The times., 1897-07-08
FAVOR THE PRESENT FARES
The Commissioners Opposed to
Cheaper Street-Gar Fares.
AGAINST THE PRiTCHARD BILL
The Board Decides That Eight Tick
cts for u Quarter aud Unlimited
Transfers Would Be Detrimental
to the Interests of the District.
Capt. Beach's Report.

The Commissioners at board meeting
yesterday decided that the passage of
law requiring the street railway com
uanies TO sell eight tickets for quarter
and TO issue transfers TO all contiguous
lines either at terminals or at crossings
as provided for in Senate bill l 500 would
District, and accordingly letters advo-
eating adverse action upon it were sent
10 the Congressional District committees
The nil in question was introduced by
Senator Plitcha rd in the first session OF
the Fifty fifth Congress, and was re
ferred ,,y the Senate District Committee
10 the Commissioners for an opinion.
They in turn referred the matter TO Cap
tain Beach, assistant to the engineer
Commissioner, who made N unfaVo!able
report. The Commissioners then con-
sidered the proposed law at length, and
come TO the same decision as Captain
Beach.
IL, his report, Captain Beach stated that
3 Is cents as the price Of ene fare ap-
peared to him entirely too small.
1t might do, he says, on some OF the
uptown Ii nes in the larger cities, bat
would not be practicable here. Further
more. the right of transfer wherever aud
whenever one railway line comes in CON
tact with anot her would give persons
the right tc an unlimited ride for 1-S
cents.
ut is believed that the bill is highly
prejudicial to the public benefit" con
cIudes Capt Beach, land / would recom-
mend that it be returned with an un
favorable report"
In making up his report Capt. Beach
asked for opinions from the presidents OF
the various street railway companies and
the replies he received contain many in
teresting statements with regard to the
status Of local roads
President Cummings, of the Brightwooi
Railway Company said that during the
year S96 the expenses of the company
were S3S, ,301 so, and they carried l.
14S;313 passengers, SO that it cost 1-3
cents to carry each one.
II the proposed bill should become
law the company would therefore lose
Is of a cent upon every passenger. The
expensps given above do not include in
terest nor the salary OF its officers 50
that, in fact, the company, under the
present law, does not earn enough to pay
all its actual expenses. If the bill should
become law, he continues, it would force
into bankruptcy almost almost every road
in the District of Columbia.
President Griswold, of the Anacostia
and Potomac Road, says that if required
to meet the provisions of this bill, it
would, in his Judgment, be better for the
owners to discontinue operation of his
line.
President Dunlop, of the Capital Trac-
| tion Company, states that the annual re-
port OF his corporation shows that it Cost
20 cents to carry each passenger, and
adds that, in view of this fact 1t seems
entirely unnecessary to make any COM
Inents, as 1T is seif-evident that it would
be a physical impossihility for the roads
| OF this city to operate upon such basis.
President Clark, of the Washington and
Great Falls Railway, after stating that
his road is not, properly speaking. a Dis
tricf road, as II occupies only 42n feet
along District street, says IL would
be q great injustice were the bin to be