interurban companies are responsible for all damages caused by their cars or employes while on city tracks. The city company is not liable in case of interruption in power or damage to tracks or bridges.

In Columbus an agreement has recently been made on a modification of the last mentioned plan. In that city the local company utilizes a broad gauge track, this being also the case in Cincinnati and a number of tributary towns. In this case the interurban company agreed to stand the expense of installing a third rail to accommodate the standard gauge. The suburban crew are to remain on the car and the city road is to receive three cents out of each five collected for city fares. In another Ohio city (Cincinnati) the local company uses the broad gauge and an interurban road entering the city has also been built with this gauge; the city company pays the interurban company thirty cents per hour, or $5.40 per day (eighteen hours making a car day), as rental for the cars while on the city tracks. The city company takes up the interurban tickets at regular rates and the interurban company pays for same each month.

The Buffalo & Niagara Falls Electric Railway, before its consolidation into the present system of the International Traction Company, had a line which extended from the city of Buffalo to the city line at Niagara Falls, and the cars used the tracks of the Buffalo Railway Company in Buffalo and those of the Niagara Falls & Suspension Bridge Railway in the latter city. When the cars reached the Buffalo city tracks the city company's men took charge, and all fares collected went into the treasury of the Buffalo company; in other words, the suburban company gave the use of its cars for this distance for the privilege of carrying through passengers. In Niagara Falls the situation was different; here the suburban company paid three cents out of every five collected for the power and use of tracks. It is understood that the two and three cent plan is used in Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Kansas City, Indianapolis and other places, and it appears to be deemed a very equitable basis of division.

In preparing this paper the writer requested information as to traffic arrangements from nearly all cities where interurban cars are known to enter over the city company's tracks, but for some reason or other the majority of managers failed to reply, or else declined to give detailed information. As one manager put it, "We have had a hard time settling on a satisfactory arrangement and do not propose to educate those who may become our competitors." Another manager wrote, "We have no traffic arrangement with interurban companies, and if I can help it do not propose to have any, as I believe in the policy of the Metropolitan system in any city constructing all the lines that could be reasonably demanded."

The handling of local city passengers by the interurban cars pre

sents a problem with many different phases, dependent to a large extent upon the terms of the traffic arrangement and the inclination of the crews in charge. Under ordinary circumstances the interurban com panies are anxious to get their cars in and out of the city as rapidly as possible, and they do not care to stop at every street for city passengers; and it might be added that the city passengers have a decided weakness toward the larger and more comfortable interurban cars. This desire on the part of the interurban company is especially marked when, as is the case in Cleveland, the interurbans do not share in the city receipts, but are paid so much a mile covered. On the other hand where the interurban company shares in the city receipts it is sometimes considered worth their while to cater to the local traffic, and generally this tendency is not at all to the liking of the city company. The writer has in mind an instance where two interurban companies use the same tracks for the matter of twelve miles to the city limits and then both enter over the city tracks. It is a matter of common talk that both companies jockey for the twelve miles of interurban business and then both have a contest with the city company for the city business. It is said that the interurban cars race to get ahead of one another at the junction, while at the city line the city company makes it a point to have a city car precede each incoming interurban. Laying aside the small profit that can be derived from the city business, it is unquestionably against the best interests of the interurban companies to cater to the city trade. The interurban roads are coming more and more into competition with the steam roads and to the person who has a long interurban ride in front of him there is nothing more tiresome or more discouraging than the frequent stops and crowded cars consequent with picking up and letting off city passengers. Were it not for city ordinances, which provide that all cars must stop for passengers, it would, in the long run, be more profitable for the interurban cars to run through to the center of the city without stop except to let off or pick up their own passengers.

The question of ordinances regulating the stopping of cars is one which should be taken up with a view of securing concessions for the interurban cars. Although in the majority of cases such cars are recognized by the city ordinances only as city cars, it is time they should receive certain privileges and not be compelled to handle local traffic. It should be pointed out that the interurban cars are greatly benefiting the merchants of large cities by bringing in people who have traded at country stores, thus aiding greatly in the development of the commercial centers, and it can be proven that this development can be still further increased by giving the urban residents speedier transportation and better accommodations. It might be argued that much business would be lost to the interurban cars through failure to make stops

in the city to pick up passengers, and this is true, but unquestionably much of the difficulty might be overcome-providing the city ordinance permit by having the conductor of the interurban car question each passenger as to his destination before he steps aboard; if he desires to go to a point on the city line, he should be requested to take the next car. If legislation on this point cannot be secured, then the trouble can be eliminated to a certain extent by posting notices requesting city passengers not to use the interurban cars and by having the city company precede or follow each interurban, car with a city car.

