Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-11-30
8.5 Per Cent Fall=Off
i'm Fares in Last
Six Months.
PRESENT RATE
ENDS JANUARY l
Capital Traction Gives
No Indication of
Intention.

1ntcnClOn.
Eight cents straight fare in place of
the present rate of four tokens for 30
cents is asked by the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company. in a petition
filed with the Public Utilities Commits
sion today
The company asks permission to con-
tinue the sale of tokens at cents each
Tor the convenience of the public and
to reduce the delay which would result,
II conductors had to make change for
each passenger
No changes are sought in existing
transfer privileges At present the cash
iare Is cents. but tokens can be
practical effect of granting the appli-
cation. therefore. would be to abolish
the half-cent reduction on tokens.
Inc commission must act on the ap-
plication during December, since the
present rate Of fare expires on Jar
uary i. Hearings before the commits
sion probably will start about Decem-
Der 10. allowing for the legal notice oi
ten days which is required.
Capital Traction Situation.
Although the Capital Traction Com
intention to seek change in rates. ii
Is practically certain that the COM
mission will continue the policy OF
making that company partXto the
case in order to make whatevef rate
is decided upon apply to both roads.
An official of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company stated
soon after the petition had been filed
that while the financial condition OF
the company would have justified
g. l.: e.
felt that at this time the increase
should be kept as small as possible.
The company estimated that a
straight eight-cent fare would yield
$s25.014:4a additional revenue ii
there should be no reduction in the
revenue would enable the company to
earn $1,152,s ,ses.45. or SIS per cent. the
petition states.
I'm our Judgment. however the Pc
tition reads. I'VE must look forward
to further reduction in the volume of
October 81 last. the number of pay
passengers carried on our lines was
39,3l5,0S5, or 8.5 per cent less than
during the same period of the pre-
vious year. 1t is true that this COM
parison is made with a period at
which lower rate of fare existed than
this year. Nevertheless. there can be
no question of the fact that the pOpu-
lation Of Washington has been re-
duced, and will be. temporarily, al
least. further reduced.
Cites EmploJe Cut.
The company then cites the fact
that the number of civil service en-
-ployes in Washington has been re-
duced gradually since the armistice.
until on October 81 there were only
S6,S46, as compared with 117,00O on
November II, 1918.
The company estimates that a re-
duction of at least per cent in traf-
ffc would follow the new rate of fare
Such q reduction would mean a fall
ing off of $125,S0S.24 in revenue in
year, which would reduce the net
amount available for return upon fair
value to $1,027. .000.21. equal to 6.1 per
cent.
The company expresses the hope.
however, that Congress will enact
legislation to change the form of
taxation of street railways. to relieve
the companies of paying the salaries
of crossing policemen and to relieve
the companies of certain street paw
ing requirements.
Such legislation if enacted by Con-
gress would substantially increase the
amount of revenue available to the
for return upon fair value
The proposal now before Congress is
Z
gross revenues of street railways and
substitute tax on net earnings IL
excess of a per cent return. This
change would save the company ap-
$780, 900 year. In addi-
tion, the company pays about sS0,00o
a year for crossing policemen. No
estimate has been made of what TIL.
company would save if it was re-
lieved Of street paving between its
tracks. but the sum would be large
Company Explains Burden.
To show the burden placed on thr
in the paving of the spac.
between tracks, the company sets
forth a list of jobs recently ordered
or in contemplation by the Commits
sioners. amounting to s537,7s4. These
projects are:
PavNg and reconstruction OF
tracks on Rhode Island avenue north
east, from 4th to 12tS streets. S97529
Paving and reconstruction of tracks
on Georgia avenue from Buchanan
street to Military road. $I22.O00.
Paving and reconstruction of
tracks on 18th street northeast from
Monroe to Otis streets. S19.IO9.
Paving and reconstruction of
tracks on Nichols avenue south
east from Sheridan road to the sec
ond main entrance to st. Elizabeth's
Hospital $4,000.
Paving and reconstruction Of
tracks, raising grade and setting
poles on Bladensburg road from 18th
and Fl streets northeast to the Dis
trict line, S91,630.
"MacadamiZing track space on
Nichols avenue southeast from main
gate of st. Elizabeth's Hospital to
end of double track, $11.675.
"MacadamiZing tracks space from,
North Capitol and w streets to 18th
. nd @ has
'Macadamizing track space from
Rhode Island avenue northeast from
). Dakota avenue to District line.
s8,187.
Miscellaneous paving tNovember
md December estimated, S127,663
Total, $537,784.
Includes Bst Ons-Third.