The Cleveland Traction Wars was a political conflict in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

, which surrounded the question of whether or not

municipal ownership A state-owned enterprise (SOE) is a business entity created or owned by a national or local government, either through an executive order or legislation. SOEs aim to generate profit for the government, prevent private sector monopolies, provide goo ...

would be applied to the city's

streetcar A tram (also known as a streetcar or trolley in Canada and the United States) is an urban rail transit in which vehicles, whether individual railcars or multiple-unit trains, run on tramway tracks on urban public streets; some include s ...

system. It was a key issue during the

mayoralty In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

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 Kolson 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 (Cyprus) (DCY) **Democratic Part ...

and a proponent of municipal ownership, and Senator

Mark Hanna Marcus Alonzo Hanna (September 24, 1837 – February 15, 1904) was an American businessman and Republican politician who served as a United States Senator from Ohio as well as chairman of the Republican National Committee. A friend and ...

, 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 Security (finance), securities of other companies. A holding company usually does not produce goods or services itself. Its purpose is to own Share ...

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

), 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 in Ohio

Background

Conflict

See also

References