The Washington times., 1920-04-16


OF 100000. The Commissioners bill
now before Congress provides that
earnings should be taxed, and that
the 4 per cent tax on gross income
be abolished.
i Weuid EausIise Retsrns.
IL is proposed in the bill that all
earnings between 8 and per cent,
| affecting all street car companies
here, should be taxed so per cent, and
all earnings above Z per cent should
be taxed rs per cent However, Con-
gress does not seem inclined TO pass
the bill Immediately, and IL may be
some time before the Washington
Railway and Electric gets this $780,
900 by change of taxation. The Com
missioners' bin would tend to equalizc
the earnings OF the Capital Traction
Company and Washington Railway
and Electric.
The order provides that the Scent
fare be effective until January I, 1921.
The order OF the commission does
not mention the wage question, which
has and Is causing differences between
| Tho Washington. Railway and Elcc-
tric and its employees.
Third Increase In Year.
The action yesterday by the utili-
| ties commission made the third in
crease in car fare here within year.
! The present rate of four tickets for
quarter, or cents cash. went into
| effect on November 1. 1910. For the
six months previous to that date the
public paid o cents straight fare, and
before May !. 1919, the rate of fare
was o tickets for a quarter.
Paper tickets or tokens may be sold
by the companies. The paper tickets
in use now are good until midnight,
April 80. and after that day may be
redeemed at the offices Of the rail-
way companies.
Regarding the change in taxation
the order reads:
THE commission is faced with the
necessity Of granting an increase to
both systems, but IL believes that Con-
gress should readjust the method of
taxation so that the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company will be
relieved Of a portion Of it's present
tax burden.
Rate II CsnbIaeA.
"The revenues OF the District thus
diminished would be recouped by in
crcasing the tax on the other system.
and tntS increased tax would, in turn.
that company soley to protect the
public from the evil consequences OF
different rates of fare for the several
companies"
The fare was made applicable to
both companies because the commits
sion believed different rates of fare
would defeat the purpose Of the rate
increase.
The commission points out that II
the two companies were combined the
average return would be per cent OIL
the valua ton of each company.
That under present conditions It
is inadvisabIe to adopt a zone system
of street car fares or any other form
OF measured street railway yerv;ce."
said the commission regarding this
proposal.
Text Of Order.
The text of the fare orlar follows:
After careful consideration of all
the evidence in this case the commits
sion is of the opinion that street
railway fares should be Increased and
t is therefore ordered:
"1-That the initial rate Of fare
on the lines of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company, the City
and Suburban Railway of Washing
ton, the Georgetown and Tennally-
town Railway Company. the Wash
ington-Interurban Railroad Company.
the Capltal traction company, Tue
East Washington Heights Traction
Railroad Company and the Washing
ton-Virginia Railway Company with
in the District of Columbia be and
it is hereby increased to 3 cents cash;
provided. however, that each of the
said street railway companies shall
sell four tickets or tokens for 80
cents and shall receive and exchange
tickets or tokens with each other.
THAT IL paper tickets are used,
each company shall issue its own
tickets and sell no tickets issued by
any other company, and such tickets
after having been once used shall
be cancelled by the company which
issued the same. For the purpose of
this order. the Washington Railway
and Electric Company the City and
suburban Railway of Washington.
the Georgetown and Tennallytown
Railway Company and the Washing
Iton-Interurbau Railroad Company
shall be considered as comprising one
system and one form of tickets may
be issued and sold by them.
similarly, the Washington and
Maryland Railway Company (whose
lines are now leased and operated by
the Capital Traction Company shall
be considered as part of the said
the Capital Traction Companys sys-
TEN, and one form OF tickets may be
| issued and sold by them.
Transfer Not Affected.
"(3) That nothing contained herein
shall be construed TO alter, modify or