A War of Attrition, 1915-20

• Author: C. Ian Kyer
• Pages: 131-147



Chapter

AWAROFATTRITION



years of the Toronto Railway Company (TRC) franchise,

thingswentfrombadtoworseTheTRCwouldnditselfpressedforim

provedserviceandmorefrequentbeerstreetcarsatatimewhenitssources

of external nanci ng wered isappearing and its operating prots were in

declineCostcuingbecameparamounttotheTRCbutmoredicultto

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

andwouldbereelectedeachyearuntilwiththehelpofJohnRoss

Robertson of the Toronto TelegramalongtimesupporterofAdamBeckand

theOntarioHydroChurchsactionswereintendedtofurtherBecksplan

toexpandanOntarioownedpowerdistributionsystemthatwouldfeeda

series of electric railway lines radiating out from Toronto.ChurchandBeck

both knew that it was essential for Toronto to be part of both the power dis

tribution and radial railway systems.

Churchhadbeeninoceonlysixmonthswhenhecreatedaninformal

transitcommieetoconsiderhowtoimplementBecksplansOnChurchs

commieewerethreemenCityWorksCommissionerRolandCHarris

FAGabythechiefengineerofBecksHydroElectricPowerCommissionof

OntarioandELCousinschiefengineeroftheTorontoHarbourCommis

sion. The Toronto Worldreportedthatthecommieewastaskedwithdeter

mining how to move forward if Toronto Hydro were to buy out the TRC,

AThirtyYearsWar

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

marilyorientedwiththeTRCItwasfocusedonthenewinterurbanradial

railwaysystembeingtoutedbyBeckLaterthatyearthegroupproduced

animpressivetwovolumestudyentitledRadial Railway Entrances and Rapid

Transit for the City of Toronto. This study was delivered to the Civic Transpor

tationcommieeonwhichsattwoofthefourcontrollersandeightsenior

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

IfBeckspowerdistributionandradialrailwaysystemsweretobesuc

cessfully implemented, both the TRC and its related electric company had

tobedealtwithDespitetheoppositionthatBeckandChurchhadmounted

to Hocken’s purchase plan, they were, in fact, open to a purchase provided

thatitcouldbedoneatarockboompriceIfthatweretohappenthese

companies had to be weakened so that their ownership would be motivated

tosellcheaplyWiththatgoalinmindBeckandChurchembarkedontheir

warofaritionagainsttheTRC

ThatwarwaslaunchedatthestrokeofmidnightonJunewhen

MayorChurchledagroupofpeopletothecornerofFarnhamAvenueand

Yonge Street. That group included Works Commissioner Harris, several of

theCityslawyersandateamofworkmenOnthemayorssignalthework

crewtoreupaquartermilesectionofstreetcartrackalongYongeStreetThe

Telegramdubbeditaraidonthelinesofcommunicationofanenemytocivic

andpopularrightsMayorChurchjustiedthisactionbysayingthatthe

franchiseonthatparticularquartermilesegmenthadexpiredatmidnight

Even though his actions meant that riders were inconvenienced by being

forcedtodisembarkfromtheTRCstreetcarandwalktotheTorontoYork

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,

therewasagooddealofdoubtaboutwhetherthemayorwasjustiedin

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

toprovidebeerserviceovertheroutethanhadpreviouslybeenthecase

OnceagainthewordingoftheagreementhadtobescrutinizedThere