:A B77W r " r n i 'W VJBNm 'TOTtatdi rEJkDELPHtS?, TUESDAY, JAJttJ'ABY 3, 1922 .1 ; ; fl ty l 1 PHILADELPHIA RAPID TRANSIT COMPANY Published in the Hepe of Creating a Better Understanding for the New Year f: viir:i?WiiKt jm 'A I Te The Mayer of Philadelphia, Members of City Council, Public Service Commission, . , Joint Transit Committee, 'and Interested Citizens Generally: A P. R. T. and City, came te an understanding in 1907, resulting in the present City agreement, which waa endorsed and ratified, Rftcr searching investigation, by citizens' committees, business organizations and the newspapers. By the terms of the 1907 agreement P. R. T. stockholders paid in the remainder of their stock assessment $12,000,000, thus making possible the comple tion of' the Market Street "L". After exhaustive analysis, citfzens' committees resolved company's obligations te 'pave city streets into a cash payment te City, new $550,000 per annum. P. R. T. stockholders paid in the additional money $12,000,000, with the expectation of thereafter receiving 6 per annum upon the total amount of their $30,000,000 paid-in tpital. The 1907 agreement provides that earnings in excess of 6Tper annupt cumulative shall be equally divided between City and Company. City, by virtue of this 1907 agreement secured Market Street "L" service, with transfers te connecting surface lines. City also secured the advantage of increased taxable values. Increased tax revenue, in West Philadelphia alone, amounts te about $3,000,000 per annum, figured at present tax rate, based upon the added tax able value of $113,000,000, due te Market-Street "L," as estimated hy the Real Estate Beard in 1919. P. R. T. staggered along with deficits, labor troubles and peer street car service from 1907 te 1910 at which time the Widener Elkins management was ready te admit insolvency, with receiver ship seemingly inevitable. P. R. T. stockholders, threatened with less of their entire investment and City suffering from inadequate and disrupted icrvice, appealed te Mr. E. T. Stotesbury te save the situation. Mr. Stotesbury assumed this seemingly impossible task upon receiving the assurance that P. R. T., if freed from political control, could, in a period of years, be made te supply adequate service te' the public, pay a proper wage te its men, and, in finality, earn a return upon the $30,000,000 of P. R. T. paid-in capital. Mr. Stotesbury, in a communication transmitted te Councils in April, 1911, defined the fares nd exchange tickets also the number of free transfer points, in effect at December 31, 1910, as being these which both City and Company accept for the purpose of his Undertaking. Mr. Stotesbury, depending upon the geed faith of the City, extended an etherwis- unwarranted credit te P. R. T. of mere than $15,000,000, enabling the purchase of 1,500 new surface cars at the outset, with great enlargement of car housing and power supply. The Stotesbury-Mitten plan contemplated the building of a million dollar carheuse and the purchase of 100 additional street cars each year; also the building of big modern shops, for which a large tract of land was purchased in 1912. The extension of the Market Street "L" toward Frankford, connection with Camden ' by subway, and ether improvements were also planned te be year by year consecutively undertaken. In starting te carry out this ambitious plan, two million dollar divisional carheuses and SO elevated cars were built in 1912-1913. The Stotesbury-Mitten plan for transit development wa stepped in 1914, and rendered impossible of continuance by destruction of P. R. T. credit, due te (a) Threats of the then newly organized Department of City Transit te take from P. R. T. its 3c exchange earnings by application te the Public Service Commission, supported by newspaper statements of prominent lawyers that thfs could be done, (b) The antagonistic planning of a system of high speed lines built en City credit with the avowed intention of forcing P. R. T. te great less through joint operation. P. R. T., under Stotesbury-Mitten management, 19104920, with a 5c fare, earned a total surplus of $10,041,870. Of this amount $5,846,514 was paid in dividends te P. R. T. stockholders. The remaining $4,195,356 was used for improvement of property, thus lessening the bends or ether securities necessary te be sold, and se reducing the amount of interest te be earned as a part of the jjxed charges. P. R. T. stockholders, who have received less than l'3 per annum upon their paid-in capital of $30,000,000, are $20,000,000 short of having received the 6 per annum, which it was expected they would begin te receive after entering into the 1907 agreement. Philadelphia in 1910, and theretofore, lest millions of dollar and many lives by street car strikes. There have been no inter ruptions te service because of strikes since Stotesbury-Mitten management took held in 1911, but en the contrary men and management co-operate for efficient service and economic accomplishment. P. R. T. 13 endeavoring te supply adequate service ei existing lines, but regularity of ijfer service cannot be satisfactorily accomplished under present conditions of x'ehicular interference, aggravated by delays from unloading coal wagons, which unrea sonably obstruct car