The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-06-24

DeVOIluS UedTly zInEee nOuTS 10 Inc
hearing of testimony and argument
on the petition OF the Richmond. Fred
ericksburg and Potomac and Washing
ton-southern Railway Companies to be
allowed to charge passengers extra
fare from points where they have OPP
portunity to purchase tickets and fail
to do so. the Corporation Commission
yesterday announced that the case
would be kept upon the docket and
no final action taken. pending de-
cision of the stwo-cent rate litigation.
which IS expected probably within tho
next six months.
The companies desired permission
to make this extra charge. not to be
returned to the passenger, as penalty
for the non purchase OF tickets, which
they claimed had resulted In heavy
falling off In their revenues on ac-
count Of frequent stops of their
trains: the consequent Inability OF
conductors to collect the fares OF
many honest passengers. and the fire.
quent imposition upon the companies
by professional dead beats.
In delivering the decision. Chairman
Prentis said the Commissioners were
agreed that they had no Jurisdiction
on the lines between Alexandria and
Washington, these operating without
the State, so this feature of the Pc
tition was dismissed. He and his col
leagues realized that there was prob
ably a troublesome situation between
Richmond and Ashland, and they were
in fun sympathy with the efforts OF
methods by which passengers could
be required to purchase tickets.
Try Present. Remedy First.
They thought, however, that the pc
titioners should first exhaust the REM
edy afforded by the Commission, con-
tanned In the two-cent rate order.
where fares are collected on trains
the excess amount to be refunded to
the passenger.
II this remedy should prove made
quate the commission might later on
take another view OF the case. but 1t
would prefer to allow the present sta
tbs of affairs to remain with reference
to passenger rates on all the railroads.
until the pending litigation had. been
determined by the Supreme Court
Counsel for both sides cheerfully
|acquisesced in this decision, and Judge
Prentis directed the clerk to enter an
order to the effect that after hearing
argument and evidence on the petit
ton. 1.-THE commission takes time to
consider
Mr. I.lll Carter and President VIM
II. White representing the petitioning
roads. and the - Attorney General APP
peared for the State. The latter Of
fcred no testimony, though he vigor-
ously cross-eXamined the witnesses in
troduced by the companies. and made
a brief but spirited reply to the arSu-
ment OF their counsel.
The witnesses examined Were con-
ductors r. c. McLeon and j. F. Taylor,
who run local and through passenger
trains over both lines; Ticket Agent w.
G. Lellew, OF Alexandria, and Traffic
Manager Warren P. Taylor.
What Conductors Said.
The gist of the testimony of the
conductors was that since the 2-cent
rate had gone into effect there had
been a heavy increase In the payment
Of cash fares; that this entailed per-
haps double as much work on the con-
ductors; that often they were not able
to get through the cars and collect
the fares before the passengers got
off, and that nearly all their time was
consumed In collecting fares. to the
almost necessary neglect of the safety
and comfort Of the passengers.
They testified that between Rich.
mond and Ashland, distance of six.
teen miles. there are eighteen stops
and that often their trains are crowd.
ed. One .of them said he frequently
had to reverse the order of things, anf