RAriD-TRANSlT SrUWAVS IN 1\I KTia )!'()[, ITA X (MIIKS. 7(')7 



llu> (iimu'ls so narrow that only those cars can he used that ai-c 

 especially constructed foi- the snhway. 



Another |)oint u|)on which the niiniici|)al coinicil and the central 

 o;()\-ernnient did not aii'i-ee was as to who should opei-ate the lines. 

 The council wished not only to own hut to o|)erate the road. The 

 central authorities objected, hut finally conipi-onii^ed upon UMniici|)al 

 ownership and private opei-ation. This ])lan oilers many advantafz:es. 

 According to a general law jjassed in 1842, a private conipanv ifets a 

 franchise for seventy-five years if it builds a i-ailroad ; l)ut i f a public 

 authority constructs a line it may shoi-ten the period to thirty-five 

 years. Further, under private ownershi[). a company would find 

 considerable difficulty in raising- sufficient capital to build and operate 

 the whole system. Paris could borrow the money easily, and not only 

 easily, but at a lower rate of interest than a pi'ivate company. This 

 saA'ing would be no small factor and \\ill enable the road to lower 

 fares ultimately. 



The contract between the nnmicipality an<l the operating com- 

 pany is most interesting. The franchise runs for thirty-five years, 

 but at any time within seven years from date of construction the city 

 may acquire the lines. The company agrees to maintain the highest 

 .degree of efficiency, to give to its employees an annual vacation of 

 ten days with full salary, to give them full pay during military 

 instruction and sickness, to insure them against accident, and to pay 

 the city 2 cents for every first-class ticket and 1 cent for every second- 

 class ticket sold, with the added ])rovision that wdien the annual 

 passenger traffic exceeds 140,000,000 persons, this sum shall be 

 increased, reaching at the highest mark 2.1 cents for each first-class 

 and 1.1 cents for each second-class ticket. As the concession fixes 

 the rate for a first-class ticket at 5 cents and for a second-class ticket 

 at 3 cents, and for school children wnth teacher at a uniform rate of 

 1 cent, about one-third of the entire receipts will go to the nnmici- 

 pality and two-thirds to the company. As the cost will be about 

 $35,000,000 for the lines thus far authorized, an annual revenue of 

 $1,100,000 will be necessary to pay the interest, sinking-fund charges, 

 and incidental expenses; operating expenses are paid by the com- 

 pany leasing the subway. Thus, if the entire system should carry 

 only 125,000,000 passengers annually, the city would more than pay 

 all expenses. As this is considered a very low estimate and as it 

 seems almost certain that the traffic wnll far exceed this number, the 

 city wnll probably find the subway a paying investment. The roads 

 in London, Berlin, and Xew York carry nearly 5,000,000 passengers 

 per mile per year; the Paris subway ought easily to reach the nec- 

 essary 3,000,000 per mile per year. 



The entire system of subw^ays is not to l)e constructed at once, but is 

 to be divided into six sections (two more have not been approved by 



