Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-02-25
FIGURES GIVEN At
RATE CASE TODAY
Engineer For WV. Ry.
SAYS Last Increase Fail
ed BY Si85,GG0
25 TRIP TICKET UP
Road Carried 22,437 More Passengers
in 1926. Than in 1919 Otilclai States
Alexandria Represented
ESPECIAL to the Gazette)
Washington, d. C., Eco.

Washington, D. c., Fec. %.
The Observation-Disclosures Railway
Company failed by SlS5.Cco to real
re the increased revenue sought un-
Ter the rate increase of December,
1919, w. c. Downs, representing the
road as an engineer ard accountant
| told the Interstate Commerce Com
mission today at hearing on PRO
posed increase rates which are now
Under suspension by the commits
sion. An increase IL revenue OF
;250,000 per year was sought by the
! .on,pany and returns from the new
| ~ate only showed increased revenue
If $G5,OO9 for the year 1920, Mr.
Downs told Examiner Macklcy of the
| Interstate Commerce Commission.
Part of the increase of SG5.oo0 wa'
| lue to the natural increase in 'h@
number CT passengers carried.
Tn tariffs filed with The comn'is-
F! son last month and since suspended
| pending hearing. tho company seeks
4 general advance in rates from , IL
.ents a mile to 3 cents q mile; an in
! 'rcasa Of 25 per cent in the cost OF
/ he 50 trip ticket and Withdrawal
'rom its tariff Of the % trip family
t:cket.
Representative Of several CIVIC
bodies and scores Of commuters liz
| 'nc along the l;ncs Of the Washing
Virginia Railway Cnmpary at
tended the hearing. Representing
Commuters g.. others w"~" Conrad u.
Svme. for the Mount Vernon Diris
ion Commuters Association and the
Alexandria Chamber OF Commerce;
Frank Lyon, representing comml-
eers on the Falls Church division: Z.
W. Z. Ewing. for residents Of Clar-
andon and Bal:ston; James r. Cat0n.
for the Chamber cf Commerce Of
Alexandria: Frank /. Ball. common
.Yealth's attornev for Arlington coIH-
! V. ard II. Noel Garner fer the city
council of Alexandria. Amonf.>> the
commuters attending the hearing
we're Harry r. Burke, president of
| he common council Of Alexandria,.
George H. E"ans, Business manager
If tie Alexandria Chamber OF Com
merce, Harrie White, Charles J.
Deahl. Louis P. Woodward, D. +.
Stansbury and Miss Margaret Gers
mond. Ashoy Bladen, of Alexandria.
Julirs H. Parmelec, s:atistic;an Of the
Bureau Of Railway economics also at
tending the hearing. The read vas
represented by Frederick L. Ballard
and John 5. Barbour for counsel.
! Mr.. Downs told Examiner Mack
ley that operating revenue Of Inc
.oad for 1920 was $10i5,S07. as
against $979,9l1 fer 1919 an in
.rease Of six and seven-tenths per
cent under the rate increase Of De-
,embcr, 1919. He sai! the operating
rcvenGe per rassengS" il :H:9 was
| 1881 cents and in 1920 was !u.tl
cents. The increase asked in the
tariff under suspension, he said.
would raise the general operating
revenue per passenger on the road
70 "A and twcnty-EiX k"rGredths
cents.
The road CARVED 9,516,452 reven"e
passengers il. 1919 and 9.IAO,S29
revenue passengers in 1920, he sad.
Officers OF the road expect net loss
Of 10 per cent in passenger travel Il
.he suspended rates become opera
tive, Mr.. Downs SAID.
Mr. Downs was frequently inter
~uptcd bv questions from MeSSrs.
Symc, Lyon and Ewing. sparticuIar!y
regarding IN charge Ct ; cents levied
on tickets sold on the Falls Church
| division Of the road required 10 bring
! the passenger direct to the 18th
street station. He explained 1t Was
proposed 20 raise this sureharee to 6
| cents from ) cents.
/ Mr.. Syme. representing the Alex
andria citizens. laid particular stress
on presentation of tariffs skowln2
the number of revenue passengers
4 carried during 900 on the Mount
I. Vernon division and asked Nr. Downs
to present a schedule shown" the
number Of passengers carried ans
the net operating revenue from tho!l
(Continued on page twO)