Evening star., 1919-05-16
: Relief Appears Likely.


Out of today's hearing, at which
citizens were given an opportunity to
cross-examine Mr.. Ham, the impress
sion has grown that relief of some
description will be given the COM
pany.
Chairman Kutz's insistence In sew
eral instances that citizens confine
their questions to the company's need
Of &1ditional revenues strongly 1ndf-
Gated the commissions purpose not to
consider collateral propositions. but
rather the single issue Of whether the
traction concern must be given more
money to exist
Two suggestions came out of the
sion may give consideration to as
being more desirable than zone
system. Both are predicated upon Mr.
Hams statement that the railway
system requires about 100000 more
in revenue annually than 1t is now re-
ceiving under the scent fare.
Suggests 6-Cent Fare, No Taxes.
The first proposal. presented by
Charles Selden, tr., who formerly
operated the Washington and Mary
to Takoma Park. contemplates f.
cent fare and abolition Of taxes. street
s.y!ss ss.!. .sa1 srossias p;.!eeRsa u
than 100000 year. :.
Mr. seiden advocated reief from
ed that q 6-cent fara in itself would
not be snfiicisnt to enable th6 com.
pai1y to surmount tts difficulties.
William NICK. Clayton, appearing
for the Federation Of Citizens Assoc
cations, presented the other proposal.
- t. -~ -. 3Av. 49,
fers and restoration Of the present
Scent electric light rate to the for
mer charge of 10 cents per kilowat
hour. The company now is collect
ing at the 10-cent rate, but is hold
ing the increase in a special fund to
be returned to consumers should the
courts uphold the Scent rate.
Mr.. Ham was unable to say offhand
whether either Of these plans would
AFFORD the full relief desired, but said
they would go a long way toward
solving the problem.
Mr.. Selden and William w. Price,
the latter representing the Congress
Heights Public Improvement Associa-
tion, spoke in opposition to the zone
plan. 1t was the conviction Of Mr..
Selden that. as urban residents enjoy
good streets and other conveniences,
the burden Of providing the street car
company with additional revenue
should not fall on the suburbanites.
who, in many instances, are now being
assessed that they may have the same
improvements that long since have
been provided their city neighbora
Mr.. Price thought that as suburban
dwellers were willing to put up with
inconveniences in developing the out
lying sections they should not be
penaliZed by being forced to pay high
er car fares.
Refers to Power Company.
In the course of his testimony Mr..
Ham referred to a statement he made
Yesterday concerning the finances Of
the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany, which, he said, may have mis-
led the commission as to the deficit
now being incurred by this concern
Potomac Electric Power Company
earnings show the company to be
facing a more serious loss than gen.
orally had been supposed. Accord
ing to Mr.. Ham the company at the
present rate will fail by s2s7,000 to
that it has declared in the past.
Asked by K. P. Armstrong Of the
Rhode Island Avenue Suburban Citi-
zens' Association If the railway COM
pany, during the first three months of
the present year. incurred a deficit,
excluding the amount needed for
stock dividends. Mr.. Ham replied in
the Affirmative. The same was true,
he said, for the flrts three months of
last year.
Seeks Opinion as to Merger.
w. ]. Swanton Of the Columbia
Heights Citizens Association. sough,
m ascertain Mr. Hams opinion an r.
the desirability of a merger and also
the cempany's policy toward organ
ICED labor. Chairman Kutz said that
the commission did not desire any in.
formation of this character for the
purpose Of the present Investigation
He also ruled out a number of general
questions asked by Mr.. Armstrong.
Mr.. Selden stated that, while he had
70 particular love for the Washington
; Railway and Electric Company, the
company had laid its cards on the table
and that the citizens of Washington looL
to the public utilities commission tC
solve the problem. The commission. he
continued, may not have authority tc
order a merger or repeal taxes, but II
has the right Of persuasion.
The case will be concluded tomorrow
morning, with presentation Of an arr,i.
ment by Mr.. Clayton on the legal point.
| involved. Mr.. Clayton was granted az
hour in which to submit the views n,
the Federation Of Citizens Associations