The Fort Wayne News from Fort Wayne, Indiana • Page 3

Saturday, December 18. THE FORT WAYNE DAILY NEWS ,1 What Has The Traction Company Done For Fort Wayne? Let us see what the real facts are and then let everyone judge for himself. The Fort Wayne Wabash Valley Traction Company was organized under the laws of Indiana in 1903 for the purpose of acquiring, building and operating street and interurban street railroads and electric light and power plants. In 1911 it was reorganized under the laws of the state of Indiana, with practically the same stockholders and officers, under the name of Fort Wayne Northern Indiana Traction Company. These two companies, therefore, for the purpose of this article, are treated as one and will be designated the "Traction Company." The Traction Company is subject to regulation and control by both the Interstate Commerce Commission, at Washington, and the Public Service Commission of Indiana.

To each of which commissions and to the Treasury Department of the United States it is required by law and does make annual and sworn reports of all its receipts and expenditures in detail on forms expressl) prescribed by said commissions and the Treasury Department, whose expert accountants examine the books of the Traction Company for verification of these reports. Severe penalties are provided in the law for the makihg of false reports. These reports are on file in the office of these commissions, are subject to examination by anyone, and there is therefore nothing that can be concealed in the business or operations of the Traction Company and no excuse can be made for false charges against it. The Traction Company in 1904 purchased and acquired: (a) The street railroad properties in Fort Wayne, which had twice before been in the hands of a receiver the interurban railroad from Fort Wayne to Wabash, constructed by the Fort Wayne Southwestern Traction Company (which was also in the hands of a receiver), and the electric light and power plant of the Fort Wayne Electric Light Power Company, which had been acquired by said Southwestern Company; (c) the interurban railroad from Wabash to Peru, then owned by the Wabash River Traction Company; (d) the interurban railroad from Peru to Logansport, then owned by the Wabash Logansport Traction Company; (e) the street railroad properties in Logansport, then owned by the Logansport Railway Company and the Logansport, Rochester Northern Traction Company; (f) and the street railroad properties in Lafayette and West Lafayette, then owned by the Lafayette Street Railroad Company. The Traction Company afterwards built: (a) The interurban railroad from Fort Wayne to Bluffton, there connecting with the lines of the Union Traction Company and the Marion, Bluffton Eastern Traction Company, thereby giving Fort Wayne direct communication and frequent interurban passenger, express and freight service with Bluffton, Montpelier, Hartford City, Muncie, Anderson, Indianapolis and Marion, and the numerous intervening towns; and (b) the interurban railroad from Logansport to Lafayette, giving a through interurban line from Fort Wayne through Huntington, Wabash, Peru, Logansport and Delphi to Lafayette and intervening towns, thereby connecting with other interurban railroads running north and south at Wabash, Peru, Logansport and Lafayette.

The Traction Company thus brought Fort Wayne into direct and frequent interurban communication with cities and towns and the rural communities adjacent thereto, having an aggregate population of more than a half million of people. If anyone asks, "What has the Traction Company done for Fort Wayne?" or doubts the immense advantage and profit to Fort Wayne from these interurban railroads and connections made by the Traction Company, let him ask the merchants, business men and traveling salesmen of Fort Wayne, and not the man with "an ax to the expense of the Traction Company. What Has the Traction Company Done in Fort Wayne Since It Acquired All the Above Properties? 1. It located in Fort Wayne it principal offices, from which all the business of its large system is done and where all its official and clerical force reside. 2.

It located and built in Fort Wayne one of the largest and best equipped electric light and power plants in the middle west at an actual cost of more than one million dollars. 3. It extended its electric light and power system, formerly owned by the Fort Wayne Electric Light Power Company, to every part of the city and so as to furnish to every inhabitant an electric light and power service not surpassed in any city in the country. 4. Since 1904 it has rebuilt and reconstructed nearly every line of street railroad in the city in a manner equal to the best street railroad construction to be found everywhere; and it has paved or repaved most of the streets between its rails and for a distance of one foot outside of the rails.

