Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-17
ELECTRIC CAR LINES
Commissioners Report on
Wiley and Madden Bills.
SUGGESTED AMENDMENTS
Payment of 6 Per Cent of Gross Earn
ings as Taxes.
TRANSFERS BETWEEN LINES
Rate of Fare Six Tickets for
Twenty-Five Cents-Regarded
as Satisfactory.

In an official report yesterday after
noon to Chairman 2hbcock of the Dis
trict committee of the House, on the Wi
ley and Madden universal transfer bills,
the Commissioners recommended favor
able action as far transfers were con-
cerned. but where r,te Madden bill pro-
vided other changes in the control of the
street railways the Commissioners Of
fered amendments The Madden bill
aside from the universal transfers, pro-
vided five-minute schedule for the run
ming of all cars within the District and
the paying of 20 per cent of the gross
earnings of the companies to the District
in lieu of personal taxes, and the selling
of twenty-five tickets for 81.
In their report the Commissioners rec
commended that the illl be amended SO
as to provide the paying of 6 per cent of
the gross earnings "a the companies to
the District and the adoption of a fifteen
minute schedule throughout the District
between the hours of am. and / am.
and between the hours of l am. and 6
am, every sixty minutes. In regard to
the twenty-five tickets for 81, the Com
misSioners say that The present method
of six tickets for % cents is satisfactory.
The report of the Commissioners is based
principally upon large public hearing at
the District building last week a. which the
various arguments for and against the pro-
posed measures were thoroughly discussed
They reported upon the two bills separate
ly. The Wiley bill simply provides uni
versal transfers, and the Commissioners.
without much comment, put their stamp
OF approval upon it. The Madden bill was
commented upon at some length by them.
Universal Transfers.
In their report with particular reference
to the universal transfers, the Commission
ers say:
THE bill proposes. in brief. to establish
a system of universal transfers in the Dis
trict of Columbia; to regulate the running
Of cars, and to impose an additional tax
upon the street railway companies. In
view of the Importance of the measure, the
Commissioners gave a public hearing,
which hearing was attended by represen-
tatives of the two street railway corpora
lions operating in the District of Column
bia, by the officers of the Board of Traue
and Business Mems Associations, and by
the presidents or other representatives of
various citizens associations The hear
ing was quite exhaustive and resulted in
thorough discussion of the points involved
I'm regard to the first section of the
bill, which provides that on and after the
date of the passage Of this act every street
railroad company operating within the Inn
its of the District of Columbia shall give
free continuous transfers to passengers
thereon, which tranfer shall be good at
every point of intersection on all intersect-
ing lines of the same other roads, the
hearing developed opposition on the part
of the railroad companies to the proposed
legislation on the ground that the giving
of universal transfers would result, espe-
cially during the evenings in the summer
time. in large numbers of persons enjoying
the unlimited use of the railroads by the
payment Of one fare.
Alleged to Entail Loss.
at was also argued by the representa-
tives of the railroad companies that the
giving of universal transfers would result
in serious financial loss. 1t was also claim
ed and reports were cited to show that the
contention was correct, that the generous
system Of transfers already In vogue in the
city, although not between competing lines
resulted in reducing the average fare per
passenger carried to about three and one
quarter cents. On the other hand the rem
resentatives of the citizens associations
contended that the privilege of universal
transfers would not be abused and that the
public was entitled to this consideration
THE Commissioners have taken occasion
to examine into conditions elsewhere and
find that in all cities where the traction
lines are under the control Of one corpora
ton. as in Minneapolis. Milwaukee and
Pittsburg, the universal transfer system is
in vogue, and even in some other cities as
for instance, Indianapolis. transfers are
given between competing lines. The Com
missioners appreciate the practical Difficult
ties suggested by the railroad companies,