The Washington times., 1920-05-08
F|GHTSW.B.&A.
JUMP |N.FARES
Commuters Club Will Protest to
Interstate Commerce Com
4 mission Against Increase.

Vigorous protest is TO be made TO
the Interstate Commerce Commission
by the wsshington. Baltimore and
Annapolis Electric Railway Com
muteys Club, recently organized.
against any advance by the company
OF car fares between here and Bsiti-
more.
A cloud of opposition to the pro-
posed increases has rolled against the
company, and a petition signed by
more than 200 commuters, employed
|. in washinston. will be presented not
only TO the Interstate Commerce
Comunission. but TO the Maryland Pub
lie Service Commission. who will have
TO psss on the company's fare Increase
proposals.
RiGsies Leads ODposeats
II IL openly charged by John r..
Rigglss, independent candidate for
Congress from the Fifth Maryland
district, that the W.. b. & A. Is evad-
ing the real issue and purpose OF the
contemplated increases In fares. He
said the W., b. a A. today 10 paying
biz dividends on It's common and pre-
ferred stock. and that the only motive
for the increase in fares 10 to fattcn
the purse of the Washington Railway
ana Electric Company of Washington.
whose tracks the w, b. + A. use after
arriving over the District line.
OFFICIALS of the W.. B. & A. claim
that the continued increase In oper-
atinG expenses, the high cost of ma
terisl and wages, has necessitated the
proposed demand for increased fares.
Purpose Of Increase
~xA.- M q ri n m
70 foresee the real meaning of the de-
mand for an increase In fares to COM
mutsrs. He said that since the Public
Utilities Commission OF Washington
authorized the washington Railway
and Electric Company to increase
fares to eight cents. the latter COM
pany only receives a Scent fare from
the District line into the Capital from
commuters and other patrons OF the
W.. B. & A.
.It's to make up this wide differ
ence In the District fares that the W.,
B. & A. is. asking for the increase"
said Riggles. The company wants
to turn over cents a day to the
wreco for passengers IT carries into
washington from Maryland.
Copies OF the petition protesting
against the fare increases will be for
wayded to both the Maryland Public
Service Commission and the Inter
state. Commerce Commission, and
should public hearing be held by
either Of the commissions, a delega-
tion of commuters will appear and
personally protest against the in
creases-
wsnts to Build Hotel.
Riggles claims that the W.. B. and
A, is way above the high water mark
of profits, and Is planning to spend
much Of the earnings in a terminal
and a hotel in Washington. He feels
there Ia NO need for the company to
spend these earnings in hotel prop
erty-that the earnings should be
used in management OF the railway
and to make up any deficiency that
may arise because of the present
standard of fares.
"When the company made big
money 1t did not decrease fares said
Riggles. "No. they never do. It's only
when they are pinched little that
they say "let the public pay" II the
railway company and other such cor
porations who are now demanding
increases gave us decreases in their
PROSPEROUS years we would not kick.
We would think 1t fair! No, when they
were making money hand over fist
they pocketed it. Let them lose a
little now until conditions improve"