Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-12-26
SIXTEEN TRANSFER
POINTS FAVORED IN
REPORT BY BEELER
CONTINUED from First Page1

the solution OF the transfer problem
Will have been removed.
The reasons given by the companies
for their objection to transferring
suburban passengers to city lines are
twofold
First. the suburban passenger is
now receiving more than full value
for the fare he gives the company,
be made for the benefit of a class
already being served at a loss.
Second. the long suburban lines
have been built and operated with
the idea that they should act as feed
ers only to the lines of the company
that is sustaining and developing
them. To open these lines as feeders
to the lines of another company
which bore no part of the expense
of development appears to the COM
panies as an injustice as well as a
source Of financial loss.
Financial Loss Discussed.
Discussing these points. Mr.. Beeler
says:
The financial loss that is involved
will be in part the result of the re-
adjustment of traffic following the
granting of a free intercompany
transfer. This loss will be neutral
lied in SO far as the traffic coming
from the suburban lines of one COM
pany balances up against the traffic
from the suburban lines of the other
company, but the advantage will nat
urally be on the side of the company
which hauls the least number of sub
urban passengers.
AS to the first of these arguments,
the answer that Immediately comes to
mind is that passengers are now
transferring from suburban lines to
city lines, or even to other suburban
lines. of the one system, Cabin John
to Congress Heights. for instance; and
why should not the transfer be given
then for intercompany trips of the
same nature. Cabin John to Randle
Highlands, for instance? The COM
pany's reply is that the present gen.
erous intracompany transfer privilege
should not constitute a precedent to
be followed in establishing the regu-
lations governing the intercompany
transfer privileges, especially when
passengers making the above trips
are being hauled at a loss.
The Fundamental Difficulty.
It is very apparent from this brief
discussion that the real basic cause OF
the difficulty is in the present method
Of selling transportation. any quantity
desired being sold for a certain fiat
rate to all corners. whether they wish
to ride twelve miles or twelve blocks.
The money lost on the twelve-mile
rider is assessed against the twelve
block rider. The companies, believ-
ing this to be wrong in principle, rec
ognize its present existence. but OBJ
ject to its extension.
1t would hardly be reasonable. how
ever, to make the transfer passenger
riding from Cabin John to Randle High
lands pay for his trip on a quantity
basis If the transfer passenger from
Cabin John to Congress Heights con-
tinued to pay on a fiat rate basis. neither
would 1t be any more reasonable to carry
the through car passenger from Takoma
Park to the navy yard for fiat rate.
This leads to the principle of having
the street railway passenger pay for the
transportation which is actually render
ed him, commonly known as the zone
system; subject outside the scope of
this report and yet fundamental to a
thoroughly equitable solution of the
problem.
The Immediate Question.
The immediate question then is
should further privileges be extended
to that class of car riders who are
even now being carried at a loss that
is made up by the fare paid by the
short haul riders?
If not, a system should be inaugu-
rated by which fares will be paid by
passengers according to distance trav-
eled.
If the present system of charging
one fare for trip anywhere within
the limits of the District is to be main
tanned, proposals for requiring those
| who would use fntercompany trans
fers to pay according to the service
rendered them should not be consid-
cred Any additional revenue re-
quired as a result of the intercompany
| transfer should be levied fatty, either
against all passengers or against all
transfer passengers.
It is with this latter idea In mind
| that the recommendations contained
herein have been made.
MI. Beeler Presents Figures.