The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1926-12-31
RAILWAY
MAKES DECIDED
IMPROVEMENTS
------------
Five New Substations Form
Part Of Development in
1926.

the indianapolis Street Railway
Company in 1926 and their cunu-
lative effect is expected early in
1927.
ThreeQuarters of a million dollars
was set aside for the rehabilitation
Of the power system on the city
lines.
Registering fare boxes and tokens
were ordered for use on all cars and
husses.
Regular conferences between the
management and committees OF en-
pioyes were arranged and started.
Five Sub-Stations
The FIRST requisite FOR the rehabil-
itation of the power system o1 the
street railway is sub-stations and
1--WE new buildings specially de
signed to house electrical equip
megat are now in construction. They
are located at Highland and st.
Clair SITS, e. Washington ST., near
Sherman Dr.. McCarty and Illinois
SITS, Pennsylvania and Thirty
Fourth Sts., and st. Clair st. and
the canal.
AS rapidly as these buildings are
completed they will be equipped
with rotary converters capable of
receiving electricity at high voltage
anG reducing it to the phase used
on the trolley lines. With this
equipment in operation, the local
lines will be connected with the
Csltral Indiana Power Conpany's
high tension lines from the super
power plant at Dresser, thus insur-
irg. to Indianapolis adequate power
to meet all demands for the future.
To Speed Up
Immediately upon the establish
ment of sufficient amount Of pow
Or, the street car company will
shorten its schedules, speed up it's
cars and endeavor to provide much
faster transit to and from the bust
ness district of Indianapolis. The
SHORTENING Of schedules is expected
to afford greater use OF the rolling
Htock as well as greater convenience
Tor the street car rider. The whole
plan, involving the investment Of
nearly $3.50, 900, has been under
taken on, the theory that it will Gre
ate more business and effect operat-
ing economies that VIII tend to hold
the cost OF transportation in Indian
apolis at the relatively low level of
the present period
Adoption of tokens and registering
fare boxes with the abandonment of
Naper tickets is another movement
ard expediting traffic and effect
- 0erating economies. The saw
.MS. Me patron in the use of tick
g resulted In such large num-
Der OF ticket fares that the account
ing system in use has proved costly
and unsatisfactory. Tokens are to
be substituted for tickets. because
they can be mechanically counted
and used repeatedly. The expert
ence Of other cities has been that \
they are regarded as more convent
emit than tickets by the patrons and
they afforded many advantages to
the conductors on the cars.
New Fare Boxes
All street cars have been equipped
to carry the registering fare boxes
and the company plans to begin use
ef the new system as soon after New
Years as it is possible to complete
details of selling the tokens. No diff
ference in the rate of fare is con-
A.templated, but tokens will be sub
stituted for tickets and tickets will
be abandoned as rapidly as they can
be collected and Cancelled. This
change involves an investment of
more than $50, 900 in equipment, and
Ii IS estimated the operating econ
only will eventually repay the out
lay.
Following the attempted organiza-
ton and the attendant strike in
July, motormen and conductors of
the street railway organized q COM
mittee of employees to represent them
in negotiations with the company
under the terms of the individual
wage contract governing the en-
.ployment of all street car men.
This committee, with representa-
tives from each barn, has been in
frequent conference with the street
railway management looking to the
Improvement of working conditions
FOR the men. In these conferences
the financial ability of the company
to meet. increases in wages has been
thoroughly considered, and for the
first time in recent years the men
and the company have approached
the problem Of betterments from
the same standpoint. Consideration
has been given to the rate Of fare,
the volume of business possible, and
the best methods Of obtaining a
gross revenue such as would make
possible the payment Of higher
scale Of wages.
Better Understanding
There has been no disposition on
the part of either the employees or
the company to force any issue be-
tween the management and the men
at this time, and the conferences
have resulted in a more thorough
understanding of the operating prob
lens of tn esystem than has here
tofore obtained.
Gross revenue of the street rail-
way company for the year 1926 have
been considerably below the expec-
tation at the time the public service
commission fixed the present fare
schedule, and there has been consid-
cradle public discussion Of the proba-
bic necessities for increased street
caf fares.
AITowever, the company has pro-
cNsded on the theory that gross reve-