The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1920-01-03
PUBLIC TO FIGHT
FARE OF I CENTS
W. R. & E. Expected to
Meet Strong Opposition
Before Commission.
MERGER TALK REVIVED
Inquiry Into Finances of
Weaker Corporation
To Be Pushed.
MERGER TALK REVIVED

q -~sition by civic organizations to
@hy , ~ fare increase for the
wsshing.ol Re IVA, and Electric
CoEPsnv shg-ycd sisns of life last
night whea reFslls Of proposed Pc
~tttiou To- .Iat 7-eent rate became
public.
A thorough probe of the financial
condition OF the company will be
made IL the Public Utilities Commits
sion receives a request for higher
fares, Engineer Commissioner Kutz
said.
President William F. Ham, OF the
w. R & E Co. announced yesterday
that he Is considering asking the utili-
ties commission for means to obtain
more revenue.
Service Qaite the Same.
Citizens associations will contend
that the greater revenues already
granted the Washington Railway &
Electric Company have not resulted
In appfecIably improved service. as
promised during hearings on the pres
emit four-for-a-duarter rate.
The long-advocated merger of the
weakened W. r. & L. company with
the thriving Capital Traction Com
pany again will be pushed by the
Federation Of Citizens Associations,
: il Is believed
Civic interests are not in favor
Of pouring more MIasked for reve-
nues into the bullying Golfers of
the Capital Traction Company, which
has admitted 1t does not need financial
-
s"rs ~ -,rsice On lines of the
..ilsu= 80 RsIlFay and Electric
tprupauy u forecast as an outcome
o. rsfuu'ir 70 be tried out March
q 2 a. sued, however. that TINS
ssap91vereai will not result from
sddeu eGa.s1ent and will not be an
expense to the company. -
Increased revenues due to the re-
cent fare increase granted the two
traction companies on November ! by
the Public Utilities Commission
have amounted daily to an average
OF a.ao1. President Ham said yes
terday.
Revenues 10 Per Cent Bigger.
A 10 per, cent increase in revenues
was the approximate gain due to es-
tablishment Of the 61-4-cent ticket
Washington citizens will ask the
railway company how much OF the
additional receipts have been expend-
ed to provide better service.
Members of the Public Utilities
Commission are aggravated at the
, lethargic attitude the Washington
's7fTW5$ 50 Electric Company ap-
gNI-s % ha-e assumed toward its
-. 0.-,ge,i con atructive program.
T.. made evident yesterday
L Chen u eNurmission instructed Sec
NafE Walt c. Allen to ascertain
- he con. any has failed to start
work ON the loop into the pro-
posed W.. B. & A. terminal at
!. Twelfth street and New York avenue.
1t was intimated drastic steps might
be taken unless the work was begun
Immediately
The railway company was ordered
to commence the installation of new
tracks by September Is last. but
ground has not been broken.
Ham Hears of Delay.
President Ham. when informed of
the intended action by the utilities
oficials, said he understood there
has been some delay in preparing
plans for the work.
The commission, patient in its
dealing with the company. -yester-
day granted a time extension to
February Is for the instaIlment of
air brakes on antiquated w. r. &
E. cars.
II is expected that officials of the
traction company, in support of
their petition for more funds, will
cite the action last week of the Bal
timore Utilities Commission in
granting a straight 7-cent fare to
the Baltimore traction lines.
Getting Real Service.
Civic representatives will come
back, it is said, with the claim that
Baltimore is getting real street car
service.
The increased reevnue for the
year under the present rates should
amount to SS50.0O0. according to es-
Inmates by the Public Utilities Com
missioners. President Ham contends
present returns indicate that only
s475,00O will be added to the roads
revenues.