The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1897-07-07
AGAINST CHEAPER FARES
Commissioners Oppose Eight Car
Tickets for a Quarter.
ALSO UNLIMITED TRANSFERS
Capt. Beach Reports That Such IA
Law Would Not he Practical in
the District and Would Cause the
Street Railways To Operate ut ii
Loss-OpiDions of Presidents.

The Commissioners today sent to the
Congressional District Committees COM
|nunications recommending adverse action
upon Senate bill No. 1859, which would
require all street railways in the District
OF Columbia TO sell eight tickets for 20
cents, and to issue transfers to all other
lines, either at terminals or crossings Of
such roads.
Til. hill was introd uced by Senator
PritChaTd in the first session OF the Fifty
fifth Con gress. and was referred To the
Commissioners fol their opinion. They, in
turn referred it to Capt Beach, assistant
to the Engineer Commissioner, no re-
ported that Is cents as the price of one
fare appeared To him entirely too small
for conditions prevailing in Washington at
present
II might DO, Le says, on some of the
uptown lines in the larger cities, but
would not le practicable here. Further
more, the right of transfer whercv and
whenever one railway line comes in con-
tact with another would give persons
the right of an unlimited ride for 3 Is
cents.
1T is believed that the bill is highly
prejudicial to the public benefit" con.
ciudes Capt. Beale, land / would recon-
mend that IL ne returned with an I'M
favorable report"
In making up MS report Capt. Beach
asked for opinions from the presidents of
the various street railwaX Companies, and
the replies be received contain many in
'teres'ing statements With regard to the
status of local roads. -,
President Cummings, of. the Brightwood
Railway Company. said that during the
year 1896 the expenses OF the company
were $3S, 1901 SO and they carried l.
] As, 1913 passengers, so that it cost Is
cents 70 carry each one-
II the proposed bill should become
law the company would therefore lose one
fifth of a cent upon every passenger
The expenses given above do not include
interest nor the salary of its officers, so
that, IN fact, the company under the pres
ent law, does hot earn enough to pay all it's
actual expenses. If the bill should become
a law, he continues, II would force into
bankruptcy almost every road In the Dis
trict of Columbia
President unswoId, OF the Anacostia and
Potomac Road, says that If required to
meet the provisions of this bill il would in
his judgment, be better for the owners to
discontinue operation of his line.
President Dunlop. of the Capital Trac-
ton Company, states that the annual re-
port of his corporation shows that 1t cost
20 cents to carry each passenger. and
ADDS that in view OF this fact ii seems
entirely unnecessary to make any con-
ic -aIf
he a physical impossibility for the roads
of this city to operate upon such basis
President Clark, of the Washin gton and
Great Falls railway, after stating that his
road is not, properly speaking, n District
road, as t occupies only 420 feet along IA
District street. says it would be great
in justice were the bill TO be enacted into
q law and made applicable to his road.
as it would amount practically to hank
ruptcy.