The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-10-16
CLAIMS BUSES
HURT RAILWAYS
Buses Have Caused Big
Falling Off in Railway
Revenues Here.
NORTHWESTERN Is HIT


selves today as result of the general
use of the automobile by individuals
for transporting themselves from place
to place, the introduction of the
motor bus lines on such a general
scale, the use of motor trucks for
transporting freight, etc. The fact is
that revolution is coming in the mat
ter of railroading and the public must
grasp the situation and must give the
railroads some consideration because
of that change.
A forceful illustration is seen in the
change brought about in this immedi-
ate vicinity in railroad circles. For
example, according to railroad men,
the Northwestern these days carries
practically no commuters between Ke-
nosha and Waukegan. There was a
time when there used to be consider
able patronage running on the local
trains between these two cities. How
ever, since the North Shore Electric
introduced the bus line between Wau-
kegan and Kenosha the patronage to
the Northwestern local trains has
dropped off until there is practically
none left. Naturally this means big
decrease in their receipts in passenger
service, not only as it applies between
Kenosha and Waukegan, but it is also
the same elsewhere.
According to local Northwestern men
the railroad company has taken off
many of it's local trains between cities
in northern Wisconsin. 1t is all due
to the fact that the motor buses have
come into such general use.
And the question is: What is to be
the eventual result?
1t is generally known that the rail-
roads are in bad financial condition
and this is said to be especially true
of the Northwestern, which a few
years ago was one of the strongest
railroads in the country.
Discontinue Electric
The Illinois Commerce Commission
recently granted an electric railroad
over in Kane county the right to
abandon the use of street cars and
carry on the experiment of running
buses instead Of cars. The company
came before the commission and adj
mitted that it could not operate the
street cars and meet expenses. There
fore they requested to eliminate street
cars and try out the bus idea.
Buses Vice Trains.
One man even went so far as to pre-
dict that in time such road as the
Northwestern would use nothing ex-
cepting buses on tracks between Chi
cago and Waukegan, and the service
will be available every ten or fifteen
minutes. 1t certainly appears that the
patronage of the railroads is dropping
off to very alarming extent and that
means that in due time complete
reconstruction of the railroad status
will have been made.
And this all means possible lower
ing of cost in the transportation to the
individual but indirectly will mean an
increase in taxes for, with the rail-
roads unable to pay their big taxes
which they have always paid for run
ming through all communities, it
means that the burden of taxation will
be shifted to the individual in lieu
of the railroads inability to pay.
Buses Pay Little.
And, under the state and national
laws it seems as though the individual
motor buses, motor trucks, ETC., are
shouldering very small amount of
the burden Of taxation, road upkeep
etc. In the case of the railroads they
pay for their right of way and main
tain it. They also pay big share of
the cost of pavement where they ruE
on main streets. For example the
local street car line has to keep up
the pavement between it's tracks.
And yet the buses, motor trucks, in
Isxyrl 1o1 a@1 H.
same pavement without any burden
of taxation. According if the rail-
roads would go and motor buses
supercede them entirely it means that
the public will have to stand all the
cost of pavement, upkeep, etc, which
the electric lines or railroads are
now maintaining.
Bears on New Depot.
This change in the situation no
doubt has been an important factor in
the consideration of the new station
by the Northwestern at Kenosha. 1t
seems reasonable to suppose that, had
the Northwestern built this depot sew
eral years ago, before the change in
conditions had been brought about
whereby it's receipts have decreased
SO materially, that depot common
surate with the needs of the COM
munity might have been provided. AS
it is now the railroad probably as
sumes the position that the patronage
out of Kenosha now and in the i'm
mediate future does not justify
huge expenditure. Furthermore, the
railroad officials take the stand that
people nowadays do not sit around the
depot waiting for trains to come and
60. They rush down in an automo-
bile, have an accommodation ticket
and accordingly do not have to go
into the depot only once a month to
buy that ticket. 1t is estimated that
per person using the Northwestern
trains in and out of Kenosha it
wouldn't figure up that they use the
depot minute a year.
One thing is certain, that there
will be complete change in the opera
ton of railroads, ETC., as result of
the introduction of motor buses and
motor trucks, and as the railroads
are going to lose, the taxpayers are