The actual fares are the biggest mystery of all. Tt has always been contended that the fares have not} been increased, and yet any person. who uses the trams regularly knows. that they are four times whet th were some years ago. It appears that they are based on a maximum. fare from end to end on a silver basis and the contention is that, although x double handful coppers may be demanded. now, whereas a few sufficed some years ago, this is simply a question of the relation of silver and copper values. In this circumstance, surely it is somewhat remarkable that the re-18 always call for an morea never a decrease, because it a certain fact that the market does! not fluctuate one way only.
It is conceded that possibly the company may be strictly within its rights on this point, and that the apparent increase may not be at actual one. However, it cannot be denied that in between the limits the Company has done extraordinarily well. Stages either have beer increased, or' else fares for stag have been increased, and thie cannot bbe denied, for it has happened quite: recently. Again, from Bubbling: Well to the Astor House, for instance, is 20 cents. From Bubbling Well tothe Race Club is 16 cents, and from the Race Club to the Astor! House is another 16 cents, making 32 cents. If the company" profitably can carry a passenger so far for 20) cents, obviously it does not have to ask four-fifths of the fare for only.
the distance. Similar instances occur all over the routes,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.