The Washington times., 1911-08-05
Discrimination Against Capt.
tai Business Men Is
Pointed Out.
ALFRED WOOD FILES .
VIGOROUS PROTEST
Discoveries In Reference To
Washington Southern's Appli-
cation.

cation of the Washington Southern
Railway Company for permission to in
c. ease its passenger fares between
Washington and Alexandria TO a hat
charge Of fifty cents each way has beer
filed with the Interstate Commerce
Commission just when II seemed as
though there would be no opposition,
and another may be made by the
Chamber OF Commerce.
Alfred Z. Wood, local attorney, in
his individual capacity, on August
filed a 3S-page brief, in which he
makes some startling disclosures with
and testimony given before the COM
mission by the roads traffic manager,
Warren 7. Taylor. Mr.. Wood has also
drawn the attention of the directors of
the Chamber of Commerce to the pro-
posed increase in fares and they have
referred the matter to the transports
ton committee, with a request for i'm
mediate consideration. This action may
defeat the purpose Of the railroad and
result in a continuance of the present
rates of fare.
Road Wants Old Rates.
Stripping the record of its legal
phraseology, the purpose of the railway
company is shown to be an attempt to
return to the good old days of three
cents-a-mile passenger fares between
this city and Richmond, in spite of the
law of Virginia that sets two and a
half cents mile as maximum. This
is 10 be done by the simple eXpedient OF
enforcing a 50-cent fare for the eight
and two-tenths miles between Wash
lngton and Alexandria. The present
rate Is 10 cents for straight tickets,
or 20 cents cash on the train, and
25 cents for the round triL.
Besides largely increasing the fares,
which all will have TO pay upon the
only line which runs between WASH
ington and Richmond, If the application
is allowed. Mr.. Wood points ont that
Washington business men would he
seriously Disseminated against in favor
of Alexandria. The effect of the new
rate would be, il IS shown, almost to
force all the country trade from points
along the Washington Southern and
Richmond Fredericksburg and Potomac
line to be diverted to Alexandria.
Example of Discrimination.
Suppose" says Mr.. Wood, "a farmer
with his wife and boy and girl, living
at some point twenty miles south of
Alexandria, decide that they will buy
their winter clothing and supplies in
Washington, where they think they can
do better than at their country store.
They would go TO the station, and find
that the fare TO Alexandria, based on
the legal Virginia rate of 215 cents a
mile, is so cents each or s. for the four,
but that 1t is Just twice that amount
TO Washington. 1t is reasonable to
suppose that in most cases the farmer
will decide to save his money by get
ting off at Alexandria to do his shop
ping. OF course, ne could get off the
steam train and take the electric line,
but he would not feel much like doing
that with his burden Of grips and pack
LgeS, and his uncertainty about the cleo
trio lines schedule and rates"
The straight interstate rate between
Richmond and Washington has con-
tlnued to be held at $3.50 by the railway
company, whereas the combination of
the rate from Richmond to Alexandria,
80, and the cash fare on the train
from Alexandria to Washington 20 cents
makes a total of only $50, 60 cents less
than is charged Tor a trip between the
two capitals, if the passenger buys q
through ticket
Wise Ones Save Money.
OF course, in view of this condition,
everyone who is wise pays the two
fares instead of the one, and saves
money. The figures of the railway
people paid fares between Washing
ton and Alexandria from January to
June, 1909, whereas for the same
period two years before, when there |
was no necessity for a passenger to
resort to the double fare, only $500 |
people paid fares between Washing |
ton and Alexandria.
According to the testimony of the |
railroads attorney, r. Walton Moore, |
the public who are taking advantage |
of the Virginia law to get a 2k cent |
rate to which they are entitled by |
every consideration, are assumed TO |
be defeating" the through rate Of |
the railroad
confesses Mr.. Moore TO the commits
sion, that the primary purpose of |
asking to be allowed to establish a
5O-cent fare was to prevent that thing
being done" The that thing" is the
payment Of the legal fare between
Virginia points and the railroads es-
tablishcd and legal fare between the
Virginia line and Washington.
The attorney admits that there is
practically no local traffic between
the two cities, because Of the electric
lines service, and that the company
is not concerned about it's revenue
from such traffic. 1t does. however,
Wish wish to ley, Levy a toll upon all it's
tuallE set~at naught the Virginia law
2h cents mile the greatest
amount TO he charged a passenger
by railroad for transportation in
any part of that State.
Federal Aid Is Sought.
The Federal authority is besought to
orerturn the State authority, and the
railroad seems to make no bones"
about II.
III SuppOll Ol the TdllTOdQ plea It's
attorney and traffic manager have told
the Interstate Commerce Commission
that the company is losing money by
the present rates, but Mr.. Woods ex-
animation of the statistics of the COM
pany on file with the commission dis
closes some glaring discrepancies of
figures. The traffic manager, Mr. Tay-
lor, had estimated the cost of getting
passengers over the expensive short sec
ton of the road, 341 miles within the
District, exclusive of cost Of operation,
due to terminal charges, to be over so
cents, whereas the opposing attorney
shows IT actually to be less than ~
cents. He asks then what Justification
the railroad has in asking for q cents
In addition to its 3 cents a mile for the
haul The figures submitted as a basis
FOR the application TO the commission
and those which Mr.. Wood has dug out
of the files Of the Commission are com
pared In detail with the above deduc-
ton.
There Is a mass of other matter in
with the company's unique
application and testimony. 1t is eX-
pected that an early meeting of the
committee Of the Cham
Der of Commerce. of which Ross P.
Andrews is chairman, will be called.
--------- |