Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-04
THE DOUBLE FARE
The Rock Creek Railway Company
Must Explain About 1t.
a CITIZEN MAKES COMPLAINT
The Case Before the Interstate
Commerce Commission.
AXE TWO FARES LEGALf
ARE TWO FARES LEGALf

The Rock Creek Railway Company haa
been brought before the Interstate COM
merce commission for an alleged violation
OF the interstate commerce law. The conn
piainant lis Charles NJ. Wilson, a colored
citizen OF Montgomery county, Nd. The
complaint is divided into nine paraxraphs
each showing or setting forth specific acts
OF the company i'm violation of the law.
the basis OF tie complaint, however, being
a discrimination against the complainant
and others in the matter of charges for
transportation on the line Of the road of
the company. The complaint sets forth
| that Mr.. Wilson is a citizen of Montgom-
cry county, Md; that he resides at Chevy
Chase, in said county, and that his place
OF business is Washington. In the District
OF Columbia; that the defendant is a conn
| mon carrier engaged IN the transportation
| OF passengers and property. wholly by rail-
road, between the city Of Washington and
Chevy Chase lake, Nd, and rs subject to
| the provisions of the act to regulate conn
| merce and the acts amendatory thereto
1t Is alleged that the company is now,
and has for a considerable time, been
charging and collecting from the plaintiff
and others unreasonable and uisla wful rates
OF fare for transportation over its line;
that for some moaths after the road was
nrst opened for traffic IL charged and col
| lected only cents for fare from the city OF
Washington to any point on said road. or,
when six or more tickets were purchased,
10 cents for each person, and that such
fare was reasonable and just and satisfac-
tory to those having to use the line, and
was SUFFICIENT comper sation for the serv-
Ice rendered Ii rs then alleged that since
that time the company has wrongfully and
unlawfully charged ana collected from the
plaintin and others 10 cents, or 3 1-3 cents
where tickets We're purchased. for the same
service, charging ceits, or one ticket
over that portion of The lines OF said road
within the District Of Columbia, ana cslaed
by II the ID. c. divSsbCn." and . cents, o.
Maryland, called the Maryland diyision-.
/ On Account OF Color.
This change in the rate Of fare. Il =
charged. was based upon a desire Of the
company to discriminate against and ex-
clude a portion Of the public from using
the road. to Wit, the colored population OF
the District and a portion of the state OF
Maryland. and that such discrimination fD
unjust and unlawful. IL is alleged that this
discrimination has operated TO the preJu-
dice and disadvantage of a large number Of
citizens, who are compelled to use the road
Tor travel between their homes ana their
places OF business. IL charges that the
company has failed to comply with the pro-
visions OF the act for the regulation Of COM
merce by not posting. as the act requires,
at Its terminii and at the various stations
proper schedules OF the rates charged for
transportation of passengers. nor filed such
schedule with the interstate commerce COM
mission.
1t alleges that the only notice in regard
to the rates of fare charged is one posted xt
Chevy Chase, announcing that residents OF
Chevy Chase ana guests OF Chevy Chase
Inn can secure. on application at the office
of the Chevy Chase Land Company. COM
mutation tickets. emitting them TO trans
portation over the railroad TO and from
Chevy Chase for enc fare each way: that
said ccmmutation tickets are composed OF
two coupons. one good for fare over the
Maryland division and the other over the
District division. and that six of such
tickets are sold for twenty-five cents, en-
abling the holder to ride over the road for
1-6 cents, while the complainant 10
charged 10 cents, or 8 1-3 cents n he pur-
chases tickets ard that the sale Of COM
mutation tickets il denied TO the COM
plainant and others.
Use Of Commutation Tickets.
The complaint charges that by the notice
referred to the Chevy Chase Land Company
is held out to the public as the agent OF the
Rock Creek Railway Company for the sale
of such Communication tickets and that the
complainant has applied TO the agent to
purchase such tickets and been refused;
that the secretary of the land company.
who has such tickets for sale. is also the
secretary of the railway company; that the
term residents OF Chevy Chase" Is arbt-
trarily and wrongfully restricted TO persons
who reside upon property purchased or
hired from the land company; that the COM
plainant resides only two blocks away from
SAID road ana only a lew 1eet from persons
who bought ground from the land company,
and that he is refused such tickets because
he lives on ground purchased from other
parties, and that this distinction Is In vto-
lation of section two OF the Interstate COM
merce act.
Mr. Wilson charges that the term guests
OF Chevy Chase Inn is applied to persons
who drink or eat at the inn, as well as
those who actually reside there, and that
any person who gives his custom to either
the bar or table OF the inn. I'm any amount
can purchase the Communication tickets while
he and other bona iide residents Of Chevy
Chase are denied, and obliged to pay .
higher rate for transportation. IL 10
charged that the right to purchase the COM
mutation tickets is accorded to members
and guests Of members of the Chevy Chase
Club and to the officers and employees OF
the club. the club house being situated In
Maryland. at q greater distance from the
boundary line of the state than Is the resi-
dence of the complainant. and that the
Chevy Chase Inn is also further from the
boundary and at a greater distance from
Washington than the home of Mr.. Wilson.
longer distance at a less rate than he 10
charged tor the shorter is a violation OF the
provisions of the act.
Another Source Of Complaint.
Another violation is charged in the fact
that the company has for sale ana does sell
another Communication ticket, bu: does aot
advertise the same IL has y coupon book
containing 1U coupons, each good for one
ride over either of the divisions OF the road.
and the book is sold for s.. ut Is only scld
to those who will sign a written .-Sreement
to exempt the company from damages for
any injuries received while travelling over
the road through The rarelessness or ne
glect of the servants Of the company.
Another violation charged is that the COM
pany transports freig1t over it's line. but
has failed and neglccted to post its schedule
Of tariff the law -e iuires. For these
violations and discern nations The petitioner
asks that the railway company be required
TO answer and ienan lei - cease from satd
violations.
The interstate ccfhmerce commissioners
have cited the company before them 70
answer to the complaint.