Evening star., 1920-04-06
FEDERATION SEES
ZONE FARE EVILS
W. Mex. Clayton Represents
Citizens at Car Hearing.
Others Are Heard.

electric light rate, William NICK. Clay
| ton. representing the Federation of
| Citizens Associations, last night con-
cluded the public utilities hearing on
relief for the company in one hour of
! argument.
| Mr.. Clayton declared that the zone
system would be detrimental to the
free intercourse between residents of
one section of the city and of the other:
| that it would work a hardship on those
living outside of the'first zone. causing
| depreciation of property which would
| retard the outward growth of the city,
| and that the collection of fares at the
coming points during the existing con-
gestions would be virtually impossible
for conductors.
New jersey Failure.
He pointed to the failure of the New
Jersey system of zoning street car
lines. and declared that the experiment
would be too costly TO the District if it
were carried out.
y straw vote taken by auditors as
showing from which quarter the breeze
of coming opinion was blowing upon
the commission was presented, when
Commissioner kutz interrupted Mr..
Clayton to say:
Let us assume for moment that
the people are opposed to the zone sys-
| tenn, and the evidence presented here
| tends in that direction, what have you
| to say as to chargesfor transfer"
Mr.. Clayton admitted that certain
long as public utilities are operated,
| and that the transfer proposition
might be placed sin this class, but
that 1t would meet with much less
| resistance than the establishment Of
| a zone system.
was the lowest possible fiat fare. THE
| thing to do he said, lis to avoid as
| many so-called inequities as possible
and get by with as little trouble as
possibley
One of his suggestions was to place
the depreciation fund of 100000 at
the disposal of the company to use
for meeting deficits temporarily.
| Another suggestion for relief was to
have. the 10-cent electric light rate
ject of litigation. President Ham tes-
tilted that with 7-cent fat fare and
the grant of a 10-cent electric light
rate the situation could be almost
met" This would bring in $S50,000,
with $916.000 needed for the year to
| ing basis.
"Child Grown Stalwart."
"The Washington Railway and
! Electric Company might be spoken Of
as the stepmother Of the Potomac
Electric Power Company" he said.
During the days of weakness of the
stepdaughter the mother sheltered
her, lent her money, placed her on
her feet, and now that the child has
grown into so stalwart an offspring
it is no more than right that the
mother, grown decrepit and weak,
should turn to her for support"
Gray, president of the Cathedral
Heights Citizens Association, entered
a protest against the zone system.
He was followed by K. p. Armstrong
with a similar protest, based upon
suburban Discrimination: non-suc-
cessful experimentation Of the sys-
tenn, and the tendency of such sys-
tenn to depreciate property outside
the first zone.
George A. Ward, representing the
Columbia Heights Citizens Associa-
tion, argued against the coming sys-
shape for the company.
rs a population of 100000 to con-
tinue to suffer for the benefit of $500
stockholders of the company" he
asked. I'VE are opposed to a. merger
and believe that those who shaped
Railway and Electric Company to
organize opposed it. There should be
two companies; competition, no mo-
nopoly."
Takoma Parks Criticism.
w. G. Plat, chief clerk of the Treas
ury Department and mayor of Takoma
Park, criticised the management of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany. He said that before deciding on
any form of higher fare. the commits
sion should first investigate to find out
whether the road is being operated
efficiently.
Mr.. Platt told the commission that
hundreds Of employees Of the Treasury
had urged him to appear at the hearing
and express their opposition to q zone
system Of fares. All Of the workers
with whom he had talked agree, the
witness said, that il there must be an
increased fare they prefer a fiat fare
to a zone system
Mr.. Platt declared that the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company has
been putting up the plea Of poverty"
ever since it was organized. The COM
pany, he asserted, has expended its
energies trying to prove that it is en-
titled to more and the people to less.
Bureau Employes' Statement.
T.. r. Williams read to the COM
mission a statement from the allied
trades Of the bureau of engraving
and printing. comprising 1000 en-
ployes. The statement urged that
no increase in fare be granted and
The statement charged that the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company has not played fair" and
recommended either a service-at-cost
plan or municipal ownership.
The petition further called atten-
tion. to the fact that even a slight
increase in car fare seriously af-
fects the government employees in
these days of high prices.
w. s.. Ayres. speaking again for
the people of Brookland, urged an in
| crease in fiat fare rather than a zone
system: Mr.. Ayres put into the rec
ord a letter from Cleveland and an
other from Pittsburgh telling of
street car conditions in those cities,
W. j. Latimer took the stand TO
protest against the zone system ON
behalf of the residents of Anacostia.
He warned the company that il the
zone system is established many Ana
costians will walk across the bridge
and over to Pennsylvania avenue to
use the Capital Traction cars.