Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-12-09
COMMUTERS BRIEF
PUT In FINAL FORM
FOR STATE HEARING
Attorneys Consult With
University rofessor and
Engineers in Preparing
Arguments for Pu b lie
Service Commission.

Final details for the argument against
the proposed increase in passenger rates
by the railroads. which attorneys for
the commuters will present at the formal
hearing before the Public Service Conn
mission Of Pennsylvania In City Hail to-
morrow were arranged this afternoon
1T a meeting in the office OF Edward B.
Martin, chairman of the joint Trans
pcrtation and Suburban Committee OF
the United Business Mems Association.
The attorneys representing the business
men and Commuters Association are Ed
win M. Abbott, Edward B. Martin, Mat
thew Randall and l.. ]. Palmer. NUM-
ber OF other attorneys will represent inde-
pendent interests Prof. Scott Nearing, Of
the University OF Pennsylvania School of
Finance, will assist in presenting the arr
gument, and William Mellor and \. L..
Phillips, two consulting engineers, will
haulle technical details
Three specific lines OF argument were
followed In presenting the case of the
commuters; discrimination against Phila-
delphia on the part ,Hf the railroads. fall
ure to comply with the law in failing to
post and publish the new rates, and al
legations OF coilusion and conspiracy
between the Pennsylvania, the Reading
and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroads.
A QUESTION FOR THE READING.
The Reading Company will be asked to
show why 1t has continued to charge pas
sengers fare on basis of 80 miles to New
York city when the completion of the
Bustleton cutoff reduced the mileage to
S5 miles.
1t was declared that not only had the
railroads failed to post the new sched-
ule of increases, but in some cases the
conductors did not know what the new
rates would be from stations where there
are no agents.
On the Doylestown division of the
Reading, where there are no agents at
Tabor Chelten Hills, Pembroke, For
tuna and Oreland. the conductors were
asked this morning what the new rates
would be from these stations, In no
instance were they able to give the new
fares.
The Public Service Commission will
open the hearing at 10 o'clock tomorrow
morning in the Finance Committee room,
in City Hail.
The commission has indicated that it
will make every effort to have the hear
ing completed and decision rendered
before December Is. the date when the
new rates would become effective.
Should the hearing not be ended by
that time or the commissioners not have
reached a decision. 1t Is understood the
railroads will oe ordered to issue certih-
Gates OF excess fare to the patrons of
the roads, redesmable II the increase is
denied later.
JERSEY COMMUTERS PROTEST.
Governor Fielder, Of New Jersey, yes
terday announced he had appointed At
torney General John w. Westcott to ap.
pear before the Interstate Commerce
Commission on behalf of the commuters
of the State and urge the Commission TO
act favorably upon the request of tho
New Jersey Public Utilities Commission
that the interstate increases be suspend
ed pending a formal hearing.
At meeting of the South Jersey Com
muters' Association in the Camden City
Hall yesterday afternoon. resolutions
calling upon United States District At
torney j. Warren Davis, to subpoena the
presidents of the Erie and, the Delaware
and Lackawanna Railroads to learn the
facts of the alleged conspiracy, and urg-
ing an investigation into the earnings Of
the Pennsylvania Railroad, were pre-
sented