The Washington herald., 1920-03-25
FARE INCREASE
SEEMS LIKELY
Commission Indicates W. r.
&E. Will Be Granted
More Revenue.
PROTESTS ARE HEARD
Members Of Citizens Asso-
Citations Oppose Raise
In Rates.
PROTESTS ARE HEARD

In spite of protests from repre-
sentatives of number of citizens
associations. the Public Utilities
Commission yesterday indicated at
hearing of the request of the
Washington Railway & Electric
Company for, an increase in fares
that additional revenues would be
provided for both traction COM
panies of the District.
Suggestion OF w. z. Swanton.
Columbia Heights Citizens Asso-
citation and Federal Employees
Union. that the company be al
lowed. to go into the hands Of q
receiver and thus force a merger
with the Capital Traction Com
pany. was looked on with disfavor
by Commissioners Brewnlow and
kutz.
Adjourns until Wednesday.
Kutz declared that the Commits
sion would be sh;rking its duty IL
II allowed receivership. Brown
low expressed the opinion that poor
service which might result would
too greatly Inconvenience the pub
Lie. - =
George A. Ward, representing
the Columbia Heights association,
declared 1t would be much better
to be fnconvenienced than to have
the Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company always asking for
more money and the Capital Trac-
ton Company building up huge
surplus. ,-r r..
The hearing adjourned until
Wednesday morning at ten o'clock
to give the traction companies
time to present data on a zone sys-
tenn. w. Nick. Clayton, attorney
for the Federation OF Citizens As
sociations, indicated that he would
protest zone rates and contest the
comissioners' legal authority to
put them into effect.
Favors Power Rate Boost.
Evan II. Tucker, Northeast Wash
iLgton Citizens Association, pro-
posed n merger of both companies
with the Potomac Electric Power
Company and an increase in power
rates. He said citizens would rather
have power rates increased than
fares.
He said a 12-cent rate for cleo
tricity would be acceptable to the
people IL II were necessary. In
creased fares and transfer charges,
he contended, is not q practical So
luton to the street railway prob
lem.
Maj. d. S. Fletcher, Takoma Park
Citizens Association, declared THAI
his organization was not opposed 20
a company receiving enough rev.
enue to pay a fair return on it's Ia
vestment. but does not think the
public ought to pay for missman-
agement.
Merger Held Solution.
The two companies in washingt on
are earning a combined dividend OF
z per cent, he said. adding that the
solution Is merger and the Com
mission should urge this step upon
Congress.
Percy Metzger. a stockholder in
the Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company, held sthe company
should be granted a 10-cent fare il
1t wanted IT.
Miss Gertrude McNally, represent
ing employees of the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing, protested
against any further increase in the
cost OF living for government en-
ployes.
She advocated municipal owner.
ship.
Opposes Zone System.
The Rev. DR.. Charles F. Aiken,
representing the students and fac
ulty of Catholic University and the
Brookland Citizens Association, pro-
tested against any system of zone
fares.
w. s. Ayres. Brookland Citizens
Association. advocated 10-cent rate
for the Potomac Electric Power
Company.
DR.. E. F. Sappington. president
of the Mt. Pleasant Citizens As
sociation, said that before the trac-
ton company is granted an increase
it should be made to furnish service
which would at least Justify the
present rates.