The Washington times., 1911-09-27
A SAMPLE OF STREET RAIL.
WAY PoLICYy

Residents of Drummond, Somerset
and Friendship Heights, suburbs just
over the District line in Maryland
have carried to the Interstate Com
merce Commission protest against ex'
cessive. street car fares. The case
gives a highly illuminated view of the
narrow policy which rules street cal
management in this town.
The Washington Railway and Elec,
trio Company controls the Washington
and Rockville suburban line. The
suburbs now complaining are reached
via these two lines. From 1908 to the
middle of 1910 a single fare was charg,
ed. After the latter date the com.
panies ruled that the nickel could pay
only to the District line. For the
additional half mile or thereabouts
another nickel must be paid.
People were induced to live in these
suburbs largely because of the single
fare. The street railway voluntarily
made that fare. People invested hun,
dreds of thousands of dollars on the
faith of it.
If the conditions were reversed the
street car companies would promptly
protest that constitutional rights
were invaded; that a contract was be-
ing violated and their property taken
without due process of law.
That is just exactly what is being
done to these suburban residents. The
street railway people make the ludi-
crous defense that if they permitted
the whole ride to be made for one
nickel they would be discriminating in
violation of a recent Maryland law,
and might be prosecuted.
Such nonsense is difficult to classify
and characterize. The Maryland act
was designed to regulate rates and
safeguard the public interest. From
the day it took effect the policy of
these twin companies has been to make
it odious by every technical construc-
tion, by every possible imposition on
the people.
Twenty years ago the steam rail
roads tried that game. They did every
thing possible to make regulation OBJ
jectionable, to disgust people with it.
If States commission reduced intra-
state rates the commission raised inter
state rates, over which the State COM
mission had no control.
Steam railroad managers have learn
ed that it didn't pay. The people found
ways to make control effective, and
what manager would wish today a
return to the old regime of rebates,
determinations, and warfare against
the public3
1t doesn't pay to do business this
way. The Times is not unsophisti-
Gated enough to urge any less prac-
tical argument upon a street car man
agement. 1t doesn't suspect that con-
siderations of public right, of the
sacredness of an implied contract, will
weigh with these gentlemen. But it
does hope that, before they shall have
precipitated this community into dec
ade of bitter controversy, they may
consider that THEIR OWN interests
dictate a different course.
Many years ago the street car system
in Des Moines laid claim to a perpetual
franchise. 1t flouted every effort of
the people to regulate, to improve
service, to moderate rates. There was
no anti-corporation sentiment in the
town. 1t didn't want a fight.
But it was forced into one, in self
protection. The fight ended with a
Supreme Court decision that instead
of perpetual franchise the corpora
ton had no franchise at all. As a re-
suit the old owners of the stock found
their equity wiped out and lost control
Of the property. Today the town is
alive with municipal ownership senti-
ment, and there is a determined move
ment to condemn and take over the
property.
A word to the wise has been known
to have some potency. Will the Wash
ington street car operators be wise
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