The Washington times., 1915-01-23
B. & O..COMMUTERS'
OPEN NEW FIGHT ON
ROUND-TR|P RATES
Petition Filed With !. C. c. Tell.
ing Of Alleged Discrimination
for Points to Rockville.
GREAT DIFFERENCE NOTED
In Case Of Westmore "a Cents
Is Charged for Travelling
~ Only Two Miles.
GREAT DIFFERENCE NOTED
By JUDSON C. WELLIvER.

John B. Daish and ]. Raymond
Hoover. as attorneys. today nled with
the Interstate Commerce Commission
petition to open Q. new branch Of the
big ight Of washington district COM
muters against the recent advance Of
communication rates on the Metropolitan
branch of the Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road
Tho present petition deals not with
the sthree months Communication tickets
which the railroad company undertook
to withdraw, but with the two-day
round-trip rate, which was Cancelled.
In taking out the two-day rate the
company aubstituted thirty-day
round-trip rate. on which the charge
was largely increased as to stations be-
yond Rockville. The present petition
asks that the two-day round-trip rate
be restored.
In the petition filed today. charge 10
made of discrimination in favof of sta
tons between Washington and Rock
vflle. and against stations beyond
Rockville. The two-day rate has been
In existence for many years. affecting
all stations from Washington to WASH
1ngton Junction. Messrs. Daish and
Hoover file with their petition a tabI-
lation showing the former and the new
rates. designed to bring out the nature
and extent Of this discrimination.
1t Is shown. for example. that no
change whatever is made in the rate
AZ applying to nineteen stations. from
Washington to Rockville. inclusive. The
former two-day rate at Forest Glen. for
instance. was 40 cents; 1t is continued
At 40 cents. At Rockville. the two-day
rate has long been S5 cents: and it re-
mains at that figure.
But Immediately Rockville is passed,
the two-day round-trip ticket privilege
is entirely withdrawn; the patron must
buy q thirty-day round-trip ticket. good
for return at any time within that
period; and the charge for this thirty.
day ticket Is much higher than for the
old two-day ticket which Is discon'
Case of Westmore.
For example. Westmore station IL
only a mile beyond Rockville. The for.
mer rate to Westmore. for the two-day
round-trip ticket, was 70 cents. That
rate being withdrawn. ~Westmore car
only use the thirty-day ticket. for which
the rate Is raised to 50 cents.
In other words. for the round trip q,
Rockville. seventeen miles. the loves,
rate is 65 cents. but for the round triI
at Westmore, eighteen miles, the low.
est rate Is SO cents. The compan,
handles a Rockville passenger at the
rate of thirty-four miles for IS cents
but Westmore passenger must pay
81 cents more for q ride two milei
longer.
The same general evidence Of dis
elimination Is shown by comparison Of
those this side Of Rockville. Thus Al
Germantown the lowest round trip rate
formerly was s1.06; 1t Is raised to sl.46
yet at Rockville and points nearer NJ
advance at all is made.
These discriminations are charged
with violation Of the act to regulate
commerce. and the commission Is askee
to issue orders for the restoration o
the former schedules.
Expense Almost Double.
This new petition Is Independent OF
the case formerly filed. to require res
toration of the long established three
month communication ticket. The sub
stitution Of a one-month ticket causes
increases which at some stations almos
double the expense.
Officers of. the Commuters Associa
ton are preparing data for the trial o.
this case, which Is set for January 81
They propose to carry the fight just a!
far and to wage it as vigorously al
possible. They will especially urge tina
many Of the residents on this line wer'
induced to become such by reason O.
the low rates offered to them. and tina
in many cases the freight department
of the road actually rebated to person
building homes one-half Of their freightl
on building materials.