The Present Street Railway Situation in Chicago

The street railway mileage of Chicago is greater than that of any other municipality.Exclusive of interurban lines it now has more than nine hundred miles of single track.The several railways were constructed by many independent companies, but, save some suburban lines, are now practically all owned or controlled by two corporations, viz. the Chicago City Railway Company and the Chi- cago Union Traction Company.These two companies have almost complete control of the lines entering the heart of the city, the one those on the south side, the other those on the north and west sides.The former of these controls practically all the railway mileage on the south side save the suburban lines which are operated by a num- ber of independent companies.The West Chicago Street Railroad Company, with its two underlying companies, the Chicago West Division Railway Company and the Chicago Passenger Railway Company, controls the lines on the west side entering the btisiness district.On the north side is the North Chicago Street Railroad Company and its underlying company, the North Chicago City Railway Company.The West Chicago and the North Chicago Street Railroad companies together with the Consolidated Traction Company, organized in 1899 to take over a number of branch lines acting as feeders for these, are. the underlying companies of the Chicago Union Traction Company.Though the three systems are now owned and controlled by the Union Traction Company, so far as fares are concerned they have been operated independently.A five- cent fare is collected and in some instances transfers have not been given from one line to another operated by the same underlying company in spite of stipulations contained in the franchise grants.This situation has recently given rise to a great deal of dissatis- faction and to considerable trouble.The city council by ordinance has required the issue of transfers good for continuous passage upon all lines owned and operated by 'a street railway corporation.This the Union Traction Company refused to do until recently, when active measures were taken to enforce the ordinance.Several hun- dred suits have been instituted against it for refusing to issue trans- fers when demanded, with the result that a second fare is not col

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