Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-10-27
Increase More Than Enough
to Meet New Expenses,
Utilities Board Holds.
INTERLINE TRANSFERS
TO BE DECIDED LATER
Plea of Companies Granted in Ad-
vance of Valuation of Trac-
tion Properties.

Washington and practically the en-
tire District of Columbia went on
straight fve-cent street car fare today.
In reality, the fve-cent fare was made
effective yesterday afternoon, when
conductors on the various lines Of the
two street railway systems ceased sell
ing tickets at the rate of six for
quarter.
Announcement of the action taken
yesterday by the Public Utilities Com
mission in ordering a straight fve-cent
fare on the lines of the Capitol Trac-
tion Company and the Washington
Railway and Electric Company came
as surprise to the public. The change
had been generally anticipated, but it
was believed. it would not be made
effective for at least several days after
the order was issued.
However, the Public Utilities Com
evidently convinced that the
exigencies of the case demanded imme-
diate action, made the order effective
at once
To Accept Unused Tickets.
Tickets in the possession of indi-
according to the commissions
order. are to be accepted for fares un-
y h.f
used tickets are to be redeemed at the
full value by the companies that issued
them.
The order. affecting practically
every one in the District, became at
once the cause of almost universal
sion being that more time should
have been allowed before the order
became effective. and that the ques-
tion OF 1ntercompany or universal
the, same time. The fact that the or
der, Specified that hearings are to be
held at future dates on the question
Of transfers between the lines of the
two companies. and that the first of
these hearings. regarding the Navy
Yard section. Is not to be held until
November Z, was ground for wide
spread comment.
Only one company operating in the
District. the WashingtonVirgin
",
Alexandria. Mount Vernon, Arling-
ton and other Virginia points, is
omitted in the order abolishing the
six-for-a-quarter tickets and substi-
tuting therefor straight five-cent fare.
Some Transfers Indicated.
In it's order abolishing the siN-for-
a-quarter tickets and establishing
straight five-cent fare the public
utilities commission said in regard to
the inter-company transfers, pro-
posed as a correlative feature Of the
increase in fare:
1.-The question of free universal
transfers. SO called, or, more properly
speaking. free fntercompany trans
fers,' was discussed at length in the
hearings. The president of the petit
was and Electric Company. as well
as the vice president of the Capital
Traction Company, admitted that at
certain points of intersection of their
lines free transfers might
be interchanged which would be of
great benefit to the public, although
perhaps not tending to increase the
revenues of the companies.
Both these officials stated that they
would interpose no legal objection to
an order Of this commission requiring
such transfers at points where, in the
opinion of the commission. the public
interests demand it, and where it
gestion on the lines. 1t was the
opinion of the witnesses. however,
that no extensive system of inter-
company transfers should be estab-
lished without careful and complete
investigation by the experts of the
companies and the commission
Better Service Forecasted.
After giving consideration to evil
dence adduced in the case the commits
sion states:
THAT war times are causing an alb
normal situation. particularly in the
National Capital, with its present
crowded condition. While it is true that
operating expenses and costs of mate
rial have greatly advanced, it. is like
wise true that a much larger source of
revenue to the street railway Companies
has been provided by this abnormal in
crease in population. This crowded
condition has occasioned many incon-
veniences and distractions in the street
the public while the streSE car COM
panies are receiving. the benefit of the
greatly increased number of fares. I'm
der these conditions it is only right
and proper that the utility must hear
its share of the wars burdens, as rep
other benefits to the public as the com
mission may hereafter determine, lust
as every person and institution must
bear it's share.
That it appreciates the patient
manner in which the public has ac-
cepted the street car service as now
given them in the District of Column
bia, which is, conceded by the COM
panies and the public and is known
to the commission to be much below
the standard which should be main
tanned. In view of the assertions
made by the companies as shown by
the record in this case that the quail
ity of service depends in large meas
ure upon the sufficiency of the reve-
nue. received by them, and the COM
mission being of the opinion that the
increased revenue, as sought by the
companies in their petitions, is more
than sufficient to meet the recent
large increases in the wages Of its
employees made necessary by extreme
war conditions as well as the con-
stantly increasing prices of materials,
the commission will expect the COM
panies to bring the service to the
proper standard of efficiency
THAT in view of tie action of the
in fare in advance of a finding by it
of the fair value of the property of
the company on which it should be
allowed to earn a reasonable return
and as a condition of such increase
of fares. there shall be a determine
ton at an early date by the commits
sion Of tho question of transfers be-
tween TIE lines OF the petitioners and
fCo0finued an Sacond pa ~ 4