San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-07
Cooperation With Depart
ment Stores Helping
Both Businesses.
NO RATE INCREASES
Merchants Begin to Realize
Dependence on Cheap
Transportation.
By j, G. ROYIE.

BY u. L. RONIE.
Copyright, 1928, by The San Antonio Light.
New York, Jan. CAN article does
not have to be taken from a shelf or a
warehouse to be a saleable product. In
proof of which the street railroads of
the United States are selling to the
people something beside transportation.
They are merchandising seasonal bust
ness, safety, comfort and service. They
are asking and receiving the assistance
of the merchants of the country in their
selling campaign and as consequence
they are cutting costs and making
money. These sales are being made TO
a large extent through newspaper ad-
vertising.
Right now, street railways are mer-
chandising white sales, clearance sales
ard inventory sales for department
stores all over the country and are car
rying thousands of customers TO such
offerings. 1t costs almost as much to
run a street car empty as run it full.
The ideal conditions, obviously is one
that provides a full load for each car
on each trip. If street car companies
could operate at peak loads each hour,
all would prove profitable. 1t is the
dip from the peak which enables over
head to overtake net income.
Selling Slack Hours.
The traction companies therefore are
selling to the women of the country the
utilization of the slack hours for their
shopping excursions emphasizing the
speed and comfort of such trips. In
this effort the American Electric Rail
ways Association has asked the aid and
assistance of department stores and
merchants through local chambers OF
commerce and other bodies and is re-
ceiving it freely.
The slack hours Of the street railways
are also the slack hours Of the stores
and merchants are more than willing TO
induce a distribution of shoppers so
that each sales person shall be occupied
at all hours just as each car is Occu-
pied.
Fight on Automobile Hopeless.
The street railways are going after
-: winter business man automobile
owner ON the score Of both comfort and
safety. They are not fighting the auto
mobile. Such a fight would be hope.
less, but they are stressing in advertis'
ing and BY other means the reliability,
heated street cars in comparison with
the expense. discomfort and danger OF
operating q motor car in winter wealth
er.
The effort TO safety is perhaps the
most lucrative that the traction COM
panies have made. BY every effort they
are endeayoring TO eliminate accidents
Not only are they instructing the pub
n apA pngtar QdVnFtIg.
ing, but they are holding schools for the
training of their employees. 1t is the
old Ben Franklin principle OF "a penny
saved is a penny earned
Accident Cost Heavy.
Accurate figures which became avail
able for the first time today for all the
street railroads in the United States
show that nearly per cent of the gross
revenue of the roads is lost through az
cidents. These have forced nearly
every traction company to maintain a
claim department. In l922 accidents
cost the traction companies oil tne
limited States $44,O0O,OOO in round
numbers. The percentage OF gross rev
enue so expended by various roads
ranges from 34-10O of l per cent to IL
ner cent and the average for the whole
country is 40 per CENT linn l44e -
of accidents has enabled scores of roads
10 meet interest payments on their
bonds or resume dividends in the last
Il months.
The collaboration of the merchants
of most cities with the street railways
Is easy to understand in view OF the
fact that retailers have come TO realize
,be;r dependence on the most common
form of transportation for the volume
Of business which is essential to the:r
success, The extent to which mer'
chants are willing to cooperate was in
dicated at East Brighton, Pa, where
the merchants bought S2O.OOO worth Of
,ei;eve a financial crisis of the street
railway system: ,n.,
As a result of these policies the street
railways of the country face a profit
able year with little possibility OF any
general demand for increased fares.