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32

MR. A. W. FLUX, M.A., ON CITY GOVERNMENT AND

growth.) The last two months reduce the proportion of excess of 1899 over 1898, and the restriction is especially marked on the lines which would be most used by the working classes, whom the lock-out eaused to restrict many expenditures, those on tram-cars among them. These results cannot but be regarded as a. most satisfactory outcome of an experiment in low fares pushed almost to the point of rashness. There is only one serious objection to consider, and that is that the cars are now always too full to enable the privilege of oheap transfer tickets to be effective. Many complaints, and just ones, are made on this head; but nothing I could see or hear struck me as indicating greater difficulty in finding room than we can experience on any day of the week on many routes in Manchester, especially at midday and when people are leaving the city in the evening. The complaints of inadequate facilities are making the institution of an electric system a matter of urgency in Copenhagen. I have been supplied with some furtlier information on the subject which may in one direction give precision to my general statements, and in another, though perhaps repeating what is familiar to some, state what is not familiar, and is interesting to others. That such would be the case has been hinted to me. The first point is in regard to the previous level of fares. The former fare of 1Jd. was charged for distances which ranged from one to two and a half miles, averaging 15 furlongs. The fares of §d. were charged on distances ranging from 800 yards to a mile, and averaging 1,200 yards. A fare at this low rate is now charged outside (i.e., for standing room on the platform) on the electric-accumulator cars for a distance exceeding 1| miles. The takings on this line from January to June last averaged over ls. 4d. per car-mile. The second point is the consumption of current on the accumulator cars. These carry 20 inside passengers and 20 outside, and weigh about six tons without, or nine tons with the acoumulators. They consume an average of T36 Board of Trade unit per car mile, which means a cost of 2fd. for current per

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