Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-02
LOWER RAIL Way FARES
FOR VIRGINIA SUBURBS
Virginia Highlands and Addison
Win Fight for Decrease in
Communication Rates.
Fifty-Two-Trip Monthly Ticket Not
to Cost More Than SO, Holds In
terstate Commerce Commission.

citizens Of Virginia Highlands and Ad-
Olson. Va. today Won their hsh,
against the Observation-Disclosures Railway
Company for lower communication 1ares
between those points and the defendants
terminal at nth street and Pennsylvania
avenue northwest The interstate com.
7 rnerce commission. which today handeo
down IN opinion in the case, refused 10
disturb the one-way and round-tr 1ares
between the Virginia and District OF Co
liInbff points. In the order attached 10
the opinion it is required that the rail-
way company put in effect. on or before
September - next. tifty-two-trip month
fy communication ticket at a price not
greater than 81. The case was Instituted
ny the Virginia Highlands Citizens As
soclatiotr.
The coInplainants also brought up i'll
!. this proceeding the question of reciprocal
L transfers with the lie Droit Park line of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Connuany which the Observation-Disclosures
tnterse,'t is at 18th and 3 streets SOUTH
west. The commission at this time re-
fuses to touch the proceeding, fntImat1ng,
however that it would be considered in
:, proceeding in which both parties, the
Washington Virginia Railway and the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pdnN. are nlade detenudHts- Oii inns
point tn, opinion written by Chairman
Harlan, says:
Opinion of Chairman Harlan.
Defendants line intersects the lie
! Droit Park line of the Washington
: Railway and Electric Company at 18th
and Is streets southwest, In the city OF
Washington. In this connection com
plainant refers to certain congressional
legislation relating to electric street rail-
ways in the District of Columbia, ana
insists that defendant is Obliged by such
legislation to enter into reciprocal trans
: fer arrangements with the washington
Railway and Electric Company at said
point of intersection. We do not under
! stand il TO be commended, however, that
this commission is clothed with jurlsdlc-
ton or power to determine this matter;
and even If such obligation exists 1t must
i necessarily rest equally upon the several
companies that own and operate the IN
tersecting lines, and could be enforced
I only in a proper proceeding to Whlch all
such companies We're parties.
At the present time the citizens Of Ad-
olson and Virginia Highlands have only a
Enthusiastically ticket. for which they
/ pay s1.So. the equivalent of - cents for
a one-way trip. The commission uphoids
the contention of the compliments that
the Communication rate offers no advantage
over the regular one-way and round-trip
/. At all other points on this line. the opin-
ION says. the defendant offers to the COM
nuter a material advantage over the &C.
casional traveller.
Other Communication Lower.
The record also shows" says the
opinion that the defendant applies
from Alexandra to Virginia Highlands
and Addison. an average distance Of
. approximately 40 miles. Communication
/. fares which are considerably lower
Washington and said points, an aver
age distance of about 3.9 miles"
I The commission outlines the numer-
Gus cases attacking fares on lines be-
! tween Washington and Virginia points,
one way and round trip. and declares
/ there is no convincing evidence that
the regular one-way and round-trip
fares are unreasonable" It cites
number of cases it has considered, and
refers particularly to the recently de-
cided Falls Church case, in which the
commission decided against the COM
piainants.
I From the decisions in these cases."
says Chairman Harlan, "it appears that
: the regular one-way and round-trip
fares have heretofore been carefully
scrutinized by this commission. and,
/ except as to a few points, have been
generally approved as now in effect"
l.
opinion, in summing up. we are of
1 opinion and find that defendants COM
mutation fares between its Washington
! terminal and Addison and Virginia
/, Highlands when compared with its COM
| mutation fares to other points on the
Mount Vernon division, result in undue
/ discrimination against Addison and Nir-
ginia Highlands in favor of such other
points. which discrimination the defend
ant will be required to remove.
! We hold that so long as defendant
provides fifty-two-trip monthly tickets for
travel between Washington and Alex
andria, New Alexandria, and other points
( on its Mount Vernon division, it should
I also provide a fifty-two-trip monthly
ticket for travel between Washington
and Addison and Virginia Highlands, and
that such new ticket should be sold at
. a price that will furnish transportation
on relatively the same basis as is now
furnished under the same kind of tickets
I between Washington and other points on
the Mount Vernon division. We think
this may be accomplished by fixing the
Price of the fifty-tHo-trip monthly ticket
at not exceeding So. We do not find that
the one-way and round-trip fares COM
planned of are unreasonable