Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-04-01
DEN|ESTSfARES
ARE NOW UNJUST
Washington Utilities Company
Answers Complaint of
Falls Church Citizens.
CITES VERDICT OF /. C. C.
AFTER INVESTIGATION
Further Inquiry Not Justified by
Facts, It Is Claimed. and Constant
Annoyance Is Protested.

Annoyance Is Protested.
!, Declaring that the interstate commerce
commission within the past twelve months
had investigated the rates in force on its
line and had found nothing to be con-
demned, the Washington Utilities Com
pany today filed it's answer to the COM
plant of the citizens of Falls Church,
filed March /, complaining that the rates
to that place were unreasonable particu-
larly the collection of either a car ticket
or cash fare for the ride between Airing
ton Junction and the terminus at 18TH and
D streets northwest
The answer asserts that no new facts
are alleged by the petition of the citizens
justifying any further investigation of
change of its rates, and insists that this
company should not at this time be SUBJ
jected to. the continued annoyance and
expense of defending such applications
with no new facts offered" The answer
also asserts that the time OF the commits
sion should not be consumed in again
investigating identieally the same condi-
tons which have SO recently been made
the subject of thorough investigation and
determination"
Answers the Petition.
The paper filed by the utilities com
pany takes up each paragraph of the.
citizens petition and answers it.
The company denies that it collects at
the time of collecting fares a street car
ticket in addition to the regular cash or
communication or family ticket fare or
anything else in addition to the regular
1 hI3oIA Pom oil lnni hot
| such a course was originally adopted or
pursued to compensate the Washington
Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway
Company for the use of it's tracks from
Arlington Junction to; the Washington
terminus. On the contrary, the defend
ant alleges that 1T never collects any
thing except it's regular published fares
between Virginia points and those in
Washington.
After declaring that the Washington,
Alexandria and Mount Vernon Railway
Company and the Washington, Arlington
and Falls Church Railway Company
were merged and named the Washington
Utilities Company the defendants an
swer tells at some length how the Wash
ington, Arlington and Falls Church COM
pany- was originally an intrastate carrier,
with it's terminus at the Rosslyn end of
the Aqueduct bridge.
Traffic Arrangement.
Passengers on its line then had to pay
cents additional OF car ticket in order
to ride on the lines in the District. 1t
was DESTROYS of getting an entrance into
Washington, the defendant says, and
with this in view it contracted with the
Washington, Alexandria and Mount Yer
non Railway Company for trackage
rights over its line from Arlington June
ton into 18th street and in consideration
thereof agreed to pay it 5 cents for every
passenger carried.
After asserting that the Falls Church
line had to build and maintain an expen-
Sive piece of new track in order to make
connections with the Mount Vernon line,
the petition says that the railway was
confronted with the question what should
be the charges for those passengers who
used the increased facilities of the COM
pany. 1t was decided to adopt the rate to
Rosslyn with the additional city fare,
which under it's contract 1t was Obliged
to pay to the Mount Vernon Company
for the use of its tracks and resolved to
only look to the increased patronage to
compensate it for the expense of the con-
struction and operation of the new line"
No Change in Rates. ..
Explaining the reorganization of the
company, the answer asserts that there
was no change of rates between Falls
Church and Rosslyn; or between Falls
Church and Washington and that the
rates have been maintained from that
time down to the present without COM
plant of any kind either to the state
corporation commission of Virginia or to
the interstate commerce commission by
citizens of Falls Church, although it adj
mits that citizens of other communities
have filed complaints. 1T thus appears
the company's answer says. that the
rates now in force between Falls Church
I
been in force without complaint for near
ly six years and ever since this line has
been open to business
1t denies that rates to and from Falls
Church and East Falls Church are I'M
reasonable, excessive and unjust, and
also denies that it will not sell monthly
and quarterly individual Communication
tickets at such reductions as are usually
made on account of the purchase of such
tickets, and at the rates for which such
tickets are sold by other railroads.
Communication Tickets.
While admitting that it does. not offer
for sale direct Communication tickets. be-
tween Falls Church or any other points
on it's line directly to Washington, the
company asserts that it is not because it
has,no disposition to so do. On the other
hand, the company makes it plain that it
withheld this practice on. the recommend
alton of committees 'purporting to repre-
sent the citizens of Falls Church and 9TH
er stations along its lines
1.-THE advantage to patrons under the
present system is this" says the rail
road company, that a good many of
the patrons of this company living at:
Clarendon and points west thereof in.
Guiding Falls Church, have business
which frequently requires them to go into
Washington by the Aqueduct bridge
route, and it therefore makes it very de-
sirable from their point of view that they
can purchase ticket which will allow
them the option of getting into Washing
ton by the Adueduct bridge and coming out
by 18th street, or vice versa, as neces-
stiles of their business may require, with
out compelling them to lose the benefit
of their Communication, which would be
the case If they were compelled to buy
communication ticket valid only by the
18th street route Or to pay for mileage
not used IL compelled to use on a trip to
Rosslyn a Communication ticket good for
an entire trip toe 18th street, or to pay
regular .one-way fares when desiring to-