Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-04-16
D. c. CARFA ARE T0BE
scents CASH OR
4 TICKETS FOR 50
Transfers Will Remain Un.
changed by Public Utilities
Commissions Ruling.

Four tickets for 80 cents. or cents
cash, will be the rate of fare on all
street railway lines in the District be-
ginning May 1. Each company will
continue to give free transfers to it's
own lines and collect cents for inter-
| company transfers.
| This was ordered by the Public
Utilities Commission last night. The
| new rate Of fare will remain in effect
| until Japuary 1, 1921, unless otherwise
| ordered in the meantime. If no change
be made, the commission provides
that the straight five-cent fare. with
a two-cent charge for transfers, shall
be restored on that date.
The increase granted by the COM
mission will net the w. r. & E.
@625,ooo additional revenue in year.
whereas the company told the commits
| sion at the hearings that If 1t raises
| the pay of it's car men to the scale now
paid by the Capital Traction, it would
ineed s91S.O00 more year.
! The commission. in its order. admits
! that the new fare is less than the
! company estimated it should receive.
but expresses the belief that the bal
ance of the shortage should be made
up by reduction in the taxes of the
W. r. & E.
Would Abolish 4 Per Cent Tax.
The commission now has q bill be-
fore the House District committee
which would abolish the per cent
tax which the railways pay on their
the bill would require the companies
to pay as taxes SO per cent Of all
earnings above per cent on the
valuation and IS per cent of earnings
above per cent.
The effect of this bill would be to
ID
as long as it fails to earn s per
cent return on its fair value and at
the same time require the Capital
Traction to give up substantial sum
| in taxes as long as 1t earns more
than per cent.
The Capital Traction Company Is
earning more than per cent on it's
fair value and did not ask for a
higher fare at the hearings. The com
mission recognizes this in its order
but states that different rate of fare
on the two systems would cause such
a rush of traffic to the Capital Trac-
tion that service on that companys
lines would be disrupted and the w
r. & E. would lose in patronage.
William Nick. Clayton, representing
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
,tions. told the commission it could
avoid giving the Capital Traction un-
sought revenue by an increase in the
rate for electric current, but this ap-
parently did not meet with the ap-
proval Of the commission.
Mr. Clayton said today the fedora
ton probably would discuss the com
missions action at a meeting in the
District building tomorrow night. II
has been suggested that court ac-
ton be taken to prevent the in
creased fare from being extended to
the Capital Traction Company.
Citizens Victory Seen.
The action of the commission In
raising the fiat fare is declared to be
| a victory for the citizens associa-
j. ! tions. trade bodies and labor unions
which opposed zone system Of fares
The order provides that the com
panies can sell paper tickets or meta
tokens. 1t is understood both com
panies have ordered large shipments
of tokens.
The tickets now in circulation vii,
g. not be good on the cars after Nav
} but will be redeemed at the Offices o,
, | the companies at any time.
: Here Is how the street car fare he,
D gone up in the District: On Octobe,
: 26, 1913. the old rate of six ticket,
for quarter was abolished and a fia
scent fare ordered; June /, 1919
t charge OF cents for all ira psfer,
e was added; November /. 1919. cent,
cash. or four tickets for uuarfer
, was ordered. The November orde,
: abolished the charge for intra-com
pany transfers. but continued the 2-cen
, charge for inter company transfers.
5 One temporary reduction I'm fs,,
was MADE on January II. 1919, wher
the commission ordered free int.,
: company transfers at thirteen points
: The 2-cent charge later was restored
: The text OF the Comm,s.,ons,. -
:. der Is printed on page four OF foda ",
s Star.