Perth Amboy evening news., 1923-08-21
PLAN FOR CARS
AND BUS LINES.
UubIic Service Ready to
Resume Service and Grant
Men Increase in Pay
UTILITY BOARD GETS PLEA
Promises Made by Company
if Allowed to Acquire all the
Existing Competitive Lines

NEWARK, Aug. 21-The Public
Service Railway Company, viii re-
sumo service if it is permitted to ac-
quire all competitive buses and OPP
crate them on a co-ordinated plan,
the company said in its strike settle
ment plan made public today. The
company's $500 trolleymen have
been on strike for over two weeks.
tying up the company's lines in ~
New Jersey municipalities.
All existing bus licenses are asked
to be cancelled and new ones re-
euested not to be issued with the pro-
vision that bus drivers would beAsls-
en- employment on troiieys and nQfs-
Ipany jitneys.
The settlement plan further ofze4a
a new maximum wage scala oz SKI
cents per hour for the carmen. r. z.
iplaced IN effect without delay.
present maximum wage is fifty ce
an hour.
The company's plan specifies Il
resumption of service after approv-
al of the plan has been made by the
Public Utility Commission and the
iaA ; SA AAOAASaPa dhSSbeu Dy tLe
strike.
The plan offers a general seven
cent fare with a penny for fransfcfs
on both jitneys and trolleys.
The company in making public
their settlement plan "reaffirms ifs
determination that it cannot con
tract 10 pay out large sums 81
money for wages in excess Of It's
revenues available for that purpose3
but is conscious of its obligations
to the people of New Jersey, and de-
sirous of meeting the transportation
needs of those portions of the state
served by it. If It were otherwise
practicable, nothing would be galn-
ed by a resumption of operation up
on a basis of destructive and unec-
onomic competition such as has lat
terly existed. It would only result
In a repetition Of the present unfor-
tunate situation at later date"
The company further states that
sit has been ascertained the country
over that cars and buses cannot ee
onomically exist in direct competi
tion with each other upon the same
streets. . 1t is possible to settle
this whole problem and it should be
done now once for ALL"
In the part of its plan dealing
with the purchase and operation Of
buses in order TO 'end the wasteflf
and uneconomic competition that
has hitherto existed" the eompanys
plan says. This, 1t may be said.
will create a monopoly. This would
only be so as to streets where rails
way tracks are laid. Such service Is
a natural monopoly, like the teie-
phone, water, gas and electricity
That such is the fact is the reason
for state supervision and control
The ignoring of this economic prin-
ciple is the chief cause of the present
crisis"
Service can be resumed" the
plan said, temporarily at the rate
of fare in effect when the strike was
called, at the new wage scale, upon
the railway company receiving def
mite assurances from the cemmissioa
and from the municipalities that the
plan is acceptable nd that they VIII
cooperate with the company in car
rying it into prompt execution. It
is impossible for the company to re-
sume service at the rate OF wages
demanded by the men and under
the conditions in other respects thar
prevailed prior to the first Of Aug
ust."
The new wage scale which the
company offers, namely a maximum
so cents an hour, sis the last figure
the men agreed to accept, and is q
cents per hour or 20 per cent in ex-
cess of the present schedule The
trolleymen struck for a 80 per cent
raise but later agreed to accept a 30
per cent increase.
What few comments on the settle
ment plan that could be obtained
from public Officials or union men
today showed the plan to be prob
ably unacceptable.
Director Raymond, of Newark
declared that on a brief summary
the plan was impossible. William
WepEer, president of the Trolley
mems local union, would make no
comment upon the plan.
return which must be fled BIZ
the trolley company before next
Monday in answer to the alternatives
writ of mandamus issued last week
by Chief Justice Gummere Of ths
Supreme court is awaited as the
next move in the legal action -
bring about trolley service again.
The alternative writ was ISSUED Tor
a hearing before three iusffcas | 4
compel the company to resume aer4
vice. The special court will bH
called without delay after the fling
Of the companv's return.