The Washington times., 1919-01-04
PROPAGANDA
OF FINANCIAL
WOE STARTED
BY CAR-t|NES
ny BILL PRICE.


That talk of q Scent or 7-cent
street car fare for Washington has
caused something that rhymes with
ben to break loose. The odor will be
typical. too, before the suggested in
creases are made. IL they ever are.
But the facts are what the people
want and are going to get
They are that the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company, with the
Capital Traction standing OF In the
distance giving enc ouragement, is en-
tering upon q propaganda Of financial
woe. all preliminary to a nnal appeal
to the Public Utilities Commission for
relsef. based entirely upon the plea
that scent fares are not going to
give the companies sufficient rev.
enues to pay proper returns upon
their stocks and bonds
II II not true that the W. r and
Z Is preparing data to file an early
petition for increased fares, although
that Is the evident purpose in the
end The company is merely start
Ing on the tale of woe Ii ultimately
will reveal Possibly the tale of woe
viii be accurate enough in facts and
figures to make an impression on
sion
Undecided On Action
The company, however, Is not defi-
nitely decided on an actual policy OF
asking for an increase. 1t really does
/; not know at this minute just what 1t
will do beyond laying its difficulties
before the commission and the pub
! lie Its officers state frankly that
IL II up against bad situation,
|. which will get worse so long as high
wages are ps id the crews and en-
ployes generally. and so long as high
prices prevail for everything used by
the roads
1t 10 denied today by the railway
authorities that the purpose Of the
facts already given out and to be
followed by others Is one Of opposi-
|. tion to free inter-company transfers
|. at the intersecting points recommend
ed by John A BeeIer, and on which
q hearing will be held by the COM
mission next Tuesday morning.
The railway companies will not, IL
definitely was stated today, strongly
oppose the transfers. They cannot
favor them, on the other hand, in
view Of the alleged financial outlook
The plan will be to tell the Utilities
Commission what 10 the outlook, and
TO put the whole thing strongly up
to that body. II the commission or
ders the transfers, NO LEGAL FIGHT
WILL BE MADE.
-Four ways Of Relief.
The position of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company today
is that there are four ways the COM
mission may follow in the event that
body considers that the companies
- FW0wN An0
cfai relief.
I. Reduction OF wages and other
expenses. Neither officials OF the
companies nor the Commission would
approve this. Both say that at pres
ent cost OF living the employees OF
the companies are not getting any
more than that to which they are
entitled
2 A charge for transfers. Rail-
way officials declare this would not
be sufficient to give necessary help,
recommended would bear comparative
~ little on the future financial af-
fairs OF the companies.
3. Flat increases in fares.
l. Further issues OF bonds.
To the Utilities Commission. when
ever the companies are prepared to
make public their data, the recon-
mcndation win be Take your choice
Of these four"
The Other Side.
The foregoing is the railway side
OF the situation 1t is at least def
nitely settled today that 1t will take
n long time to convince the Commits
sion that the companies are correct
in their conclusions. or that any of
the four courses recommended will
have to be followed The commission
knows q few things.
One Of these is that the doleful
tune now being played by the COM
panies Is based on figures of receipts
and expenditures before the scent
fare went into effect They are also
based upon the idea that Washington
Is going to lose heavily in population
and that the revenues of the COM
panies will rapidly slide down hill.
The flat Scent fare went into effect
in this city December 1. last, just
little more than a month ago. 1t had
been ordered more than a month in
advance on representations OF inan-
eIaI losses. The result under this
increased fare are yet to be made