Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-09-15
JERSEY PASSENGER
RATES TO INCREASE
Commission Allows Raise in
Communication and Ex-
cursion Charges
ALL TICKETS RETAINED

TRENTON, Sept. 15.
The State Board of Public Utility Com
missioners today filed its decision in the
matter of the petition by various railroads
OF the State for permission to increase
passenger tariffs and cancel excursion
rates. The board holds that rate increases
are necessary, but will not permit the
withdrawal Of any form OF ticket or priv-
leges in connection Herewith.
The chief increases applied for were the
cancellation of excursion rates at less than
double the one way rate except TO sea-
shore points and intermediate points where
double the one way fare would be higher
than from Camden to the seashore points
sixty-trip tickets to be advanced twenty
five cents and forty-siN-trip tickets twenty
! cents. fight against the Increases was
made by the South Jersey Commuters AS
socation. The notifications allowed by the
board are as follows:
The Atlantic City Railroad may make
| effective forthwith tariffs increasing the
| rates of commutation tickets as proposed
| and increasing excursion fares to level
| approximating 175 per cent of one way
| fares.
THE West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
! Conpany may make effective forthwith tar.
IFS increasing the rates for commutation
| tickets as proposed and increasing excur-
| sion fares to a level approximating 175
| per cent of one-way fares.
| INCREASES ALLOWED
"rhe Pennsylvania Railroad may make
| effective forthwith tariffs increasing the
| rates of commutation tickets on the Tren-
ton division of said company as proposed
by it.
The Philadelphia and Reading Railway
Company may make effective forthwith tar
ifs increasing the rates Of Communication
tickets as proposed and increasing the ex-
| cursion fares to a level approxfmating l75
per cent Of one-way fares.
The Communication tickets are to be sold
for tho same periods as similar tickets
used In interstate travel.
In constructing the tariffs 1t VIII pe
necessary to adjust fares so that a proper
relation is maintained between fares to
various points"
The counsel In the case were II. w
Bickle, for the Pennsylvania Railroad Com
pany and the West Jersey and Seashort
Railroad Company; W. L. Kinter, for the
Philadelphia and Reading Railway Com
| pany and the Atlantic City Railroad Com
pany, and E. G. c. Bleakly and w V
Marshall. for the South Jersey Commuters
Association and other objectors
| The board from the evidence submitted
at the first hearing, which occurred in 1914
was unable to find sufficient proof for de
| termining the justice of the specific rate
| of today says to make studies as complete
for the combined statements Of the fou
roads as for the individual carriers owini
to lack of complete information.
The Atlantic City Railroad Shove,
| freight to be more profitable than passen
? | ger traffic, while the reverse was true o
, the West Jersey and Seashore Railroad
Passenger density and revenue per passer
E | ger mile were greater on the West Jerse
and Seashore. The higher freight revenu
per ton mile of the Atlantic City Railroad
:, | the report says, was effected by a smalle
: | density of traffic.
;. The report states that in the course
u the first hearing, the West Jersey an
> | Seaeshore Railroad Company put in ev
. | dence as to the value of its property, claim
. | ing it to be considerably in excess of tn
/, | valuation on which its taxes were assessed
> The Commuters Association immediatel
a ! called the attention of the State Tax Boar
= | to this and after an investigation, the a!
| sessment of the railroad. which was S14
S40,S7f in 1914, was increased by abo'
$4,000 900, which meant approximately $50
900 a year more for taxes. The boar
saws that 1t follows that this compar
. must be allowed to earn additional il
u come because of the Increased taxes.
The Pennsylvania Railroad Compar
showed that its ntrastate passenger ira
fc was carried at loss of S31,S59 I'll
't I Atlantic City Railroad and the Phiadeph
> and Reading Railwy Company offered I
. testimony as to the value of that pa
Q of their properties devoted to intrasta
passenger travel, but showed a deficit fro
this traffic.