Evening star., 1915-01-28
Witnesses for Railroad Submit
Figures to Prove Statements
at !. C. C. Hearing.
HIGHER RATE FOR TICKETS
DUE TO GREATER EXPENSES
Glad to Get Business, However, w
F. Loves, B. and 0. Official, Ad-
mits on the Stand.

All efforts to get statements from
railroad witnesses that commuter busi-
ness was profitable failed when the
hearing before Commissioner Daniels
of the interstate commerce commission,
in the case Of the Metropolitan Branch
Commuters Association against the
Baltimore and Ohio railroad, to pre-
vent the proposed increase in commu-
tation rates from becoming effective.
( was resumed in the New Willard Hotel
this morning. Neither would the wit
ness, who in this case was w. E. Loves,
assistant general passenger agent for
the Baltimore and Ohio, admit that any
factor other than that of increased
cost of railroad operation generally had
entered into the question of increasing
the commuter rates.
Mr.. Loves declared that if the roads
did not have this commuter business
their total revenues would be cut
down, but at the same time so would
their expenses.
But, as a matter of fact, are you not
glad to get this commuter business on
your through trains?" questioned At
torney J. Raymond Hoover of counsel
for the commuters.
I'VE are certainly glad to get what
we can get" was Mr.. Loves reply
Does it increase the cost, when you
have to run the trains anyway"
"Yes, it increases the cost to the ex-
the rum"
"It doesn't increase the cost Of mate
rials. does it?'
NO"
Every question put by commuter at
torneys tending to develop the specific
reasons for the commuter rate increases
was invariably met with the reply that
increase operation costs was the cause.
Commuter Business Improbable.
Commuter business on the branches
Of the Baltimore and Ohio out of Wash
ington have been Improbable, accord
ing to figures presented by W. f.
Loves. assistant general passenger
agent of the road. Going over a time
table of the Washington branch be-
tween washington and Baltimore, he
the commuter trains was So cents per
passenger mile, whereas the cost was
81 cents and that cost figure does not
include the cost of wear and tear on
"In other words" said Mr. Loves,
we break even on the trains-50-50, as
they say"
Pointing to the hourly trains between
as Communication, he said they cost
4S S-100 cents per passenger mile,
while they produced 73 3-1O cents. He
declared, on direct examination, that
the figures given We're fairly indicative
of the commuter business.
Would Bar Terminal Returns.
John ]. Ekine, general accountant of
the Baltimore and Ohio. and formerly
accountant of the Washington Termi-
nal Company, was also on the stand
fa Anti oI,
animation, begun late yesterday. He
cost to the Baltimore and Ohio Of using
the Union station. He expressed the
opinion that the amount returned to
the Baltimore and Ohio as its share of
the earnings of the terminal should not
form part of the revenues which are
credited to passenger traffic, because it
was an earning on an investment
Counsel for the commuters objected
to the statistics on the ground that the
source had not been proven. Mr.. Ekine
stated they were taken from the rail-
roads reports to the interstate COM
merce commission and reports to stock
holders. Asked if the stockholders re-
port was public, he answered in the
affirmative, at the same time handing
a copy of the report to Attorney Jack
son H. Ralston.
But the report is marked 'confiden-
tial,' said Mr.. Ralston. by way of at
tempting to show that the figures
were not matter of record. Mr..
Ekine said that was a mere formallty.
Counsel for the commuters entered
an objection to the figures until their
authenticity could be proven by an
examination of the interstate commerce
commissions files, and reserved the
right to cross-examine this afternoon.
Railroad counsel objected to this
procedure. but was overruled by Com
missioner Daniels.
The hearing was resumed at o'clock
with Mr.. Loves still on the stand. The
railroad has not yet finished present.
ing it's side of the case, and it ap-
peared at the time The Stars report
closed that another day would have to
be given in order to permit the COM
muters plenty of time to present their
side.
Commuters Score Point.
Commuters scored a point just before
the close of yesterdays hearing during
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