Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-11-21
COMMUTERS PLAN
FOR FARE PROTEST

! Continued from Page One
and plan OF the protest He will then
introduce William Hancock, president OF
the United Business Mems Association,
who will preside
The action OF the New Jersey Public
| Utilities Commission yesterday IN order
/ Ing the suspension OF the proposed sd-
vance in passenger fares by the steam
railroads until March 10, and setting De-
| eember % rs date for an initial hearing.
| has spurred the leaders of the New Jersey
| hght to concerted action
| Plans are being made to form all
| the protesting bodies into one central
/ organization, following the idea launched
| by the Transportation Committee OF the
| United Business Mems Association here
| yesterday, In behalf OF the Pennsylvania
commuters IL Is likely that a meeting
Will be called in Camden carly next week.
when all the New Jersey organizations
now In the hght will be asked to send
delegates 20 perfect plans for carrying on
united fight
The idea OF forming central body OF
protestants received great impetus last
I night at a meeting Of commuters from
ell towns along the Reading Main Line at
oak Lane. II was unanimously resolved
to cooperate with tho United Business
Mems Association In oentralizlnR the
campaign
There Is some uneasiness among Penn
syivania commuters on account of the
seeming inclination OF the Public Service
Commission to shift the responsibility to
the shoulders OF the Interstate Commerce
Commission, which first made the sugges-
tion to the railroads that they increase
passenger rates.
As the State Commission has adjourned
for two weeks, the protest will have time
10 take definite shape by the time the
Increase goes into effect. Plans will also
Ia 81 lii
the courts either here or in Dauphin
County to obtain an injunction restrain
Ing the railroads from putting the in
crease into operation until the Service
Commission has given a hearing.
The Now Jersey Public Utilities Com
mission In notifying the commuters yes
terday of It's intention to hear their pro-
tests made 1t plain that their rules would
AFFECT only intrastate tickets. The COM
muters understand the commission to
mean that they will have to carry the
fight to the Interstate Commerce Commits
sion before the question of an increase
in tickets for Interstate travel can be
settled.
The closely drawn lines between the
authority OF the Public Utilities Commits
sion and the Interstate Commerce Com
mission, particularly in New Jersey, where
the greater part of the Communication is
either to Philadelphia or New York,
points without the State. has caused the
commuters much uncasiness Many of
the tickets from points in New Jersey
are printed ITO Philadelphia or Cam
den." and until II has been determined
which will be tho final authority in ruling
on such tickets the commuters are not
assured that tho decision of the Public
Utilities Commission yesterday will mean
much to them.
William Carey Marshall and Edward
West. of Camden. attorneys for the
South Jersey Commuters Association, in
explaining the position OF the commuters
on the order suspendlng the proposed
fare Increase said today: I'VE have not
seen the text OF the order and know
only what Alfred N. Barber. secretary
of the commission. telephoned to James
7. Polk secretary of our association. In |
this Mr.. Barber said the suspension was !
for the purpose of an inquiry as to the |
necessity of increased revenue to the |
railroads involved in the increases.
"Ths suspension will be of little value /
to the commuters of New Jersey because |
it affects only ntrastate tickets the |
commission, of course. having no jurls- |
diction over rates outside of the State. |
There are only two communication tickets |
now sold to Camden. These are the |
ticket and the family or 50-trip !
ticket. The 10O-trip ticket that is so
desired is sold only to Phlladel- |
4
lie Utility Commission ordered the rail- !
roads to sell all styles OF communication |
tickets to Camden. II the commission /
anforces that order now the 1OO-trip
ticket can be purchased to Camden pend
Ing final action by the commission.
Some time ago the Public Utility Com
mission ordered the Pennsylvania Rail !
cad to sell round-trlp tickets to Cam
len, the tickets at that time all being
good to Philadelphia. This order was
made so as to give the commissions au-
hority over the rates of fare TO Cam
len. Then the railroad company hit upon
he plan to print the destination on all
'ound-tTip tickets as Camden or Phila-
ielphia.' This was done, and the price
% Philadelphia has been paid since then
1y passengers who did not desire to go
lcross the river, We do not believe the
OF philadelphia on these tickets
will take them from under the Jurisdiction
II the Public Utility Commission. How
,ver that may be, We are going TO
inter complaint at once before the In
erstatc Commerce Commission. We will
give the railroads that swore they could
Tot tell the Commission what 1t cost to
transport a ton of coal from the mines
'ariOus Communication rates of fare. The
United Railroads of New Jersey which
$ the Pennsylvania system in this State.
las been paying its stockholders 10 per
ent. for many years. They raise the
10 being compelled by the In
eTstRte Commerce Commission to make
aAsenger trRfic pay for itself. They
must be made TO prove that 1t does not.
We contend that 1t does, and that the
ommuter must not be made a victim of
Ia bookkeeping methods before those
Al Il. tv.g-