Evening star., 1920-01-07
TROLLEY MERGER
MAY COME UP AGAIN
W. R. & E.'s Plea for Higher
Fare ReneWs Plan to e.
feet Combination.

That efforts to bring about a merger
OF the two street railway compa mes
VIII be renewed within the next few
| months was learned today from
reliable source
| The annual meeting of the security
holders of the Washington Railway
and Electric Company is scheduled 1"
be held Saturday, January Ia, and 1t
| is not unlikely that there viii be
changes in the directorate this year.
| The directors, after they are elected,
i choose the officers of the company.
The indications today were that the
new move toward a consolidation
would be made not long after this
! meeting. This intimation is an inter
| esting development for the public, in
view of the application of the wash
! ington Railway and Electric Com
pany yesterday for straight 1-cent
| fare.
If the Public Utilities Commission
finds that the company's statement df
earnings under the present rate of fare
is correct, it seemed apparent today
that the only course open 10 the COM
! mission will be to give that company
additional revenue.
Puts G. r. in Peculiar Position.
This. however, again will place the
commission in the unusual position of
giving the Capital Traction Company
another increase for which 1T is not
asking. An official Of that company
stated yesterday that his company is
not considering an application for a
higher fare.
When the Washington Railway and
Electric Company asked for relief a
few months ago the Capital Traction
did not join in the plea. but the com
mission concluded not to discriminate
| in rates and made the present rate of
| four tickets for quarter apply to
both companies. 1t is not considered
| likely that the commission will reverse
| it's decision now by granting the Wash
inston Railway and Electric Company
further relief without making the same
| increase apply to the Capital Traction.
AS contended by former Commits
! sioner Gardiner. additional revenue
could be given the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company by an in
| crease in electric light rates, which
would obviate the necessity of Civ
ing the Capital Traction an unsought
! increase.
Commissioners Brownlow and Kutz
| decided against this course in con
| Siderng the last application of the
/ Washington Railway and Electric
| Company. however.
/ Hearing Date Not Yet Set.
| The Commissioners did not know
| today when hearing would be held
on the new application of the Wash
iiS ItdlI"ds anu TIlttlIlt LOT Il
| straight 7-Cent fare. The law requires
ten-day notice, which means that
! the hearing will probably be about
| January 20.
/ Neither Commissioner Brownlow nor
| Engineer Commissioner kutz. chairman
| of the utilities commission, would dis
| cuss the application today. They said
| they had not had an opportunity to read
! it. Neither would they say whether
! the question of zone system would
| be brought up again.
| When a zone system was suggest
4 ed at the last rate hearing there was
| determined opposition from civic bod
| les. trade organizations and govern
! ment employees.
| A committee of the Federation of
| Citizens Associations is now at work
| on bill which it will endeavor to
| have introduced in Congress in the
near future, providing for a merger
| of the Capital Traction and Wash
| ngton Railway and Electric COM
| panies. The committee expects to
| make a report at the next meeting
| of the federation.