tracks; nevertheless P. R. T. has greatly improved the service, and operates better cars, cleaner cars, with mere courteous conductors and mere careful motormen than any ether city. P. R. T. was in worse condition than Pittsburgh Railways Company in 1910. Nevertheless, Philadelphia is new receiving superior service at a 7c cash 4 tickets for 25c fare, which is 25 less cost (ten million dollars a year) as compared te Pittsburgh, where an agreement with the Pittsburgh Railways Company has just been concluded, by which a 10c cash 3 tickets for 25c fare is continued. P. R. T. men and management, as a result of ten years co-operative effort, have created added annual net income of $14,000,000 through patronage induced by developing the short riding habit, savings through increased production, elimination of waste and reduction in accident costs. During this period rides per capita were doubled without increasing the number of men employed. . P. R. T during 1921. earned a surplus approximating $1,800,000, or 6 en its paid-in capital. This sum has been used te further improve conditions; all of which is in accordance with the published plan of the management, te overcome the war-time condition of the property before resuming payment of P. R. T. dividends. P. R. T. management desires te co-operate with the City ter accomplishment, but in view of the foregoing, should net be asked te contribute from P. R. T. present earnings te make up Iesscb sustained by operation of City-built lines, as this would net be fair te P. R. T. stockholders, who have waited many years for a return upon their $30,000,000 of paid-in capital, in order that the public and the empleyes might first be properly served. T. E. MITTEN. Philadelphia, December 31, 1921. President P. R. T. "Service Talks" te Empleyes. Reproduced from issue of December 31, 1921 SERVICE TALKS A BIT OF ROUGH SLEDDING I want te tell you about an amusing experience 'that fell te my let in the long age. At that time we were working, en the eight-hour principle eight hours before luncheon and eight hours after. Still, it was a geed concern for we were permitted te work 365 day3 every year. Ne one ever dared te ask for a day off. Fer ill of which we drew down $40 per month, With a penalty blowback of from $8 te $10 every thirty daya. An average month's pay figured ibeut thirty bucks. It was a little tough, of course, en the fellows who had contracted the habits of earing regularly, wearing clothes and paying rent. But we were allowed an expense account. I must net overlook' that. Whenever we were able te prove under rigorous cress-examination that we had worked until the last inhabitant had turned in for the night, we were allowed 15c. supper money. Then we waited a month before we get the 15c. Well, after a time I pulled out Calculated I wasn't built for a life of indolence and luxury. Moved en te the next state, hooked up and took charge of a department of my own. Had te be thirty "ears of age te land. Aged eight years ever night and grabbed the job. Three years passed. Meanwhile the home folks liad get it into their needles that I had become quite a power in the railroad world. I didn't awaken them, they needed the rest. One day a letter came inviting me te address one of their associations at its next regular meeting.- T accepted and set te work en the address. It was te be my first plunge as an after-dinner speaker, and I figured if I get it across right they'd never invite me again. And they never did. It went off fine. I think most of the diners didn't breathe normally for a week afterward. But they were game, all geed fellows and leaders in their respective lines. ' They'd been accustomed te inhal ing honey at thnr dinners. I gave them a squirt of vinegar for a clung? What I did was te picture te then, the sorry predicament in which the little fellows in their great organizations found themselves. Underpaid and overworked. Plodding along without enceurage--ment and without hope. dismal future and a fruitless past. Bey, I. lambasted them for further orders. It was dignified and courteous, nothing offensive. But it wasn't a plea, "it was an indictment of thoughtless ness, the kind of thoughtlessness that throttles ambition, energy, initiative, hope, progress. I knew I was playing a one-night stand and I shot every thing I had. There was te be no encore. I have said these big fellows were game. And se they were. Blamed if they didn't reproduce my remarks the next month in their own publication. A while afterward I learned that In my old department the number of empleyes had been trebled, while salaries had been given a healthy boost Hew much of it, if in fact any, was due te my "rarin" around I de net knew. It was enough that the fellows were getting a fairer shake. Things were different in these days, twenty years back. Ne invitation ever was extended the little fellow te drop in and talk things ever. He just swallowed his dose and took it out in thinking. Thus many a geed idea was lest and many a bright mind wilted under se stupid a system. Yet I'm sure most of these officials would have extended a hearty welcome te any empleye, if ealy the latter had made the preliminary advances, which he never did. Of course, this was looking at the thing back-end-te. Year3 