The Washington times., 1919-10-16
Washington Demands A Five
Cent Fare
Bv EARL GOODWIN.

By EARL GOODWIN.
The Washington Railway and Electric Company is ask
ing officially for seven-eent fare while Secretary Bowen
has stated that if the wages Of the men increased
seventy three cents an hour the company win ask for nine
cent fare a ten-cent fare
The time has for the Public Utilities Commission
to quit nbbng at this cherry to lay the foundation for
a permanent policy Of FTVFlC lCFNTSTRFET CAR FARE
throughout the entire District Of Columbia vecent car
fare is entirely possible and if the two companies in the
city Of Washington both operate on that basis they
should be taken by the Government the actual
of building and operated by the city at fare Of FIVE
CENTS or lower.
Ninety million fares collected from street car pas
sengers in this city every year.
A raise Of two cents such as the W. r. and u Co Is
now asking, means tax Of One Million Eight Hundred
Thousand Dollars year levied on people going to and from
their work If the Public Utilities Commission grants this
raise to road it must grant It to both which win tax
the entire street car riding public who win get nothing in
return.
ten-cent fare, if the same number Of passengers
patronized the roads, would annual upon the
people of Washington Of Four Million Five Hundred Thou
sand half much they taxed By the Govern
ment for the upkeep Of the entire city
We recognize that the w. r. and p. Co is facing
crisis in its affairs, and is the riding public. IN this
crisis the Public Utilities Commission MUST adopt per
pie Of this city viii stand for is a hveeent fare with
adequate service.
it cannot be obtained BY the present owners Of the
roads, it must be obtained BY munieipalzaon. We are
tired of temporzng with the situation realizing that there
have been two fare increases within year and two
staring Us in the face.
The public, which gave up its streets and looks upon
street railway nothing but public highway, win no
longer stand idle as merely waiting to see how much
MORE money street company is going to take from
the public for the privilege Of riding public thorough
fare.
fvecent fare is not only "psyehologealy correct
has been testified to before the Electric Railway COms
sion, but it is entirely possible
4 fvecent fare is possible IN Washington as long a.
the street railway system for the public service and
nothing else.
The Public Utilities Commission has the opportunity to
stop forever the eternal begging for MORE money BY
street corporation. It viii have the backing Of the
city and get the backing Of Congress It can ask either
for straight out and out Government ownership under
COMPETENT management it give Immediately and
full consideration to the plan Of Corporation Counsel Sme
or the fve-cent fare plan Of Commissioner Kutz
Contrast this to the other possibilities ten-eent fare
with improvement In service possibility Of extensions
of the lnes possibility Of improving even the existing
physical properties such the tracks roadbeds and ears
Take into consideration the fact that wherever tencsnt
fare put into operation travel falls of to the minimum
which means withdrawal of cars The ZONE FARE plan
is so unpopular that it seems impossible
It is evident then, that the Public Utilities Commission
is about take step forward backward It cannot
stand still If it takes backward step and taxes the peo-
pile of Washington millions Of dollars merely to keep
corporation pay roll going it win be entirely unindful Of
the public it takes the forward step and establishes the
policy of vecent lower fare it viii done the big
gest thing for Washington that any set of have done
since the first President helped survey the original bounds