Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-21
suburban. FARE
T0BE INCREASED
Residents of Somerset, Drum
mond and Friendship
Heights Affected.
TRACTION LINES PLAN
SURE TO BE FOUGHT
Five-Cent Charge Both Within and
Without the District Proposed
by Company.

The Washington Railway and Electric
Company, operating the Georgetown and
TenleytoWn electric line between
Georgetown and Somerset, Md, and the
Rockville electric line. threw bomb
among the residents OF Somerset, Drum
mond and Friendship Heights, Md, this
morning when large cards were displayed
in all cars of the lines mentioned an
nouncing that beginning February ] the
company will charge a fare between
Somerset and the District line.
The company's announcement. IL effect,
is that beginning February ! a fare of
) cents will be charged between Somerset
and the District line, In either direction.
with an additional fare of cents or
city ticket within the District Family
Communication books of thirty round trips.
the announcement states. will be sold,
good between Somerset and points with
in the District on the lines Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company.
These books will be good for one year
for any members Of the family of the
person to whom they are sold, or for
as many members of the family as may
wish to use the books at the same time
communication books will be $3.50. The
order is dated January u.
Reason for Action.
W. F. Ham, vice president Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
stated to a reporter for The Star today
that the company has taken this action
| for the reason that the existing arrange
ment whereby no fare is charged between
| the District line and Somerset expires by
] limitation February l.
when the Maryland legislature passed
| an act rezoning the Rockville electric line,
| about two years ago." said Vice President
Ham, '.the company was forced to abro-
| gate the previously existing arrangement
| whereby no fare was charged between the
| District line and Somerset. Appeal by
| Friendship Heights to the interstate COM
| merce commission resulted in the lssu-
ance of a rule by the commission re-
quiring the company TO restore the pre-,
viously existing conditions Tor perloo
! of two years-that is. the company was
| refused the right for two years to charge
a fare between the District line and Som
| erset, This rule became effective at once
running to February I. 1914
Rule Soon Expires.
ION that date the commissions rule ex-
pires, and the company has decided 10
put into effect the new rule whereby pas
sengers boarding the cars between SOM
erset and the District line, or OUTBOUND
passengers travelling between the DIS
| trict line and Somerset, the terminus OF
| the GEORGETOWN and TenleytoWn llne,
| will be required to pay a fare. The com.
| mutation books which have been PROVIDED
contain thirty round-trip tickets, or sixty
single fares. between Somerset and points
on our lines within the District. Ihe
| price at which these books are to be sold
| $3.50 makes the fare between the DIS
trict line and Somerset approximately y:
cents.
.The Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company anticipates that another
appeaI will be taken by residents Of the
affected district to the interstate COM
merce commission, in the effort to pre-
vent the enforcement of this new order
On the previous appeal Of residents OF
4 Somerset and the other communities af-
fected the company made no effort t6
show that the no fare arrangement
worked a financial hardship on the COM
pany. It merely relied on the legal phase
Of the matter as it existed under the
then recently enacted law Of the Mary
land legislature.
Must Discontinue Practice.
IN case Of an appeal at this time, how
ever, which the company anticipates, the
interstate commerce commission will be
shown by the company that largely in
creased traffic facilities, extended service
and other factors make it imperative that
the company discontinue the practice oi
charging no fare between the points men,
toned
The announcement came as d thunder
| clap to residents Of Somerset, Drummond
| and Friendship Heights, who We're wholly
| unprepared for any such change as that
! February L.
/ notice Of the change was posted only this
morning. it was stated, there has been nc
time for residents of the affected dis
| tricts to hold a meeting to discuss a
/ course of action. However, it was stated
that public meeting probably will be
called, to be held at Somerset tomorro"
evening, and that residents of the other
two communities probably will hold public
I meetings at the same time Within a
day or so, it is stated, a joint public meet
ing OF the residents of the three commu-
mites will be held. at which a plan OF
action will be adopted.