The Washington times., 1919-11-20
TO TRY OUT
NEW FARES
Public Utilities Commission Will
Not Increase Revenues of w.
/ R, and &. for the Present.
~ BILL PRIcE.


csSeaei Kutz. chairman Of the Pub
Au Utilities Commission. is not fully
esavinesd that the figures of the first
svU weeks of operation of street car
hnss under the present schedule of
fsfos r. conciuJive evidence that IL
v1n Be necessary for the Commission
- give further relief to the Washing
ten Railway and Electric Company
that the latter may earn the per
eeat rsturn on its valuation deter
mined ON by the commission.
The commission agrees that IL would
b eonfiscatory II the company is not
psrmttted 10 earn the per cent on
valuation. and IL the operations un
DER the present rates do not show
sufficient Increase OF revenues to
reach that point the commission will
Of itD own accord again take up the
question of rates for further action.
That this viii not be done for some
time. however. is Indicated by the
comnissioa- Reasonable time win be
takan to develop results Of operation
pndsr seven cents cash and four
eomnfsofon. IA its ruling ding these
fsreA decided that the company was
entttlsd To hsve Increased revenues
sf tsSo.eeo year above what ii had
been earning. This amount was de
cided on after pairing 70 the bone the
Various claims Of the company. which
stated that nothing less than t1.15o,o0
Of additional revenues would meet the
situation-
YagDsos ~ D,sst I've weeks.
For the arst two weeks OF operation
Il tAe nsw rates. the gross revenues
Of the Washington Railway and Elec-
ufe Company. ~ compared with the
last tive weeks under the scent rate.
ah0W 3 total increase Of x1e,4S5. or
- average Of SA2<3 per week. This.
- eeottausd through . year, would
HsGn an annual increase of $42s. .616
Instead of te5o. 900 which the Utilities
Conmission thought IL wss allowing.
There was . deersase OF 267 ,077 pay
pssosneers IN the arst two weeks Of
November over the last two Of October,
or III per cent Tho Capital Tracrion
agures shov relatively the same fall
iag 0ff In pay passengers, indicating
70 railway officials that Thousands Of
people took to Walking when the In
ereasod rates -Weat Into s6eotS- x4sPe-
mains to be seen whether this walk
ing habit Il to become permanent
- u merely temporary resentmen,
aGa4nst the increasa-
nat there are already some signs of
neseoesd traffic in the third week
uf IL new rates rates. This might
D. aocounted for. they said, by the
fAet that traffic always tncreaaes
Hround the first and middle Of each
1onth, immediately following pay
days In Government departments and
oureausL
ne Utilities Commission. though. is
net worrying about revenues Of the
Capital Traction, which under any cir
Sumstances will earn more than the
op@mission would Hike TO see IL earn.
Thsy are concerned In the Affairs OF
hs W. R and r.
new Cos1eef3sa DSxes CSaiDG.
Neither Of the railway companies Is
enthusiastically fixed for collection Of
fases. TAe former fare boxes in which
s-cent pieces could be dropped have
had to be junked and new collection
boxes, with separate apartments for
cash and metal tekena. must be in
ssal3ed
The new boxes are not due before
afy. ana II they get in before January
vim not be Installed during the rush
boars Of Christmas season.
Accusations are made to the Utili-
ties Commission that considerable
~knoeking down" Of fares II being en-
gaeed In. Several letters have been
oeAt TO this writer making the same
aceusatioaa One correspondent de-
s,arss that my ARTICLES are usually
tcostinusd on Page a. Column ~