Evening star., 1915-04-23

trains reached Bowie. Commuter trains
also were more expensive to operate
than express trains because of the
more frequent stops, he said.
Costs 30 Cents to Stop Train.
Frequent stops made necessary, he
said. the use of more fuel and made the
cost for wear and tear on brake shoes
heavier. AS far as can be ascertained.
it costs 90 cents to stop a train. he
stated The witness declared that if
three Of the commuter trains each way
on the Washington Baltimore branch.
ma king six trains, We're discontinued q
saving of SJ4,25S per year could be ef-
fected.
steel cars are used in the service be
cause they are better. their deprecla-
tion is only 81, per cent as against
per cent for wooden cars, and they
reduce insurance rates
Cross-Examination Deferred.
Cross examination of the witness was
deferred until the railroad completes
the direct presentation of it's case, by
request of counsel for the complain
ants.
X. J. De Long, assistant general pas
senser agent for the Pennsylvania
lines then took the stand. In explain
ing the reasons for increasing the pas
senger fare Mr.. De Long introduced
the following statement:
THE interstate commerce COMMISSION
in its decision in the freight rate case
called attention of railroads generally
to the fact that they should secure in
creased revenue from passenger busi-
ness.
The travelling public is giving con-
stant expression to its demand for a
higher grade of service with respect to
afety, convenience, speed. character of
equipment. sanitary conditions, observ-
ance of health rules and regulations.
and many other features, all necessari :
~ at an increa sed expense. The public
will not submit to lowering of the
standard of passenger service and con-
sequently no reduction in expenses can
be accom- pliShed.
'The only recourse left to the railroad
lines is to increase passenger revenues.
In readjusting fares it was the aim of
the railroad company to make the in
crease so as to be the least burden
some to the public, and at the same
time yield additional net passenger
| revenues. Therefore, only subnormal
fares were advanced.
In the territory covered by this COM
plant the only subnormal fares were
those used for communication tickets.
The railroad company thought that the
commuter should contribute something
toward the additional revenue re-
! quired. and that the slight increase OF
| % cents per month in the charge for
/ a sixty-trip monthly ticket would be
reasonable and in harmony with the
general readjustment of passenger
| fares.
Discount Termed Discrimination
THE 1s0-trp quarterly ticket. up to De-
cember Is. 1914, was sold at three times
| the sixty-trip monthly fares less IS per
cent The - per cent discount TO the man
| who was financially in position to
| pay for three months at a time was a
! discrimination in his favor as against
| the man who did not have sufficien,
| funds to purchase more than one
monthly ticket at time. both being
| daily commuters and requiring the
i same transportation service.
| The charge for the daily commute
| has therefore been made the sam,
| whether he purchases ticket for on.
month or a ticket for three months a
| time.
The ffty-trip ticket was discon
ally or the Pennsylvania railroad sys
| tenn The use of this ticket was in
considerable in this territory, the addi-
tional cost in an entire year based OF
the tickets heretofore sold would onl.
| b. SsS.43.
| The Communication traf1i betWeeI
| Washington and stations complained o
| is all carried on way trains running
| between Washington and Ba altimore
These trains also carry nearly all tn
communication traffic between ashng
| ton and way stations north of Bowie
| and between Baltimore and way sta
| tions north Of Washington. Six train
are provided for this commutatiol
traffic. together with traffic travelin,
on other forms of tickets. Withou
this communication traffic. three train
in each direction would be amply suffi
II cient consequently this commutatiol
) traffic necessitates three additiona
trains The partial ascertainable cos
of operating these trains, on con
seryative estimate, was $54.258 for
year while the revenue derived fron
all the Communication traffic carried OF
lthese trains amounted to only s16.S9S -
in the year 1914. Traffic that impose
an additional expense of s5s.25S an
only Welded a revenue of SIG. s9s =
should bear the slight increases in tn
| communication fares.