Evening star., 1919-11-10
|C|TE NEED Of FARE
|RA|SE IN MARYLAND
W. R. E. Co. Officials Testify
None of Suburban Lines
Pays Operation Costs.


| that electric railway fares in Mary
| uand should be brought on basis
commensurate with fares in the Dis
trict of Columbia, officials of the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company testified in support of their
petition for increased fares in Mary
land today before the fifteenth sec
tion board of the Interstate Com
merce Commission.
w. F. Ham. president of the COM
pany. pointed out that when the CITY
and Suburban railway was taken over
about twenty years ago by the Wash
ington RAILWAY and Electric Com
pany, to form an Integral part OF the
companys system, it and all the other
Maryland lines were intended to form
feeders for the urban lines OF the
company.
Never since its taking over by the
parent company. he said. has it paid
its cost of operation, and it has never
had any surplus on which to pay IN
terest on its capitalization. The subur-
ban lines. Mr.. Ham said, were taken
over by the Washington Railway and
Electric Company to build, up the
properties in Maryland about Wash
ington.
A. G. Neill Chief Witness.
A. G. Neill. controller of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company
was the chief witness today. In his
opening testimony he read from a
statement showing the various deficits
incurred during the last nine months
by the various lines Of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
running into Maryland.
Mr.. Ham supplemented this state
ment by declaring that none OF tho
lines show a surplus above operating
expenses. Mr.. Neill pointed out. in
answer to a question as to service on
the City and Suburban line, that the
company sustained a heavy loss in
the fire which partially DESTROYED the
lexington car barn last February,
which loss, he said. was only partly
covered by insurance.
Comparative rates were presented
before the board by S. r. Bowen. vice
president of the company. and Mr..
Neill. showing rates charged ~ the
City and Suburban line and the Balti-
more and Ohio railroad which parallels
the line to it's terminus at Laurel
Officials Of the company pointed out
that although the steam road rate is
less for several zones in Maryland
than the rate asked in its petition by
the electric road, the fiat rate for
commuters using monthly book OF
twenty-six round trips would actually
be less than the steam road rate. 1t
transfer privilege is accorded all
holders of Communication books while
passengers on the steam road. II they
have business downtown. are forced
to pay a cash fare of cents or one
District car ticket.
Means 10 Per Cent Increase.
The increases asked by the company
contemplate. as explained by Mr..
4~A
zone in Maryland and will raise the
price of Communication books sold on a
monthly basis about 10 per cent. This
rate as compared with the steam road
charge. does not include war tax, Mr..
Neill pointed out. which he said would
result in considerable net monthly
saving to the commuter.
Prof. c. P. Close of the Department
of Agriculture, q resident of College
Park, asked If the right of intercom-
pany transfers was extended by the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company to Communication book pas
sengers wishing to ride on the lines
of the Capital Traction Company and
was told that they were not. Mr..
Bowen told the board that intrastate
tariff rates were filed with the Public
Utilities Commission of Maryland to
ing fiat rate of cents per zone in
Maryland.
Other Lines Needs Similar.
The same necessitN that exists on
the lines of the City and Suburban
line for increased revenue exists on
the other lines of the company run
ming into Maryland, namely, the
Washington and Rockville, the Cabin
John line and the Washington Inter
urban line. Mr.. Ham told the board.
statement that none Of the Maryland
roads has paid operating costs since
their Incorporation in the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. Mr..
Ham pointed out that a passenger
coming into Washington from River
dale on the Washington IRterurban
line is granted a free transfer to any
line of the company at 18th and H
streets northeast.
strictly speaking" he said. 1.-The COM
muter is not entitled to a free transfer
on communication book, but for pur-
poses of Identification we have allowed
these transfers and will continue to al
low them under our present petition"
The board recommended that the points
where intercompany z-cent transfers
were given be shown in the tariffs filed
Mr.. Ham disagreed with Mr.. Bowen, he
said. in the statement that the pas
senger holding communication book gets
a 2-cent intercornpany transfer because
it would not apply in the reverse direc-
ton.
Great increases in cost of material,
heavy wage increases and increased
operating expenses were declared by
Mr.. Ham TO be the chief causes of re-
duced earnings of the suburban roads
and these. he said. underlie the reason
for the present petition.
The petition will be considered by the
board and a decision probably will be
reached within the week