The Washington times., 1919-09-19


victiou among al Public Utilities Of
ficltIb who have followed the rate
enc valuation proceedings before that
bodg for years that Congress, if It
viii act az once, can assure con-
tiCuation Of per cent fares, with
free transfers. That would be BY
passing a law practically compelling
= merger az the two companies undeU
wide authority Of District supervis-
ion ana Representations OF the public
on the executive and operating de-
partments Of the consolidated road
TIE merger could be compelled By g
provision that if not voluntarily
anfeed TO the District would be au-
thoriEed 70 condemn sno operate ss
mrnicipal enterprises.
C6nFress would have any Of sew
ercl plans 90 choose from. Ihat Or
Conrad Syme. counsel Of the ?. U.
c.. embracing some OF the features
of tha Eutz plan, would call for con
corffateG operation 70 effect large
sarisvs On overhead charges; deficite
10 he paid from District revenues
untu conditions become some 'aet e.
noruaI; and al extensions to be puilt
anF owned b. the District out Of city
revenues. The Eymue plan would
e-1nra nee . return of 6 per cent %
- lhc ufnt We
ualsdna and also ulu WhateFet ~
creased valuations may eventually Pc
found BY thG c0urkG. if the courts
should order any increase.
~ GonrFesa uoes EOthiRg'
~ as House and senate District
rs-rr1ittse1 Of CunEress do not act
- cave the situaticn for the public
oerailV. then a. least z-eent rare
- ~ ortra acua fare seems in
ll5e hearTuag on the petition Of the
rr~Blrv are - 81 resumed next Tues
-. u there Win Be present All
hhs nembera Of the commission.
while there 81 s1lne e.lplclon ma ..- ~ -
irsupauT ha EpuFnosely maze ltS -
71r-9 danlar1hls 81 outlook, the com
r--irrisn unfcrstauds that it must be
-. - rouch holes On these hgures
- rrrnt the companT returns upon
- e7r-vrfI71 ton OF f16,1o0,ooos which
- ~ cent would bring In net reVe-
- ~ eoPs 900. from which interest
- bsnded DEBT and dividend interest
rrrrt be paid. The bonded DEBT OF the
errnsuF 81 about 44sOV4O0U' upon
--tich the annual interest is appre4l-
rlately f8Io,ooo a year leaving 49,
600 for interest on PteLsLLo 49,
srhe annual interest charges on tnis
-fs-lr ~ psr cent amounts to $685.
-. ann ana substance Of II all Is
fhof fhe company claims unreSeEN CO.
- fhat at the present rate OF LaFs
1tir ,7eqr n wiz fals short &l5O,o00 or
.nrnfnr anything az All which Woule
~ g1.fDO. 900 short Of earning tne
peF cent the Commission is 70 allO"
on the new Valuatlon. s-s--
mat means that the Commission
y,nef rIIrw revenues IN excess OF
fhore now earned o. 31,lOo'OoO q year
STbe company viii carry this year
about 100, COO 900 passengers. An az
dition Of I cent 70 the b-cent Iate
-wouId. a everybody continued 20 rae
l,vinr in 81. 0OO. 900 more, but expert
encs has shown that when rare is
raised short-hauI passengers proceed
fo walk, decreasing revenues from
ths most profitable sources.
what T-Ceut Fare v7ould Dc.
The higher the fare the more walk
inF is done, with increased dwtndlinE
az revenues. II Is doubted whether
T-sent fare would bring in as much
revenues as a 6-cent fare That ls
recognized BY utilities experts an
over the country and makes the
worst sort OF q problem
The lznottiest part OF a possipte
raise tu fares DV the CQmul4eslIu -
that the Capital Traction Company
lag not asked for an increase and II
rrrnted the same fare as the ". r.
/ and T., which could not well be
avoided, would come into possession
OF q surplus above It's valuation re-
turns. which would have to be divert
ef 70 extensions and improvements,
thereby further building IL up while
the other line would drag along with
barely enough to exist on.
Colonel Eutz. chairman OF the
Comu1GGion, has started out on q de-
teFmined program Of careful ques-
tioning Of all expense figures submit
ted bV the company. Inquiries al
ready made by him may reveal that
the suburban lines which the ". r
and = claims are losing money heav-
ny are being charged too large a pro-
DcFtion Of eEDendftures-in other
WordE being loaded down with
charges that DO not belong to them.
Thls questioning VIII continue. Mr..
syme viii participate.
Rents It's Cars.
The parent company has alwavs
claimed that Dc rents its cars 20 the
city and Suburban and GEORGETOWN
and TenleytoWn lines on a car-ufle
basis, and that this rental is the same.
now aG II was i've years ago; that its
charges Tor power haVe not been IN
creased despite general and heavy In
cFeaHes % az costs Yet Colonel