junction in federal court restraining
the state commission from putting its
five-ride for a quarter provision into
effect. The judges lost no time in de-:
Gliding in favor of the company and
against the state and city. They made
law and fixed the fare at six cents.
It is said that the ruling Of the
court contains a saving clause to tho
effect that if the six-cent fare pro-
duces excessive revenue then it should
be in order to place in effect the order
granting five rides for a quarter. AS
the company docs it's own bookkeep-
ing it's officers will no doubt see to it
that there will be no excessive revenue
reported, that is if we are to judge
the future by it's conduct of the past.
:. The decision of the court leaves the
city in a fine pickle. It's fight was to
prevent any six-cent fare. The city
attorney contended that the company
did not need more than a five-cent
fare to make it's business profitable.
In view of the city's past position it
is difficult to get the city attorneys
present point of view, and it is more
difficult to understand why he pro-
poses to quit the fight now.
There is considerable talk about
town in favor of municipal ownership,
more than there has been for some
time, but if the question should come
to an issue it~would avail the people
but little, for it is doubtful if the
local traction property will have any
value 10 years from now. The future
Of the traction business depends on
the progress that will be made with the
autobus. Steel rails and trolley wires
may be junk in less than a decade. So
even if Detroit has ventured into the
business within recent months it does
not follow that it will be good bust.
ness for other cities to do so.
There is but one thing to do as we
see it to remedy the damage done by
the court and that is to elect no man
or woman to the state legislature uu-
less he or she can be depended upon
to vote for the repeal Of the damn-
able. Brooks Coleman act.
The repeal of that law would again
lodge with the city the absolute right
to regulate street railway fares. 1t
would restore the old franchise which
limits the carrying charge to five
cents. It is a contract that no court
would have the right to break, and
which can only be amended by con
sent of the people of this city.
The repeal Of the Brooks Coleman
act is being made an issue in almost
every legislative district in the state
Cities and towns without street rail-
way companies are alive to the situa
tion. Their voters see in the act a,
entering wedge to take home-rule from
them. No senator or representative
who voted for that bill will have easy
shedding in the coming election.
An organization should be perfected
in Duluth that will get pledge from
every candidate for the house AM
senate that he will work and vote, i
/. elected, for the repeal of the stree
railway law. The Public Ownership
league should be revived for that on
purpose, if for no other. Surely ther
are enough public spirited, patrioti
persons in Duluth who ARE willing +
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