Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1912-07-02

mile. and Mount Vernon, the terminus
is the only station within it. Fol
this short distance defendant increas
es the one-way fare by the sum Of i
cents and the round-trip fare by 4!
cents. As is well known, Mount Yer
non is a historic spot by reason of it
having been the home of Washington
and because it is there upon the bank!
iof the Potomac that his remains arr
laid.
Alleges Tourists Are Indifferent.
at is stated in the brief Of the de-
PENDANT that visitors to Mount Vern'
on aye mostly people of means who
do not care particularly about the rate
Of fare charged, whether it is large
or small, provided it is fair and reas'
enable. 1t is further set forth that
tourists who have come long dlstan-
ces to Washington wish usually, be-
fore leaving to go to Mount Vernon
and they do not figure and do not care
whether the fare is 30 cents or %
cents for the round trip, provided
they can get there comfortably, be
taken care of properly while there,
and be returned in the evening. For
these reasons and others stated by
counsel it is submitted that there is,
under existing conditions, no public
necessity for lowering this fare"
The commission then says:
owe are not prepared to concede
The correctness of the views Of de-
:endant as to the nature of this I'M
nortant service or to the public's in
difference to the amount of said fare
There must have been time when the
average visitor to the National Cap
:tol could be classed as a person OF
means. but that is no longer the case.
IN fact. we are led to believe that
,uite the contrary is true. 1t IS well
Known that at the present time OF the
Year there are thousands of young
people, many of them students in the
public schools in the distant states,
who come to Washington in large ex-
.ursions for the patriotic purpose Of
visiting the National Capital.
at is, no doubt, true that 1t IS now
he citizen of average means VINO
makes up the bulk Of the tourist trav-
;, to Washington; furthermore, 1t IS
our duty to adjust the rate to Mount
Vernon upon a reasonable basis Tor
10Th the public and the carrier, lrres-
1cctive of any particular class OF pat
.ons. 1t is true that the thousands
# citizens who make the pilgrimage
o Mount Vernon require the running
# extra trains, but we apprehend that
he service rendered is merely that
which is necessary to accommodate
raffic the carrier holds itself out to
:crve. The tourist movement TO
Mount Vernon comes after the So
allied rush hour movement to the
.itv in the morning, and II Is the OPP
)osite direction to the heavy traliic
the afternoon.
Aspect Of Regular Service.
at is clear, however, that the rcEu-
ar service of defendant may be con-
idered as scpcrate and distinct from
no tourist travel to and from Mount
jernon. The latter is confined to SIX
Avs in the week, as the ladies aSSo-
eiation which manages Mount vernon
.Ioses il to visitors on Sunday. More
,ver It is our understanding that the
rains run to accommodate visitors
O Mount Vernon permit stop-o'er
y Alexandria for the purpose OF IN
;pecting points of interest IN that
itv It is worth something to the
.isitors to have a through train ser
ice to Mount Vernon with only the
me stop-over at Alexandria, For the
ocal travel between Mount vernon
md Washington on the regular trainS'
,owever, we find no justification Tor
he present one-way and round trip
ares.
GAS has already been stated, inc
ares are graded up by zones with oil
rcrcase of 5 cents in the fares Tor
,ach zone. Upon this basis, Miller
bree-fourths of a mile nearer WASH
neton than is Mount Vernon the one
md aWshington on the regular trains
rim % cents. Upon the record we
,re Of the opinion and find that the
arc to and from Meant Vernon on
oral trains should not exceed ~
cents for the one way ana 40 cei!''
.oTr rho round trip. For the service