Evening star., 1920-01-06
W.R. AND {. ASKS
7-CENT FARE, WITH
2-CENT TRANSFERS
Exception to Latter Charge
Would Be Made in Case
of Rerouting.

of Rer0uting.
The Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company today applied to the
Public Utilities Commission for
straight seven-cent fare and renewal
of the charge of cents for trans
iers between its own lines.
If the petition is granted the COM
pany requests authority to sell tick
cts at the rate of five for 35 cents.
This would be no reduction. but mere
" a convenience to the conductors
and public. in that it would do away
with the necessity for handling PEN
MES.
The company tells the commission
that if the two-cent charge for trans
fers is restored there should be some
exceptions where free transfers would
he issued when the rerouting of cars
goes into effect on March 1.
Under the rerouting many passen-
to certain sections of the city will
have to transfer to get to those
points. Officials of the company eX-
planned today that since their ap2l-
cation for restoration of the transfer
charge comes on top of the reroutlng
plan. they have asked that exceptions
be made so that the public would not
think that they approved the rerout-
ing in order to create new transfer
points.
Would Avoid Delay.
In conclusion the company suggests
TO the commission that; in view OF the
extensive hearings held on previous
requests for relief. little If any ad-
6itional evidence need be taken on
this application. and, as time is the
essence of the relief now needed it is
respectfully urged that the several
annljcafionS afnraSaid and the evil
dence taken thereon may be deemed
as parts hereof and that the relief
herein prayed for and such other fur
ther relief as the commission may
with as little delay as the processes
of the honorable commission may per-
nit"
The company calls attention to the
fact that when the commission fixed
the fare at four tickets for quarter
timated that the company needed
sS5o0oO year more in order to earn
s per cent on the commissions fair
value of the comoany's property.
Far short of Estimates.
Two months of the six months
period covered by the commissions
>order have now elapsed the petition
>ptinues. land it is apparent that
Increased revenues received by
,ne company are falling far short of
the estimates of the commission.
mainly for the following reasons:
Il. The commission did not allow
for any decrease in the sale Of 2-cent
intercompany transfers. (Sales have
fallen off 29 per cent?
-. The commission did not allow
for any reduction in volume of traf-
f1c- (The number of pay passengers
has fallen of 6.S per cent?
'.3. The commission allowed for
1873 per cent of total passeng gers pay
ing cents cash -fare.sE@(Actn
centage is now 9.s per cent?"
]. H. Hanna, vice president Of the
Capital Traction Company. stated to-
day that his company is not con-
sidering joining in the request for
higher rate of fare. and will become
a party to the present case only if di-
rected to do so by the commission. In
ton Railway and Electric Company the
commission directed the Capital Trac-
tion Company to come into the case
anil made the fare of four tickets for
quarter apply to both companies.
Record of Two Months.
Continuing it's statement to show
how under the present rate of fare
ing the additional $850.000 the COM
mission estimated the company need
ed for a year. the company says:
During the months of November
and December during which latter
month the traffic is abhormally heavy
on account of the Christn as holidays)
total passenger earnings within the
District of Columbia have amounted
to an average of $14,109.11 per day.
as compared with an average in Oc-
tober, 1919, of $12.7s5.57 per day.
This is a daily increase of s1.32354,
equal to 1913 per cent. If this in
crease were to continue throughout
the year it would amount to $483O92,
1ryhi hinh ic han ho
900 increase which the commission
stated was necessary in order for us
20 earn per cent return on their
valuation.
carried daily average of 221,S27 pay
passengers, compared with daily
average in October of 237,955, a de-
crease of 6.s per cent Some decrease
was naturally to be expected. expert
ence having shown, as was developed
by the testimony in the case. that an
increase in rate is almost invariably
followed by a reduction in the volume
of traffic.
Receipts from the sale of intercom-
pany transfers have fallen Off 20 per
cent. 1t was to be expected there
would be a material decrease in the
use of two-cent intercompany transfers
when the charge for intracompany
transfers was removed. Use of the
latter has increased Al per cent
Company's Objections Repeated.
The company I'm its petition today
again objects to the valuation placed
upon it's property by the commission.
on which the rate of fair return is
based.
The company also again objects to
d per cent on the valuation as a fair
return to the company above operat-
ing expenses. AT the last hearing
the company argued for a return of
would restore the companys securi-
missions allowance for maintenance
ties to sound condition.
The company protests that the COM
and depreciation are inadequate and
insufficient and do not provide for OBJ
solescence. The company adds the
following protest against the commits
sions policy in regard to the financial
relations between the street railway
company and the Potomac Electric
Power Company:
Nv hen considering the rates of the
Potomac Electric Power COMPANY the
commission included as income of said
company talthough not received) the
sum of 100000 per annum which i'm
the commissions judgment, was the
additional amount the railway com
pany should pay to the power com
pany in connection with the Joint
manufacture of power: the actual
charging and transferring Of which
however, OH our DOCKS the cOmmi s.
sion ruled was immaterial because the
railway company owned the entire
capital stock of the power company
Now. when considering rates of the
railway company. the commission
commits the injustice of refusing to
allow the same item OF $4,000 as an
Expense of the railway company or
the ground that because not SO charR-
ID on it's books the expense has not
t,een incurred.
Advantage to Public Cited.