It has also purchased new cars and other equipment, and respectfully submits that the street car service in Fort Wayne compares favorably with street car service in any other city of its size in the country. 5. It has paid out and expended for street paving alone in the city of Fort Wayne the sum of $333,583.21, which amount has thereby been saved to the abutting property owners and to the city. The "jitneys" are now permitted, without expense or regulation of any kind, not only to use and wear out these pavements paid for by the Traction Company, but to obstruct and interfere with street car service and render hazardous the lives of people using the streets. "IS THIS A SQUARE DEAL?" 6.

The Traction Company paid in taxes in 1915 the sum of $65,120.41, of which $20,590 was paid to the Treasurer of Allen county. How much do the "jitneys" Should not the above amount of taxes insure protection to the property on which the taxes are paid? 7. The Traction Company from Jan. 1,1904, to Oct. 1, 1915, has expended for additions and betterments to its property in Fort Wayne alone the sum of $3,045,290.84.

8. The Traction Company from Jan. 1,1910, to Oct. 1,1915, has expended for additions and betterments to its property in Fort Wayne alone the sum of $1,950,425.15. How many people in Fort Wayne have realized the enormous sum of money which the Traction Company has expended in the upbuilding of its properties in this city? What other corporation has expended as much money in additions and improvements to its property in the same period of time as the Traction Company? Street car transportation and electric light and power are essential factors in the development of every large city.

No modern city can increase in population or business without both. The destruction of the Traction Company's property or rights would be an unspeakable calamity to our city. The Traction Company has endeavored to the best of its ability to give to the people of Fort Wayne good street car and electric service, it has obeyed the law in all things, and has not given cause for offense to anyone. It therefore appeals to and confidently relies upon the generous protection and support of the good people of Fort Wayne. JAMES M.

BARRETT, President Fort Wayne Northern Indiana Traction Company. 9. The Traction Company pays out each year to its em- ployes in Fort Wayne for the operation of its properties an average of $340,000 a year. 10. Neither the present Traction company, nor any other company ownirfg and operating the system of street railroads in Fort Wayne, including its electric light and power plant, has ever paid a dividend of any kind on any kind of stock, except a 6 per cent, dividend on the preferred stock, for one and a half years only; but a considerable portion of that dividend was paid out of a special fund voluntarily paid in by the preferred stockholders themselves and not out of the earnings of the company.

11. The following is a sworn statement of the expenditures of the Traction Company for additions and betterments to its properties in Fort Wayne, prepared and sworn to by Mr. Harry E. Vordermark, Auditor of the Traction Company, for whose honesty and integrity everyone who knows him will cheerfully vouch: Expenditures By Traction Company In the City of Fort Wayne Expended for street paving in Fort Wayne 333,583.21 Total taxes paid in 1915 for one year ($20,590.00 of this amount was paid to the Treasurer of Allen county 65,120.41 For additions, constructions and betterments in Fort Wayne from Jan. 1,1904, to Oct.

1,1915 3,045,290.84 Of the above amout there has been expended for such additions, constructions and betterments in Fort Wayne from Jan. 1,1910, to Oct. 1,1915 1,950,425.15 State of Indiana, County of Allen, ss: Harry E. Vordermark, being duly sworn on his oath, says he is Auditor of the Fort Wayne Northern Indiana Traction Company, and has been connected with the auditing department of the several companies owning and operating the street railroad system in Fort Wayne for the past 22 years; the above statement of the amounts paid for taxes in 1915, for street paving, and for additions, constructions and betterments, are true and correct; and he personally knows that during the past 22 years neither said Traction Company or any other company owing and operating the street railroad properties in Fort Wayne ever paid a dividend of any kind on any kind of stock except for one year and a half, when a 6 per cent, dividend was paid on the preferred stock only, but a considerable portion of that dividend paid out of a fund voluntarily paid in by the preferred stockholders, and not out of earnings of the company. HARRY E.

VORDERMARK. Subscribed and sworn to before me, a Notary Public, this day of December. 1915. ARTHUR C. PONTIUS, Notary Public.

My commission expires Jan. 7, 1916..