The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1927-05-27
GOOD ROADS BRING
MORE BUS SERVICE
Motor Transportation Factor In
Minnesota Transportation
Activities.

During the year 1925, the motor
buses of Minnesota carried in excess
of 10000 passengers Of whom ap-
proximately four and one-half million
were passengers on Dusses which oper-
ate throughout the state, the others
being passengers that were transport
ed within city or between adjoining
communities, such as st. Paul and
Minneapolis.
AS a result of efficient operation
and real safety program, there was
not single fatal accident in motor
bus transportation in Minnesota dur
ing the year.
From somewhat crude beginnings,
the motor bus system in Minnesota
has grown in dozen years to highly
developed transportation organization,
which has made Minnesota one Of the
outstanding states in the Union as
regards motor bus travel.
Many Buses Operate
A single motor bus company, the
Northland Transportation Company,
operates 119 buses in addition to a
feet Of service cars and touring cars.
The Northland Transportation Com
pany is a subsidiary Of the Great
Northern Railway Company, and as
such has the advantage of experienced
and efficient transportation manage
ment to a high degree.
Radiating in all directions from St
Paul and Minneapolis, the great CEN
tiers for buses, the lines extend west
10 Fargo, North Dakota, north to
Port Arthur, Ontario, south into Iowa
nj int IN
and thence to Chicago.
Two hundred and eighty-three motor
buses, covering 4,721 miles Of bus
lines, are being operated in Mime
sofa this year of 1927. These buses
during the year will run an aggregate
total of more than 12,647, 900 miles
and will carry more than 12,000,000
passengers who will pay more than
S4,625, 900 in bus fares. The various
motor bus companies will pay into
the state treasury license fees aggre-
eating close to 100000, in addition
to $685. 900 of gasoline tax.
1t now is possible to travel by motor
bus from Albert Lea, on the southern
Minnesota border, via st. Paul and
Duluth to Port Arthur, distance Of
AIS miles.
The various lines now are so wide
spread that frequent service is avail
able at all times to and from any part
of the state.
Buses Are Regulated
: Regulated under orders of the State
Railroad and Warehouse commission
with rates of fare set and schedules
fixed the bus lines have advanced from
the status of an experiment in trans
portation to a permanent carrier.
Introduction of the parlor car type
Of bus has made of bus travel a
thing of luxury in comparison with
the somewhat experimental types of
bus used for some time during the
early days of that form of transpor-
tation.
Cities may now step into the bus of
their choice and in many cases with
out change travel upwards Of 200
miles to their destination.
Mechanical changes have made the
buses used in the longer trips cap
able of maintaining time schedule
of 80 miles an hour and because of
the large number of bus lines in the
state year-around travel is just as
much to be expected as that of rail
transportation.
The bus lines now cooperate In
keeping the roads clear during and
following heavy snowstorms and last
winter, almost without exception, all
lines made their scheduled trips.
Recent government statistics esti-
mate the numher of husseS in the
world at 1S1.573. or growth of about
80 per cent in two years.
Much of the growth was registered