The Washington times., 1919-01-08

of the company: how soma Of them
had never paid money and how they
hung as a millstone on the neck Of
the main lines OF the company.
Gen. Kutz Iaterrupts.
General Kutz interrupted to say
that the matter Of revenues were not
now before the commission. except as
they bear on transfers. On this
phase Mr.. Ham persisted that his
company would be a much heavier
loser from free transfers NJ certain
points than the Capital Traction ow-
ing to the fact that his lines would
bring the passengers for long dis
tances to the Capital Traction lines
which would haul them short dis
tances and get half of the fares paid.
, Mr.. Ham said intercompany trans
fers would result in heavy losses to
his company IL granted at four
points: Fifteenth and G. streets;
Thirty-second and NJ streets, and
Fourteenth and Pennsylvania avenue.
He did not seem to regard the pro-
posed transfers at other points as
likely to hurt the revenues severely,
admitting that the free transfers first
inaugurated at points in northeast
Washington were negligible in q imam
cial way. .-
General Kutz also put stop to the
! loading Of figures as to increased
fares allowed in other cities of the
country. saying that what other cities
were paying would have little bear
ing on tue situation here.
Discuss Single Ownership.
General Kutz wanted to know from
Mr.. Ham il his objections to trans
fers at the points named would be as
marked under single ownership Of car
lines as under the double ownership.
Mr.. Ham said that would make con-
siderable difference and transfers
could then be given so as send pas
sengers by the shortest route.
Mr.. Ham was in the midst Of par
ticularly doleful statement Of the finan-
cial outlook Of his company, saying
that unless relief is granted 1t will
be impossible to borrow another dollar
or sell another bond. there being
scarcely enough income now to meet
operating expenses and large sums
being needed for improvement, when
he was interrupted by William Henry
White. Of the Mount Pleasant Citizens
Association.
Mr.. White wanted to know why the
W. r. E. persistently had resisted
past and had something about "oVer
So, 900 900 watered stock"
Mr.. Ham declared that the company
was not In a state of resistance to
the commission and had only exercised
its legal rights when 1t felt 1t should
do so. About ''watered stock" he said
nothing.
Mr., Ham told Mr.. White, in answer
to an inquiry, that the Washington
Railway and Electric Company gets its
current from the Potomac Electric
Light Company. which 1t owns, at ex-
actly cost, there being no fixed rate
for it.
No Motors For New Cars.
In telling about the efforts of his
company to operate cars under man!
adverse circumstances, Mr. Ham salG
only seventeen motors had been re-
ceiVed in Washington for the flttE
new cars that had been ordered. He
did not know when the other motors
would arrive as there is a strike In
the plant of the Westinghouse Com
pany, which is making them.
Mr.. Ham frankly admitted that the
service on the car lines Is bad, but
declared that human beings arc
working as hard as they know how
to bring about a better condition.
He was several times asked abou
his statement that passengers carrie"
last December were fewer in numbef
by $4,000 than the number in Jun"
and September. The point OF all the
questions was whether this was not
due to the failure of the company
to have fares registered.
Both companies are laying stress
on the probable decrease Of the pop
Qah nnlntlnr
surely to a reduction in revenues.
Some of Mr.. Hams Claims.
Some Of Mr.. Hams statements o.
the financial outlook were:
Now Is the time when the stree
railway industry Is passing throug
the darkest hour OF its existence"
During the last quarter of 1918 w
failed by $164.714 to meet our In
creased costs OF operation"
The fve-cent fare Is inadequate to