The Washington herald., 1919-10-19

hcult to ascertain In the absence OF
information to the contrary, the com.
mission accepts the judgment Of the
officials OF the Capital Traction Com.
pany and the Washington Railway
and Electric Company that an increase
in wages Of 3 cents per hour is fairly
comparable 10 the increase in the cost
Of living since March, 1919. and is,
therefore. just alike TO the employees
and to the travelling public upon whom
the added burden must lie. Il is esti.
mated that this increase In wages viii
add ns5.60o a year TO the operating ex-
penses OF the petitionerS-"
Explain Award
Regarding the unrequested increase
for the Capital Traction Company, the
report says:
Having reached a conclusion as q
the extent to which additional rev.
enues are needed by the Washington
Railway and Electric Company anc
its subsidiaries, and as to the bes,
means OF raising such Increased rev.
enues. it is OF Importance to deter
mine whether these increased rates OF
fare shall apply only to the Washing
ton Railway and Electric system OF
whether they shah apply alike to al
street railway companies within tht
District Of Columbia.
There would besbut one answer
to this question IL the two com.
panies were not competitive. bu'
with practically every line OF tn,
Washington Railway and Electric
Company within the city proper
paralleled by a line of the Capita
Traction Company, the application
of discriminating rates to the two
companies would. in the opinion oi
the commission, result in such q
disparagement OF the arteries oi
city transportation as to make Il
utterly impossible for the Capita
Traction Company TO render ade.
quate service, while, at the same
time, the reduction in the numbe,
of passengers on the Washington
Railway and Electric system would
10 a large extent. Offset the effec
on the gross revenues OF the IN
creased fares.
Uniform Rate Need.
The two systems are so relRteC
that IL the present character o.
service is TO be maintained. mucf
IVES II II otNIltu
tive that uniform rates be main
tained on the two systems. Fol
similar reasons the increased rate
should also apply to the washing
ton-V1rginia Railway Company. Al
no charge is made for transferi
between the Capital Traction Com
pany and the East washington
Heights Traction Railroad Com
pany. the new rates will also apply
TO that line, even though II is no
a competing line.
TT is true that the disparity in tn,
net earnings OF the two principa
street railway corporations is verl
great, and every proper means ot
correcting this disparity should b
taken. In the opinion of the commits
sion. a big step toward this end lie:
in modifying the provisions Of the Law
under which street railway compa
nies are required to pay into th'
public treasury 4 per cent Of theil
gross revenues.
Law InequitnbIe.
while this law has been on tn
statute Books for many years, II u
ineQuitable in its terms. and. IN th'
Judgment OF the commission. should
be modified by exempting from taxa
ton that part Of the income Requires
to meet operating expenses and pa,
a fair return upon the fair value o
the property. and that upon incom'
In excess OF the amount exempted ;
tax should be levied upon a slidin:
scale, as II is done under the genera
Federal income-tax law.
1T is the intention of the commits
sion to present this matter TO Con
gress at an early date, together will
certain other suggested changes II
the law, designed to relieve the stree
railway companies from burdens nov
resting upon them, which, In tn,
opinion Of the commission. should b,
borne by the community as a whole
II such legislation is enacted. it.wil
necessitate a downward revision II
rates OF service. which is one reasoi
for limiting the rates established b!
this order to q six-months period.
For All Companies
In the summing up of its pre-
amble to the order, the commission
concludes:
In view Of all the facts in thi
case and after careful consideration
Of the evidence before il. the com
mission is Of the opinion that tn
Washington Railway and Electri
Company. the City and Suburb
an Railway of Washington. tn
Georgetown md Tennallytown Rail
way Company and the Washington
Interurban Railroad Company ar
in need Of financial relief whicl
can only be obtained through in
creased rates OF fare.
1t is. therefore. ordered:
THAT the initial rate OF fare o.
the lines of the Washington Railws,
and Electric Company. the City an
Suburban Railway Of Washington, tn
Georgetown and Tennallytown Railwa
Company, the Washington Interurba
Railroad Company, the Capital Trac
ton Company. the East Washingto
Heights Traction Railroad Company
and the Washfngton-Virgini Railwa
Company within the District Of Co
lumbia Is hereby increased from
cents cash to cents cash: provided
however. that each of the said stree
railway companies shall cell four tick
cts for 8 cents. and shall receive an
exchange tickets with each other.
VIII Issue Tickets.
THAT each company shall fssu
its own tickets and sci no ticket
issued by any other company, an
such tickets after having been ono
used shall be cancelled by the com
pany which issued the rame. Fo
the purpose of this order. the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany. the City and Suburban Rail
way OF Washington. the George
town. and Tennaliytown Raiiws