later came Mr. Mitten. The meter of industrial relations, 1910 model, electric railway type, was still functioning back-end-te, missing en all cylinders and full of wheezes and false premises. Net being ., versed in the arts of patching and tinkering, he ripped the confounded thing out and installed a brand new engine. Fer nearly eleven years, new we have been opera ting under the open-deer policy. There isn't a deer in the entire establishment that is closed te anyone. And the little fellows of ether days have become bigger fellows, better railroaders, and stauncher iriends of the officials of their Company. Give and take. Live and let live. That's the Muff. Nene of us are always .right, nor alwayn wrong. Today, we peel our brains, our energy, our experience, our enthusiasm, our prosperity. And there are mere than 10,000 of us. Why shouldn't we held the right; of the line in the rail road business? SERVIC L TALKS HERBS TO YOU, STRONGHEART Writing m the sports section of the PUBLIC LEDGER in its issue of November 6th, Cullen Cain says "The average man sits in the midst of the throng and cheers the here in the ring and en the field and as he races down the glory track. He wishes he were a here, tee. Well, he is one and docs net knew it." "A day or a month or a year later he hears a. Hecter tell him he lias a bad heart, and yet he gees quietly and gamely en with his regular work in life. He still holds his job and delivers the goods te his chief and his firm." "Or he fights a losing fight in the business world and still gees calmly en and does his little part as a family man and citizen and friend." True as gospel. Cain knows human nature, and when it comes te understanding the man in the street, and his troubles and werriments and per plexities, he stands with both feet planted en solid ground. "By my faith, I de believe that at least five out of every ten men we knew have played the here somewhere along their tangled, troubled tumulteus way, and yet never heard a cheer or been dazzled by the flutter of a flag or seen their name written en high." Again he says "Sometimes it takes as much courage te walk aily up te and gaily away from a doctor's deer as it docs te enter the zone of machine-gun fire. Ne bands or flags or cheers in a doctor's hallway." He ends his splendid article with these stirring words, words which perhaps will carry encourage ment and fresh hope te some of our own stout hearted fellows who are doing a man's work man fashion : "Stay with 'em, old scout; all the time, all the way. It's a hard hill, but let's climb at least half way, and then let's crawl. Maybe there's a place somewhere for Ol' ManTreuble's Favorite Sen." A man has te feel that stuff te write it. Altogether tee many fellows are "top-deg" men. Always training with the victor no matter, who he may be or what cause he may represent. Cain's what I call an "under-deg" man for he always has k word of sympathy and encouragement for the chap who has been battered and bruised and humiliated in life's struggles. Mere power te his elbow. Hew true are his words about men who bravely face the world day after day, doing their level best te give service te their fellows, yet with hearts in their breasts as heavy as lead. Is he wrong when he says they, tee, are heroes? Ne, he's right, 100 right. The average passenger upon our cars is a geed icllew at heart, but he sometimes forgets that we railroad men are human beings, tee. Quick en the trigger whenever things incur his displeasure, he blares forth a trumpet charge of condemnation that oftentimes is most unjust and unfair. Dees he step te think that perhaps this Motorman is eating his heart out with anxiety ever the serious illness of his wife, or that that Conductor hasn't averaged three hours sleep a night for the past two weeks because of a sick child? If he did, hew much pleasanter it would make tilings, and hew much better service we all could give him. The heart rules the head mere often than we imagine. A little kindness, a little consid eration, and total strangers become geed fellows together in the twinkling of an eye. But we knew our fellows, the best hearted let that ever punched a transfer or shot juice te meter Here and there a cog slips at intervals, but in the main they give of their best all the time, all the way, te quote Cain. Visitors from ether cities, and Philadelphians who travel about, all have a geed word for our men and our service. And new a word te the boys who haven't yet ueen called upon te weather a rainy season. Are 'ou making proper prevision te help tide yourself and the family ever possible rough spots in the read? A bank account is a wonderful friend at any stage of the game, but especially se when Old Man Trouble is looking up your address. The Welfare Saving Fund is waiting te serve veu and help you if only you'll let it It's hard te save money, of course. It always has been and it always will be. But it's worth all the eacrificea one has te make. That's the thing te glue yenr eye te. V ' IM y"k m v 1 0 "I I ty '" 1 A i l w .m .Club. ,leuly ,erdr. I s ' f (i v 1 -1 B iKfji Vel. n. 10 IHM, ts V, JM ,. g v ' !&., mLj- -. 'r f Vi'r ' J.,M hf ..-v -,. V , B TV ff"' I JJJ -" .c.Ka
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers