A War of Attrition, 1915-20
Author | C. Ian Kyer |
Pages | 131-147 |
Chapter
AWAROFATTRITION
years of the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) franchise,
thingswentfrombadtoworseTheTRCwouldnditselfpressedforim
provedserviceandmorefrequentbeerstreetcarsatatimewhenitssources
of external nanci ng wered isappearing and its operating prots were in
declineCostcuingbecameparamounttotheTRCbutmoredicultto
achieve because of rising labour costs. It was a company beset on every side.
There was, however, no sympathy to be had at City Hall. Tommy Church
presided over city council for most of this period. He was elected as mayor in
andwouldbereelectedeachyearuntilwiththehelpofJohnRoss
Robertson of the Toronto TelegramalongtimesupporterofAdamBeckand
theOntarioHydroChurchsactionswereintendedtofurtherBecksplan
toexpandanOntarioownedpowerdistributionsystemthatwouldfeeda
series of electric railway lines radiating out from Toronto.ChurchandBeck
both knew that it was essential for Toronto to be part of both the power dis
tribution and radial railway systems.
Churchhadbeeninoceonlysixmonthswhenhecreatedaninformal
transitcommieetoconsiderhowtoimplementBecksplansOnChurchs
commieewerethreemenCityWorksCommissionerRolandCHarris
FAGabythechiefengineerofBecksHydroElectricPowerCommissionof
OntarioandELCousinschiefengineeroftheTorontoHarbourCommis
sion. The Toronto Worldreportedthatthecommieewastaskedwithdeter
mining how to move forward if Toronto Hydro were to buy out the TRC,
AThirtyYearsWar
and, alternatively, how to deal with transit if the TRC continued for the re
maining years of its franchise agreement. Their task, however, was not pri
marilyorientedwiththeTRCItwasfocusedonthenewinterurbanradial
railwaysystembeingtoutedbyBeckLaterthatyearthegroupproduced
animpressivetwovolumestudyentitledRadial Railway Entrances and Rapid
Transit for the City of Toronto. This study was delivered to the Civic Transpor
tationcommieeonwhichsattwoofthefourcontrollersandeightsenior
aldermen. The study set out ways for existing and proposed radial lines to
enter the City of Toronto and reach the city core despite the TRC’s monopoly
on operating surface lines with in the Toronto city limits as they had existed
in
IfBeckspowerdistributionandradialrailwaysystemsweretobesuc
cessfully implemented, both the TRC and its related electric company had
tobedealtwithDespitetheoppositionthatBeckandChurchhadmounted
to Hocken’s purchase plan, they were, in fact, open to a purchase provided
thatitcouldbedoneatarockboompriceIfthatweretohappenthese
companies had to be weakened so that their ownership would be motivated
tosellcheaplyWiththatgoalinmindBeckandChurchembarkedontheir
warofaritionagainsttheTRC
ThatwarwaslaunchedatthestrokeofmidnightonJunewhen
MayorChurchledagroupofpeopletothecornerofFarnhamAvenueand
Yonge Street. That group included Works Commissioner Harris, several of
theCityslawyersandateamofworkmenOnthemayorssignalthework
crewtoreupaquartermilesectionofstreetcartrackalongYongeStreetThe
Telegramdubbeditaraidonthelinesofcommunicationofanenemytocivic
andpopularrightsMayorChurchjustiedthisactionbysayingthatthe
franchiseonthatparticularquartermilesegmenthadexpiredatmidnight
Even though his actions meant that riders were inconvenienced by being
forcedtodisembarkfromtheTRCstreetcarandwalktotheTorontoYork
Radial Railway car that went north, he was hailed by many as a hero str iking
a blow against the monopolists.
Several City lawyers may have joined the raid, but legally speaking,
therewasagooddealofdoubtaboutwhetherthemayorwasjustiedin
his actions. RJ Fleming had heard that the City might take some action and
had made it clear earlier in the day that the TRC was willing to assume its
rights over this strip and to lay a set of double tracks to permit the TRC
toprovidebeerserviceovertheroutethanhadpreviouslybeenthecase
OnceagainthewordingoftheagreementhadtobescrutinizedThere
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