The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 207, Ed. 1 Monday, October 28, 1918 Page: 3 of 10
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THE HOUSTON POST: MONDAY MORNlNGjOCTOBER 28 1918.
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SMOULED
STON
PIH1ISM11ELY S1UMLIE
SOTHCT CA1 SYSTEM ?
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In Plain English That Is Just Exactly What Will Happen If
It Is Refused Relief and Denied the Right to Make Both
Eiids Meet During War-time Prices
IN SPITE OF every possible effort in the way of operating econ-
omies safety cars and most rigorous supervision of every expendi-
ture the company operating Houston's street car system found itself
face to face with an emergency it could not escape unaided. War
conditions war prices and abnormal demand for labor had brought
about this condition. Maintenance was deferred and needed work on
tracks overhead cars and all equipment was cut to the irreducible
twinimiim in order to escape the necessity of seeking the temporary
relief afforded by the addition of a penny to the nickel car fare.
AS A LAST RESORT ft laid this matter before the City Com-
mission of Houston on June 1 in an application for the privilege of
charging a six-cent fare where a five-cent fare is now charged and a
three-cent fare where a fare of two. and a half cents is now charged.
IT STATED FRANKLY the reasons for making this applica-
tion. It showed that unless it was granted the relief sought the service
it provides would necessarily have to be curtailed to the point where
it would not meet the requirements of the people of Houston who are
now more generally employed at higher wages than ever before in
their history.
THE CITY COMMISSION took the application under advise-
ment It investigated the books of the company. It verified the state-
ments made as to the condition of its physical property its cars its
tracks its employes and in every possible way advised itself as to the
conditions which are present as an emergency which must be met if
Houston's street car service is to be adequately maintained.
LABOR COSTS in the meantime were growing. During the
period in which the city commissioners were examining into the con-
dition of the company the National War Labor Board after extended
hearings found that in cities similarly situated higher wages should
be paid to trainmen than could be paid here with the earnings derived
by Houston's street cars operated with a five-cent fare.
HOUSTON'S STREET CAR COMPANY frankly told its em-
ployes that it -could not pay these wages. It went further. It told
them it would make application for relief and if granted it would
pay them. It amended its petition asking for a seven-cent fare in
order to make both ends meet
AFTER FURTHER INVESTIGATION the city oommiisioners
passed an ordinance authorizing a six-cent fare which would in part
only meet the requirements of the situation. This ordinance reserved
the right to the city to reduce fares if six cents produced more revenue
than was absolutely necessary to provide service and meet demands
upon the street car company which were constantly growing through
higher costs of everything entering into the operation of street cars.
IN PERFECT GOOD FAITH Houston's street car company on
September 26 accepting the ordinance as a pledge of good faith of
the City of Houston redeemed its promise to its employes raised
wages to the scale .promised and assumed that the ordinance would
become effective October 1 as provided by the city government
OVER 260 AMERICAN CITIES had taken similar action to
protect their street car systems and maintain street car service during
-the war period and there was no reason to suppose that Houston
having as has every city a major interest in preventing the financial
and physical ruin of its street car system would refuse relief which
is absolutely necessary unless the system and the service is to fail
utterly to meet the requirements of the people.
THIS ORDINANCE has been questioned and referred through
referendum to the people who use street cars for them to determine
if they want adequate service at a six-cent fare or if they will strangle
the street cars and drive them into a condition where adequate service
can not be rendered.
THAT IS THE WHOLE QUESTION. Every one knows that
everything now costs more than it did before high war prices hit us.
Every one knows that the cost of operation of street cars has reached
the point where the nickel no longer pays the cost of the street car
ride it buys. Every one knows that where more money is constantly
paid out than is taken in there is but one result.
IT IS THE PURPOSE of Houston's street car company from
day to day to discuss this most vital question in a series of advertise-
ments in the Houston daily newspapers and through the medium of
circulars distributed directly to those who use street cars.
IT WILL BE candid and frank in these discussions will not know-
ingly misstate a fact nor misquote a figure. It will bend its energies
to snowing that there is no reason whatever why those who use street
cars and those who operate them should not make common cause in
meeting the threat of a common disaster to Houston's street car
system and street car service. For it is a fact that the people of
Houston must have streetcar service even as those who operate these
street cars must have sufficient revenue with which to supply that
service.
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ECfMIC COMPANY
By DAVID DALY Manager
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The Houston Post. (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 207, Ed. 1 Monday, October 28, 1918, newspaper, October 28, 1918; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth609585/m1/3/: accessed April 25, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .