Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-15
RIDE FOR ONE FARE
Citizens of Maryland Suburbs
Win Traction Fight.
RULES AGAINST RAILWAYS
Held to Be Amenable by Interstate
Commerce Commission.
ACTION RESULT OF PROTEST
Residents of Somerset, Drummond
and Friendship Heights
Benefit by Decision.
RULES AGAINST RAILWAYS
ACTION RESULT OF PROTEST

Benefit by Decision.
Citizens of Somerset, Drummond and
Friendship Heights. Nd, have won their
point against the Washington Railway
and Electric Company. the Georgetown
and Tenleytown Railway Company and
the Washington and Rockville Railway
Company. and beginning February %.
1917, the companies will be required to
return to the rate Of fare which formerly
was charged for the transportation OF
passengers to and from points in the Dis
tHct OF Columbia-namely. . single cash
fare OF cents or six fares for 25 cents.
decision to this effect was handed
down today by the interstate COM
merce commission, the commission
holding not only that the railway
companies had failed to justify the
increased fare, about which complaint
was made and which went into effect
June i, 1910, but that the railway
companies. contrary to their conten-
ton. actually were and are common
carriers by railroad" and that when
engaged in the interstate transporta-
ton of passengers or property are
amenable' to the provisions OF the act
The commission declared this question
has been passed upon several times.
and that its rulings had been sustained
by the Commerce Court.
Result Of Formal Protest.
The case Of which this ruling marks
the termination had its inception in a
formal protest which was placed be-
fore the interstate commerce commits
sion by citizens OF Somerset, Drum
mond and Friendship Heights, and
which came to a hearing before the
commission November IL. 1911. At this
hearing Attorneys Charles d. Drayton
and Charles s. Moore appeared for
the complainants. while Attorney
George p Hoover represented the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company and the Georgetown and ZEN
leytown Railway Company. and Attorney
William H. Talbot appeared for the
Washington and Rockville Railway Com
pany. Evidence was taken on both sides,
several citizens OF the three Maryland
villages giving testimony that the single
cash fare Of 5 cents. or six fares for %
cents. had been the rate charged by the
railway company for many years, and
many Of them had either purchased or
leased property in Somerset, Drummond
or Friendship Heights on the understand
Ing that single fare was all that would
be charged by the railway companies for
through transportation between their
homes and points in the District OF Co
lumbia, and vice versa.
They asserted further, that the values
OF property In which they had made In
vestment had suffered material deprecia-
ton because OF what they termed the
unjust, unreasonable and arbitrary in
crease in the, rate Of fare on the street
railway lines.
No Contract in Evidence.
No contract. either written or oral. be-
tween the citizens of the three villages
and the railway companies was intro
duced in evidence at the hearing. but in
the cross-examination by the attorneys
general manager Of all three companies,
the following pertinent questions and
answers were placed in the record
20. Under that arrangement. Mr.. Full
Ter, the understanding between the street
railway companies and the public. as far
as there could be any understanding,
was that the companies held themselves
out as willing to carry, and in fact as
carrying, passengers from points in the
District to Somerset on one fare! ,That
"A. That was a reasonable assump-
ton: yes.
20 In other words, that was the hold
ing out Of the companies, SO far as the
'.A.-That Is what. We did for practi-
cally ten years, to my positive knowi- |
edge
Charges Are Analysed.
The decision Of the interstate commerce |
commission recites these facts and also |
enters into detailed analysis OF the |
charges preferred by the compliments as
well as the defenses offered by the COM |
panies, among the latter being the declara-
ton that the Washington Railway and
Electric Company is not engaged in inter-
state commerce or In anywise concerned
with the transportation OF passengers
Rockville Company; and that the George
town and Tenleytown Company Is not
engaged in interstate commerce. or in
anywise concerned in fixing the fare for
the transportation OF passengers over the
Washington and Rockville line"
Disposing of this point the commission
defined the close relations existing be-
tween the three companies, stating that
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company owns the entire capital stock OF
pany and about three-fourths OF the stock |
Of the Georgetown and Tenleytown |
Company. 1t also was stated that the
Railway and Electric Com |
pany's line extends from the far east |
ern portion of the city Of Washington. |
the business and official CEN
tiers Of the city. to and beyond the In
with the line of the George,
town and Tenleytown company. at 1Id
and o streets and 32d and p streets
that the cars Of the George
town and Tenleytown company ana
the Washington and Rockville Com
pany are operated over each others
traces, and that the washington
Railway and Electric Company ana the
other two companies for years had been
and are now exchanging transfers AZ
the function points on Sd street, which l
entitle passengers to through rides either l
to or from the District line.
Through Transportation shown.
The point is made in the report that
the Washington and Rockville and the
Georgetown and Tenleytown Company /
have been and are engaged In the
OF passengers. without
change OF cars at the District line, be-
tween points In the state OF Maryland /
and points in the District, the same cars. |
motormen and conductors being used
throughout the entire journey. There Is
NO railway station at the District line. |
nor is there any interruption OF tracks
"While the several companies are 1
as separate and distinct corpora
tions." the report declares. "they have /
the same general officers and are con-
trolled by boards OF directors composed |
almost entirely Of the same persons.