Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-01-26

OPPOSES HALF FARE
Cut Rates for School Children
Declared Unreasonable.
WOULD BE UNDER COST
President Hamilton Of Capital Trao-
ton Company Submits Brief to
House District Committee.
WOULD BE UNDER COST

Taking advantage of the opportunity Of
fered by the members of the District
committee of the House at the close last
week OF the hearing on the bill which
would provide that school children be al
lowed half-fare rate on the street ears
Of the city, George Z. Hamilton. president
of the Capital Traction Company. today
filed with the committee brief in which
further reasons were given why the bill
should not become a law.
Mr.. Hamilton i'm his brief declared
that there is no reasonable demand or
occasion Of the issuance OF such school
tickets in Washington. stating that
the schools in the District are conven-
iently located and that as a rule the
attendance of any school comes from
the immediate neighborhood in which
it is situated.
The distances to be travelled by chill
dren as a rule are not excessive. the only
exceptions being among some of the
pupils In the high schools. And even the
high schools, Mr.. Hamilton said are Id.
Gated in different sections for the sup
posed convenience of the children.
Called Class Legislation.
AS q second point against the bill Mr..
Hamilton asserted that there is no foun-
dalton in reason or right for class legis-
lation of this nature.
1.-THE government builds and supports
the schools" he said, land in SO doing
II relieves the PARENTS from the greater
burden of the education Of their children
at their own expense
There is no more reason why children
should be carried at half price than
there IL that the aged and infirm should
fSea Oovr f0d So m rnu Ssnn
why the stockholders OF the railroads
should contribute to the support OF the
children of other citizens than there IL for
other industries to send supplies to chill
dren at cut rates"
Mr.. Hamilton quoted largely from the
latest report of the Capital Traction
Company. showing It's earnings, and said
that since the income per passenger Il
43OO1 cents. and the operating expense
and fixed charges per passenger are
2 $500 cents. 1t would at least be unjust
to compel the company to carry school
children at a rate that would represent "A
loss OF three-quarters Of q cent for 6ne
passenger.
Urges Notifications.
He contended that IL the bill must be-
come q law. the cost of school tickets
should be not less than 3 cents each.
which about represents the cost per pas
senger for the service given by the COM
panies He also urged that the bill, il
enacted, should be rigidly limited to chill
dren under eighteen years of age. and
that schoof tickets should be given only
on school days and between the hours OF
7:3O and o'clock in the morning and
2:3O and o'clock in the afternoon
he asked also that as a matter OF con-
venience and economy the requirement
be made that the tickets should not be
sold in smaller quantities than in books
containing twenty-five tickets each. and
that no tickets should be sold unless the
purchaser were able to produce a GER
fificate from the principal OF the school
of which he or she was pupil.