Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-27
PENNSYLVANIA R. R.
REFUSES TO DELAY
INCREASE IN RATES
Also Unwilling to Advance
Price of 50 and 100 Trip
Tickets Instead of Discon-
tinuing Them.

The Pennsylvania Railroad Company
today refused to agree to temporary sus-
pension of the proposed increase in pas
senger rates until the State Public serv-
ice Commission will have had time to
pass upon the justice OF the change. At
the same time. the railroad made It plain
that 1t will not be willing to increase the
price Of the so and the 1OO-trip tickets
as compromise with the demands of
the commuters, instead of discontinung
their use entirely.
Both declarations by the railroad were
made through H. w. Bckle, assistant
counsel general, at the conclusion of the
preliminary hearing on the proposed pas
senger rate increase before the State
Public Service Commission, in Councils
Finance Committee Room, City Hall.
In each case the position of the Penn
sylvania Railroad, as presented by Mr..
Bicklc, was given in reply to questions
asked by Ex-Governor Samuel w. Penny
packer, who was presiding. Twice Mr..
PennyHacker asked whether or not the
railroad would be willing to suspend the
proposed increase until the commission
Will have held n formal hearing to- con-
slider the evidence and review the entire
question. First evasively and later di-
rectly, Mr.. Bickle replied it would not.
Mr.. Pennypacker then pointed out that
a great burden of the protest by the COM
muters had been directed specifically
against the entire abolition of the 80 and
the 100 trip tickets, and he asked whether
the railroad would consider increasing
the price of these tickets as they pro-
posed doing with all other tickets, in
stead of disseminating their use entirely.
Mr. Bickle replied that the railroad would
show later why 1t did not wish to do this
More than a score of protests, some
from individuals others from various
civic, improvement and business assocla-
tlons, but all setting forth the injustice
and unfairness of the proposed increase
in passenger rates by the Pennsylvania,
the Philadelphia and Reading and the
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Companies,
were presented during the three hours
the commission was In session,
While strong opposition to the increase
was voiced throughout the hearing, 1t
was evident that the commuters objected
most strongly to the withdrawal OF the 30
and the 100 strip tickets.
In some cases II was declared that the
action of the railroads, if allowed to
stand foreshadows the bankruptcy OF
many suburban sections. Other suburban
sections made 1t known through their rep
resentatives that they intend to boycott
the railroads. In several cases It was
announced that action through the Attor-
ney Generals Department at Washington
is being sought.
AMONG THOSE AT HEARING.
The members of the commission sitting
were: Ex-Governor Samuel w. Penny
packer, chairman; Emory h. Johnson and
Milton T. Brecht, Other officers of the
commission present were A. B. Miller, |
secretary; George p. Wilson, chief of the
State Bureau Of Rates and Tariffs, and
John Dohoney, state investigator OF accl-
dents. and William n, Trinkle, counsel.
Among the railroad officials present |
were: George w. Boyd, trafic passenger
manager of the Pennsylvania; o. p. Me |
Carty. passenger trafic manager OF the |
baltimore and Ohio; Edison ]. Weeks. |
passenger trafiie manager of the Read
ing; Ivy T. Lee. assistant to President
Rea. of the Pennsylvania W. Bickle. as
sistant general counsel for. the Pennsyl- !
vania d, N. Bell, general passenger
agent OF the Pennsylvania, and joseph
Richardson, assistant to the vice presi-
dent OF the Pennsylvania.
Ex-Governor Pennypacker. in opening
Concluded on Page Two