Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-08-21
TO DECIDE FARE
JUMP NEXT WEEK
Service at Cost Means Higher
Rate at Once.

The public service commission prob
ably will reach a decision on the service
at-cost petition of the indianapolis Street
Railway Company next week, according
to E. I. Lewis, chairman of the com
mission, who returned to indianapolis
today.
A favorable ruling on the petition
probably will mean increased car fare
Immediately.
The plan contemplates the increase or
| decrease in rates as expenses increase or
| decrease.
The car company recently pointed out
| the necessity for more revenues because
of the increase in coal prices.
Mr. Lewis said he has been in close
touch with the financial condition OF the
company and that it has been satisfac-
/ tory until recently, when coal prices In
| creased.
| He said that while he was away from
| the city he studied the operation Of the
service at-cost plan in Boston and Mon
| treal
He previously had gone over similar
systems in Cleveland and Cincinnati
HEARING WILL
BEGIN MONDAY.
Hearing will begin Monday on the petit
ton filed Aug. ., by thirty-one railroads
operating in Indiana for increases in
freight and passeng ger rates TO equal
those granted recently by the interstate
commerce commission.
Mr.. Lewis, John ". McCardle, Paul
P. Haynes, commissioners, and a. D.
Cronk. freight rate expert Of the COM
mission, will conduct the hearing.
The petition asks that the railroads
be allowed to increase passenger fares
20 per cent, and asks for a boost In
I freight rates Of - per cent, these being
/ the increases approved by the federal
commission.
The following railroads will be repre-
sented at the hearing:
Baltimore & Ohio, Baltimore * OHIO
/ and Chicago Terminal Company, Chesa-
peake & Ohio, Central Indiana Company,
( Chicago. Indianapolis & Louisville, Chi
cago. Terre Haute & Eastern, Chicago q
Eastern Illinois, Cincinnati, indianapolis
& Western Cleveland, Cincinnati & Chi
I cago. Cleveland, Cincinnati & st. Louis,
Dayton & Union, Elgin, Joliet x East
I ern. Chicago & Erie, Evansville Indian
apoIis, Grand Rapids & Indiana. Grand
/ Trunk. Illinois Central, Lake Erie X
( Western. Indiana Harbor Belt, Louisville
/ & Nashville, Michigan Central, New Jer-
/ sey, Indiana & Illinois, New York Cen
/ trai. New York, Chicago & st. Louis,
/ PENNSYLVANIA. Pere Marquette, Pittsburg
/ Chicago, Cincinnati & st. Louis. Toledo,
Peoria & Western and the Wabash.
+ Several days time will be consumed
4 in the hearing, it is expected
KEEP ILLINOIS
GRANT IN MIND.
while the commission is hearing the
petition of the Indiana railroads, 1t will
bear IN mind the fact that Illinois has
granted only 33 1-3 per cent increase
said Chairman Lewis.
Mr. Lewis, in commenting on investi-
cations made in the east in regard to the
petition of the indianapolis Street Rail-
/ way Company for service at cost
stated that he had become acquainted
with fuel conditions as they affect utili-
/ ties in that section of the country.
Il found that their condition is much
the same as that Of utilities in In
/ DIANA" said Mr. Lewis.
I'm a conversation with members of
/ the New York state utilities commission,
/ l learned that many companies there are
/ paying as high as SIT per ton for coal.
Many of the utilities now are facing
/ shutdowns because of failure to obtain
/ fuel supplies"
The Interborough Rapid Transit Com
/ pany, which operates cars in New York
! city, was operating Tuesday with only
three-day coal supply, and is daily
/ facing curtailment of service, said Mr..
/ Lewis.