Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-03-22
A Reply From Mr.. Hen derson To
Mr.. Lamar.

| A'hhs AfeAhhals
Mr.. Editor I'm long article in yo,
paper last week Mr.. VIM. II. Lamar max,
q statement that the raise In commutatiu
rates on the electric railroad between thi
town and Washington was owing to a
error in the bill which he takes great unC
ton in referring to as the Henderson bill
passed at the last session of the State Leg
islature | will ask the privilege of occu
plying few lines of your paper in givin
a short history of this bill. in order tina
your readers may pass a fair judgment
between Mr.. Lamar and myself on thi,
question.
Mr. Lamar has very intricate mind
and is most persistent in his views, as any
one can observe by reading his article
but If you will follow all the doublings OF
his reasoning, you will find that he always
has personal object in view.
For some time prior to the meeting OF
the last Legislature the electric railroad
had been selling monthly books of tickets
at a rate Of about rs 1-2 cents for the
round trip and their conductors had accepted
these tickets separately, so that about 80
per cent. of the travel from Rockville was
on these tickets. Suddenly about the LIST
Of January, 1910, they issued orders to
refuse these tickets unless presented by the
purchaser in book. This produced quite
an cutlery about Rockville and the sur
rounding country for miles up, as otherwise
1t would cost 48 1-3 cents for the round
trip, and the railroad company had, when
they were securing their right of way,
made general promises that they would
establish rate of rs cents for the round
trip. AS was at that time in the House
of Delegates, was appealed to to do some-
thing in regard to the matter. OF course,
we could not legislate on the rate into the
District. but after a fair consideration of
the matter came to the conclusion that a
Just compromise between the people and
the company would be to cut the number
OF fare zones from Rockville to the District
line from four to three, which would make
the round trip 36 1-3 cents and would en-
able an equal division OF the zones without
reducing the length Of the LONGEST zone,
and do away with certain discrimination
which had existed against people travelling
from few miles below towards Rockville,
as the zone nearest Rockville was only a
mile from the lower end of the town, and
the next one but one mile and q half fur
Their. So introduced simple bill to this
effect.
Shortly afterwards received letter from
Mr.. George H. Lamar, suggesting that some
provision should be made for Communication
rates and school tickets. was afraid of
these provisions. as knew that the courts
had made decisions saying that 1t was
unconstitutional to fix Communication rates,
as these rates are matters of discretion with
the companies and are sometimes sold at
or below the actual costs of carving pas-
sengers, the railroads depending upon the
occasional passengers for their profits. But
In order to be as accommodating as could,
| introduced an amendment to my bill,
adding two new sections. one providing for
Communication tickets at tw0-thirds the regu-
lar rate, which would make 28 1-3 cents
for the round trip into the District, and an
other providing for school tickets at one
half the regular rate. | was very careful,
however, to put these provisions in separate
sections. so that If they were declared I'M
constitutional the original section could
stand, and the result showed that was
wise, as the United States Court at BaIti-
more declared them to be so.
All this, however, did not satisfy the in
genious mind of Mr.. William II. Lamar,
who came to Annapolis, with long and
intricate bill providing for division of the
zones at certain points. upon the pretext
that my bill would shorten the first zone
and that the Communication rates should not
exceed those then in existence, about rs 1-2
I did not favor anv ;nepnaIitv of ,6a nenoa
aItbonsh I realize in soma ins,an C r. r.
;nsti6a hia ON acconnt Of tha d;fraranon -,
,rauaI b", IN his ;ns,onoo !, ,an" NO, ' ~
osaorn ' And 90 The ra;Irood o" mS ~. IT,
no, n, ,hot tine soIl;na onn "nni,p,,o, Wao
,;cL e a., on,i,eIu ,1;,hin tho S,o,n ns Mo1'
InnS oo'iH 10, soa ,hon ' o1 " n,a n.y.
nn,., how the Iona',odo y, h;s IN, IN U1 oue
nO,,,hiD" ave-, ~ 49, 70 nhoid h,' aha
myns eron no,;,,,;o moIo upnJiu ny '"e
ooo,'S AZ 40 oons'u., J pi1 ply,
~ a. Nv ind"nad AZ, Tur, oUu =, ~. as,oe,
his Hill and trv n have n nsssed in nref-