One of the roads running into Cleveland, the Cleveland, Painesville & Eastern, operate what are known as "Special Limited" cars. They are designed especially for business men who reside in Painesville, Mentor and Willoughby, and they reach the center of Cleveland each morning in time for business, running after business hours in the evening. They make no stops except at these towns and save about thirty minutes on the run of thirty miles. Inside the city limits the cars are considered as specials and do not stop for local passengers. Thus far the practice has caused no complaint among city people, and the cars are a great luxury to the suburban town residents who do business in the city. It is understood that other roads are soon to follow this practice, as it is of immense advantage in building up the small towns. It affords a constant income to the interurban roads and does not detract from the business of the city companies since the city fare is collected as usual, and therefore it may well be encouraged by both.

Under no circumstances should the city company attempt to make the interurban car part of its regular schedule; such an arrangement is not conducive to good service for either party.

The status of interurban railways in years to come is one which few people are willing to prognosticate. Just at present it appears to many people that the interurbans occupy, and will continue to occupy, a field which is separate and distinct from that of the steam roads. They are operating from town to town, opening up heretofore isolated country and affording short routes between points which heretofore have been far apart from the fact that they are located on different steam railroads. In this way the electric railroads aid greatly in the development of the country without actually interfering with the business of the steam roads; on the other hand they frequently improve the steam road business. Will this continue to be the situation is the question which plainly is troubling the steam road people. If the tide of electric trunk line building can be abated the steam road people are now clearly willing to share the passenger business by turning over to the electric roads the short haul traffic. The business which comes from small towns surrounding the larger cities and that which goes from one small

town to the next is said to be detrimental rather than beneficial to many of the steam trunk lines. The president of one of the most important steam roads in the country has recently been quoted as saying that it would be money in the pockets of stockholders if the short haul passenger business could be turned over to the electric roads. He figures that people could be brought into the larger centers on the suburban cars and from there they could take through fast trains for distant points. He stated also that the increase of freight business consequent with the building up of numerous suburban towns would more than compensate for the loss of the short haul passenger traffic.

Briefly, the above appears to be the aim of many of the present promoters of electric roads, but it is a well known fact that there are many others who claim that the day is not far distant when electricity will compete in every way with steam. Some of the roads under construction are being equipped with 80-pound rails identical with those used on steam roads and speeds of 60 to 70 miles an hour, with through sleeping and dining cars, are freely talked of. An Ohio company (A. E. Appleyard of Columbus) has recently placed a contract for electric sleeping cars which will be placed in operation within the next ten months between Cincinnati and Columbus. Within as many months the Everett-Moore Syndicate will have through cars operating from Cleveland to Detroit, and it is the intention to compete for through traffic with the fastest steam road in the country.

Clearly such arrangements can have little in common with the 10mile an hour schedule which of necessity must remain permanent so long as cars traverse the surface of crowded business and residence streets. Laying aside the question of speed, the electric trunk lines will sooner or later find it to their advantage to handle heavy freight, coal, grain, etc. At present the citizens and city authorities of large cities make little complaint against combination express and package freight cars, or even an occasional exclusive package car, but it is expecting too much to calculate on freight trains transporting merchandise of all sorts through residence streets, even at night.

Obviously, the only solution of the problem under the various conditions mentioned is for the interurban cars to enter the center of the city by means of underground or elevated tracks with special tracks for through cars. Respectfully submitted,

IRA A. MCCORMACK.

President Holmes-I would ask Mr. Albion E. Lang. President of the Toledo Traction Company, to open the discussion on this paper.

Mr. Lang-Mr. President and Gentlemen: I appreciate

the fact that a traffic agreement which might be desirable between an interurban company and a city company would vary according to the local conditions that might exist in each city. The considerations which would arise in making a traffic agreement between a city company and an interurban company desiring to enter New York, Chicago or Philadelphia, would be vastly different from the considerations which would apply in the case of an interurban company desiring to enter a city the size of Toledo, which has about 150,000 inhabitants; so that in making the few remarks upon this paper which I shall make, I must, of necessity, speak more particularly of contracts which exist in Ohio, and of which I have more or less information. The contracts which have been made for the entry of cars into Cleveland, Cincinnati and Detroit differ from our contracts in this-that the city companies in those places, at the outset, expected to make the suburban cars do city work, and in so doing to repay to the suburban company a certain mileage for the use of the cars. In our city we have a different rule in making these contracts. We recognize the advantage of having the employes of the suburban road run their cars into the city and out again, the suburban company assuming all liability of accident. This is not desirable, however, unless there is provision in the contract which gives the city company practical control of the suburban railroad employes. It is somewhat difficult to make such a contract, but, with the aid of our attorneys, we think we have provided an arrangement which is effective in this respect. In substance, it simply requires the city company to serve notice on the suburban company, that its employe refuses to recognize the authority of our superintendent, or is violating some of our rules, in which case the employe is discharged.

My theory of the suburban railroad is, that the rapid transit feature is the one of most value to both parties, hence the suburban company should avoid as much as possible doing any city business. The contracts we have thus far made with the suburban companies have been based on a division of fares, in which the city company receives from three to four cents for