The Cleveland Traction Wars was a political conflict in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, which surrounded the question of whether or not

municipal ownership A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a government entity which is established or nationalised by the ''national government'' or ''provincial government'' by an executive order or an act of legislation in order to earn profit for the government ...

would be applied to the city's streetcar system. It was a key issue during the mayoralty of

Tom L. Johnson Tom Loftin Johnson (July 18, 1854 – April 10, 1911) was an American industrialist, Georgist politician, and important figure of the Progressive Era and a pioneer in urban political and social reform. He was a U.S. Representative from 1891 to ...

from 1901 to 1909.Big Plans: The Allure and Folly of Urban Design by Kenneth KolsonBaker, Newton D. (1915). “Municipal Ownership.” In “Proceedings of the Conference of American Mayors on Public Politics as to Municipal Utilities.” Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science 57 (January): 188–193. This was one of many issues on which Mayor Johnson, a

Democrat Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to: Politics *A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people. *A member of a Democratic Party: **Democratic Party (United States) (D) **Democratic ...

and a proponent of municipal ownership, and Senator Mark Hanna, a Republican, came into conflict.

Background

was elected

mayor of Cleveland The mayor of Cleveland is the head of the executive branch of Local government in the United States, government of the Cleveland, City of Cleveland, Ohio. As the chief executive in Cleveland's Mayor–council government#Strong-mayor government fo ...

in 1901 as a proponent of municipal ownership. One of his campaign slogans had pertained to the operation of streetcars, proclaiming to champion, "three cent fares and universal transfers". During his tenure, Johnson oversaw the city takeovers of such services as garbage collection, street cleaning, and street lighting.Lough, A. W. (2016), Tom L. Johnson and Cleveland Traction Wars, 1901–1909. Am J Econ Sociol, 75: 149-192. doi:10.1111/ajes.12137 He believed that streetcar services should also become a public utility rather than continuing as a private enterprise.

Conflict

A conflict arose around what terms the city would agree to extend streetcar franchises.Bremner, Robert H. “The Civic Revival in Ohio: The Street Railway Controversy in Cleveland.” The American Journal of Economics and Sociology, vol. 10, no. 2, 1951, pp. 185–206. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/3483842. Johnson's push for municipal ownership of the city's streetcars and power plants roused resistance. Although Johnson was blocked by state law from creating a municipal system, he arranged for the creation of a

holding company A holding company is a company whose primary business is holding a controlling interest in the securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own shares of other companies ...

to run city streetcars. Johnson believed that a three-cent fare could be implemented, replacing the five-cent fare. After the 1903 merger of the city's two streetcar companies (one being owned by Mark Hanna), Johnson's determination for municipal ownership strengthened. Johnson won reelection by again campaigning on the issue of a three-cent fare in 1907.Murdock, Eugene C. “Cleveland's Johnson: The Burton Campaign.” ''The American Journal of Economics and Sociology'', vol. 15, no. 4, 1956, pp. 405–424., ww.jstor.org/stable/3484289 In 1908, the private streetcar company reached an agreement to lease their properties to a city-run traction company, to be controlled by a five-person board appointed by the mayor. Negotiations which reached this arrangement had been taking place since 1907. The company became plagued with problems. Dissatisfied voters voted against a referendum to pass an ordinance that would have provided city backing to the bonds of the municipal traction company. Failing to raise funds, the municipal company returned the properties to their private owners.

Robert Walker Tayler Robert Walker Tayler (November 26, 1852November 25, 1910) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served four terms as a United States representative from Ohio from 1895 to 1903. He also served as a United States district judge of th ...

was brought in as an arbitrator to help resolve the conflict between streetcar company and the city.

References

{{Reflist History of Cleveland 20th century in Cleveland Rapid transit

Background

Conflict

See also

References