Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1918-06-20
NO CHANGES IN
PASSENGER RATE.
Application Of The W., B. & A.
And Short Line Turned
Down BY Commission.
STATUTORY LIMIT BAR.
Companies Cannot Increase Fares
On One Days Notice AS Re
quested BY Them.

The Public Service Commission
yesterday denied the applications of
the Washington, Baltimore and Anna
polls and the Annapolis Short Line for
an increase in passenger rates on one
days notice without abiding by the
statutory limit of 80 days for filing
such applications. The question will
be brought before the Commission
again during July.
Phe more important changes pro-
posed by the Washington, Baltimore
and Annapolis Electric Railroad Com
pany are as follows:
Increase of one-way fares to three
cents per mile. Cancellation of all :
round-trip fares. except that the COM
pany will sell round-trip tickets at
double the one-way fare. Increase of
10 per cent in fares for monthly COM
mutation tickets. Cancellation of 1S0-
trip quarterly Communication ticket be-
tween Baltimore and Naval Academy
Junction. Cancellation of 50-trip
yearly tickets. Cancellation of special
car and special chair car fares. In
crease of excess baggage charge per
100 pounds to 16 2-3 per cent of one
way passenger fare. with minimum of
25 per cent Withdrawal of stop-over
privileges Cancellation of basing
rates of fare.
The changes proposed by the Mary
land Electric Railways Company CAN
napolis Short Line) are substantially
as follows:
Increase of one-way fares to three
cents per mile. Cancellation of all
round-trip fares. Increase of 10 per
cent in fares for monthly commuta-
tion tickets. Increase in charges for
special train service for emergency
use between Baltimore and Annapolis.
Increase in charge for movement OF
special baggage car. Cancellation of
basing rates of fare.
Edward Chambers, director of the
division of traffic, United States Rail-
road Administration, addressed let
ter, dated June 4th, to the Commission,
the date of the applications by the rail-
way companies for changes in their
passenger tariffs, explaining that the
purpose of the electric lines was to
bring the minimum basic rate per mile
authorized by the Director General on
May 25, 1918, for roads under federal
lcontrol paralleling the electric lines
named or having close interchange
arrangements with such lines.
Continuing, Mr.. Chambers said:
eff you can consistently give favor
able consideration to the conditions
l. I,a al ri fVau ~
increase their fares in the measure
therein stated, IL will greatly conduce
Ito the interests of parallel and ada
cent administration roads and enable
them to obtain the full benefit of the
| increased fares contemplated by the
Director Generals order"
In reply to this communication the
Maryland Commission, after summon
| ing up the financial and other condi-
tions of the two lines, says:
"In all cases involving the rates,
fares, rules and regulations of COM
mon carriers the rights and conven-
ience of the general public dependent
upon them for transportation facili-
ties must be given due consideration.
To what extent these rights and con-
veniences must yield to the judgment
of the United States Railroad Admin
istration as to- the steps reasonably
required to make its handling of the
steam railroads of the country finan-
cially profitable, and also to what ex-
| tent the receipts of the steam roads
may be effacted adversely by an ulti-
mate refusal on the part of this Com
mission to permit the proposed in
creases by these particular electric
railway companies, are serious and
important questions, and will be given
due consideration by this Commission
when and il objections are hereafter
made to such proposed increases.
For the present this Commission
concludes that the exigencies of the
situation are not such as to require
| il to assent at this time to such
changes being made on less than
statutory notice. Orders will be pass
ed to such effect"
The Public Service Commission yes
terday received notice from the Inter-
state Commerce Commission that the
application of the Washington, Bal
timore and Annapolis Electric Rail-
way Company for permission to put
the 3-cents-per-mile rate into effect
on its lines and to increase other rates
will be heard in Washington this
morning at 10 o'clock