Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-19
Reduced Rate for Children on
Cars Discussed.
VIEWS OF Mr.. HAMILTON
Declares Crush in Morning Hours
Would Be Great.
QUESTIONS BY COMMITTEEMAN
President King Says Proposed Bill
Represents a Return to Old
Class Of Legislation.

Declaration that conditions in Wash
ington are SO materially different that
comparisons could not properly be
made with any other city. was made
today before the House District COM
mittee by George E. Hamilton. presi-
dent of the Capital Traction Company,
in connection with the committees
hearing on the proposed measure
which. II enacted. would enforce the
allowance of a half-fare rate on the
trolley cars to all school children.
Mr.. Hamilton referred to the fact that
all Of the government departments open
at o'clock, that a majority Of the other
Offices in the city also open at 8 o'clock.
that the schools begin their sessions at
8 O'Clock, and that 1t is, therefore. be-
tween the hours Of 8 and 8 In the morn
ing that the greatest rush Of traffic is
handled on all local trolley lines. SO that
in this period the companies are least
prepared to handle the extra number OF
passengers who would come to them IL
the rate of fare for children was reduced
by one-half.
Members of the committee present at
the hearing were Chairman Johnson and
Representatives Rothermel, Dies, Old
field. George. Lobeck. Redfield. KONG,
Kahn, Cary, Sulloway, Dyer and De For
est, and nearly all Of them joined in
putting Mr.. Hamilton through a running
fire of questions, the effect Of which was
to bring out the gross and net earnings
Of the Capital Traction Company, the cost
of equipment and maintenance of the
company's cars, trackage and power
houses, and finally the relation of the
earnings to the capital and the interest
on the investment which the earnings
represented.
Gives Net Revenue.
Mr.. Hamilton also stated the net reve-
nue. above operating cost which was
represented by each fare collected. The
point was brought out that the installa-
ton Of the pay-within cars had mate
rally increased the revenue Of the LOCAL
trolley companies because the conductors
in such cars have no difficulty in collect
ing all fares, and also that such cars,
when properly operated. practically elimi-
nate the losses imposed upon the COM
panies through being mulcted in dam
ages for injury to passengers.
All OF these factors were sought by
the committee as basis for the de-
tCI VI us 1dtOTdDl0 or I'M
favorable report Of the bill to the
House. since the members desired to
know whether. in the opinion of the
officials of the local trolley COM
panies. any hardship would be worked
upon them by the enactment Of a law
giving to school children the benefit of
reduced fare.
Representative Redfield of New York
cited illustrations from the rush of
traffic handled in his home city of
trolley companies Of Washington should
welcome the addition to the riding pub
bic of the school children, who, he said,
had been shown to constitute fully one
tenth Of the total population Of the Dis
trict. He declared his belief that the
school children, even though they did
come at the rush hours, could be &C
commodated with very slight addition to
the rolling stock and other equipment
of the trolley lines.
Conditions in San Francisco.
Representative Kahn told Of conditions
which obtain in San Francisco, his home
city. where the school children are car
ried at half rate with little additional trou-
BILE or expense to the street railway COM
panies. He said, however. that the same
objections voiced by Mr.. Hamilton had been
heard from the officers of the San Fran
cisco companies when the measure was
first proposed.
Mr.. Hamilton declared he could not see
the logic Of the proposition why the street
railway companies should be asked to
bear one-half the cost of carrying chill
dren to school when the parents are not
in any other way relieved of the expense
Of furnishing other necessities to their
children.
President Clarence E. King of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany stated his objection to the pro-
posed bill on the ground that 1t repre-
scented a movement backward. a return
toward that old class of legislation
which in former years resulted in poll
ticians receiving passes on the rail-
roads and in "our clerical brethren"
receiving an allowance of half fare.
He characterized 1t as q sort Of charity
As the hearing came to a close Mr..
Hamilton made the request that, il Con-
press deemed it wise and necessary to
enact the half-fare bill, the measure be
nroperly safeguarded to the end that the
half-rate tickets be sold to children only
unon proper certification of the principals
~ the schools: that the tickets should be
usable only on school days and only
during certain reasonable hours those
DAYS and, further. that some form of
nenalty be written into the bill to pro-
vide for the punishment Of persons re-
snonsible for the improper use Of school
tickets.
IRISH PLAY DENOUNCED,