The Washington times., 1920-01-06
TO !
COST2CENTS
Car Company Asks Boosted
Mates Become Effective
at Once.
SERvICGALREADY IMPROVED
Additional Revenue viii Save
Public Discomfort, Says
President Ham.
sERvIcEALREADY IMPROVED

A straight seven-cent fare. and Q
two-cent charge for all transfers.
are asked in petition fled today
with the Public Utilities Commissioh
by the Washington Railway and Elec-
tric Company. II Is also requested
that the company be allowed to sell
metal tokens for car fare, i've for
thirty-nve cents.
The present rates are unques-
uonably inadequate. unreasonable
and confscatory," declares william
r. Ham, president of the company. ip
the petition.
Return Inadequate.
President Ham asserts the company
Is only earning 3.2s per cent return
on the valuation of the property,
while the Utilities Commission has
stated time and again that per cont
Is a fair earning.
The railway company In unable TO
continue with the present fare, says
the petition, and adds "at no time
during the past sixteen month"; has
the public paid the cost of tho
service"
The Commission is asked to oen..
slider the petition Immediately. and
grant the increased fare at the earl
eist possible moment,
President Ham asks the commiss
sion to urge Congress to repeal tho
law which compels the railway COM
panies to pay the salaries OF trafho
policemen stationed at such inter
sections where street cars pass. He
says this taxation costs the company
$50, 900 a year. and declares It Is an
unfair burden.
Weuld Spare Public.
In discussing the proposed fare In
crease with q representative OF The
Times today, MT Ham pointed par
tciularly to that part OF the COM
pany's petition dealing with the re-
routing street car plan recently an-
nounced by the Utilities Commission-
awe do not want the public to
think we are putting anything over
by asking for 2-cent charge fos
transfers." said Mr.. Ham. "The re-
routing plan will make II necessary
for probably several thousand morv
persons to transfer who have hereto-
fore found Ii unnecessary. Realizing
that the rerouting will mean extra
transfers, we have asked the Commits.
sion to make exceptions in the charg.
ing of 2 cents for transfers. We
want the commission to grant free
transfers at several points. SO that
the reroutfng plan will not be an
extra financial burden upon the pubs
lic."
Retsrr Ia shsrt S36e,s0S.
The petition states the Utilities
Commission estimated that $3.50, ,00d
was a fair amount of return for the
company to receive yearly. President
Ham states that under the present
rate the company will receive . re-
turn of S493, 3,O92, which isl $780, Dos less
than the Commissions estimate. The
increased fare asked would enable
the company 10 earn the $3.50. 100
President Ham believes.
Since the pre- sent rate became el.
fective, November l, last, there haS
been a decrease In passenger trafs
fic of 6S per cent: a decrease in %
cent inter-company transfers Of &c
per cent, and an increase in free
intra-company transfers of II pes
cent The petition says the commiss
sion estimated that under the presS
ent fare. 13.3 per cent OF the car pas
sengers would pay straight Z cents
As a matter of fact, the oompan1
points out, only e.s per cent have paid
c'nts. The average daily number
OF passengers under the present rate
Is 22l 1927. compared with the aver
age previous to this fare OF 2sT 1885.
To Improve Service.
II Is made clear In the petition that
increased fare will mean better street
car service. The petition states the
commission should not only be will
ing, but anxious, to grant the rev4
enues necessary to prevent the dis
integration" Of the company.
The commission poin out that the
company has granted an increase ID
the wages OF employees, and furthsr
that operating expenses are cont'nu'
ing to GO higher and higher.
"The company has spared neither
expense nor effort to render as Sood
service to the public as was possible
under the very trying conditions
brought about by the war" continue,
! the petition. Recently. the effects
OF these EFFORTS have been apparent
TO all In very much improved operae.
ing conditions. Service is more -eg.
ular. and detentions fewer than t'I
some timo past and " 10 our earnest
desire to still further improve ovs
service and facilities"