El Paso herald., October 05, 1918, HOME EDITION, Page 4, Image 4

About El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931

Image provided by: University of North Texas; Denton, TX

                
W eek-End Edition, October 5-6, 1918.
KL PASO HERALD
i
These Cities
Have Raised
Street Car
Fares
Milwaukee, Wis,
Providence, R. I .
Springfield, Mass.
Cleveland, Ohio.
Newark, N. 'J.
Toledo, Ohio.
Patterson, N. ',.
Salt Lake, Utah.
Seattle, Wash.
Evansville, Ind.
Little Rock, Ark.
Lincoln, Neb.
Joliet, Ills. .
Altoona,Penn.
Everett, Wash.
Muncie, Ind.
Winston-Salem, N. C. ,
Durham, N. C.
Meridian, Miss.
Danville, Ills.
Hot Springs, Ark.
Elgin, Ills.
Albuquerque, N. M.
Sioux Falls, S. D.
Stamford, Conn.
Saginaw, Mich.
Chickasha, Okla.
Elizabeth, N. 'J.
Over m
of New M
StreetR
illion and a Quarter Dollars
oney Spent in El Paso by
ailway Since World War Began
M
ore Construction Will Have to Follow
When Peace Comes and El Paso
Again Is Marching Ahead to
Commercial Greatness
In over 246 cities in the United Stales relief has been afforded hard
pressed traction companies. This relief has come in the form of authorizing
increases in fares. El Paso is not being asked to lead m protecting its street
railway system.
The reason which has impelled the authorities of these cities to afford
relief to their traction companies is the same reason that lies behiad the ap
plication for relief in El Paso.
Before war conditions practically destroyed the stability of traction
securities, they were highly regarded by investors. After the war it will be
necessary to rebubild the credit of traction companies. To do this there
must be a foundation. In order to keep this foundation secure and ready
for after-the-war development, it is essential that traction properties be per
mitted to earn fair returns. It would be suicidal to so denude them of
revenue: and so break down their foundation that when raotiey is needed to
rehabilitate and carry them on, it can not be had.
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE IN EL PASO.
It may surprise some people to know what the El Paso Electric Railway
has speat here for betterments and improvements SINCE THE WAR
STARTED. For their information the following summary of extraordinary
expenses over and above normal maintenance and operatota, is given: ,
Underground construction $ 300,000
Twenty new cars 123,000
Power station 363,000
Extension, paving and track overhead 423,000
Miscellaneous expenditures 168,000
Total $1377,000
Every dollar of this is new and borrowed money. These expenditures
have been made because of the faith of the El Paso Electric Company in
the stability of its investment here and its faith in the future of EI Paso.
They have been made in the face of constantly decreasing Tevenues and
constantly increasing costs of operation and maintenance.
Many cities in Texas have protected their traction interests and invest
ments by granting some form of relief.
HIGHER WAGES NOW NECESSARY,
Labor got a big proportion of these extraordinary expenditures. Labor
is getting its full share of every dollar earned and expended by the company.
The El Paso Electric Railway Company has endeavored to keep step
with the constantly increasing costs of living. It has voluntarily raised wages
as shown by the following record in that line:
January 1, 1916 21 to 26 cents per hour
August 15, 1916 23 to 28 cents per hour
July 1,1917 25 to 30 cents per hour
February 1. 1918 27 to 32 cents per hour '
May ! 1918 30 to 35 cents per hour
August 1, 1918 .........33 to 38 cents per hour
The National War Labor Board has declared, after an exhaustive in
vestigation, that the following wage scale for motormen and conductors in
cities of climatic and living conditions similar to El Paso, is necessary:
First three months of service 38 cents per hour
Next nine months of service 40 cents per hour
Thereafter ...42 cents per hour
Operators of safety cars to receive four cents per hour
additional.
The El Paso Electric Railway Company has frankly staled to its em
ployes that its revenues derived from a five cent fare wiH not permit it to -pay
these wages. But it has gone further and pledged itself to pay that
scale to motormen and conductors provided the City, of El Paso permits it
to increase street car fares one cent, making the rate six cents where it now
is five cents and three cents where it now is two and a half cents.
rr IS NOW UP TO EL PASO.
Costs of living have gone up in every particular and in every cfivitioa
of life. The El Paso Electric Railway Company has recognized this in volun
tarily raising wages paid to its employes. The National War Labor Board
says wages should be again raised to meet its standard and this company
is willing to meet this standard. It will do so if it is permitted to raise
street car fares one cent on full fares and one-half a cent on half fares.
The increase in revenue sought will be more than consumed in increases
in wages to be paid under that agreement with its employes. It can not
meet this further strain upon its resources and it is squarely up to El Paso
to say if the wages paid here are to be on the scale pronounced necessary
by the National War Labor Board.
. CROWDED CARS AND DELAYS.
r The El Paso Electric Railway Company wants to say jutt Me word
about crowded cars during rush hours and delays in schedules.
As to crowded cars during rush. hours, it is a fact that in no Kve and
bustling city in the United States, nor the civilized world, can the traction
systems furnish seats for every one who rides during these hours. Where
seats are to be had, it is a sure sign of a dead town, and El Paso is no dead
town.
As to delays in schedules, grade crossings frequently tie up all can on
a line for from five to thirty minutes. There is no physically possible way
to avoid this.
The street car service in El Paso is as good or better than that to be
found in cities twice its size. Comparisons easily prove this.
In this connection attention is invited to the list of cities which have
been granted relief in the way of increased fares. There is nothing peculiar
about the situation in EI Paso. It obtains all over the United States and
Canada.'
EL PASO ELECTRIC RAILWAY COMPANY
EI Paso. October 4. 1918.
These Cities
Have Raised
Street Car
Fares
Raleigh, N. C.
Boston, Mass.
St. Louis, Mo.
Montreal, Canada.
Kansas City, Mo.
Portland, Oregon.
Vancouver, Canada
Pittsburgh, Penn.
New Haven, Conn.
Bridgeport, Conn.
New Bedford, Mass,
Hartford, Conn.
Reading, Penn.
Albany, N.Y.
Kansas City, Kans. .
Wilmington, Del.
Waterbury, Conn.
Troy, N.Y.
Wilkes-Barre, Penn.
Erie, Penn.
Atlantic City, N.J,
Tacoma, Wash.
Edmonton, Canada.
Des Moines, Iowa.
Somerville, Mass.
Manchester, N. H.
Fall River, Mass.
Lowell, Mass.
Lynn, Mass.
Two hundred and forty-six cities in the United States and Canada have increased
Street Railway fares up to August, 1918.Many others have increased fares and giv
en relief to their traction properties since that date when the last available list was
compiled.