Evening star., 1921-06-11
HEARING
ON .CAR1FARES!
House Subcommittee Scores
Utility Commission for
Not Taking Action.

An early hearing by the Public
Utilities Commission on the subject of
street car fares in Washington seems
assured in the light Of statements
made at hearing last evening before
the, House District committees spe-
cial subcommittee which had the
Public Utilities Commission, accom-
panied by the corporation counsel. be-
fore it.
For several hours the Public Utili-
ties Commission, with Chairman Kutz
as spokesman. was kept under a rapid
fire of criticism as to it's interpreta-
.tioa of the law. mostly from Repre-
sentative kvnZ of Illinois and Repre-
sentative Hammer of North Carolina.
Representative kunz demanded that
there should be separate rate of
fare on the Capital Traction Company,
and asked Commissioner Kutz ARE
you going to act or leave it to Con-
gress TO step in and pass a law re-
tative Hammer said that a new public
utilities commission should be eStab-
lished.
Earlier Meeting Likely.
As the result of the meeting last
night it is probable that a hearing
will be held this month rather than
IN August, as previously contemplated
termine whether thers-shall be a re-
vision of street car fare. Commits
sioner kutZ promised that at the
next meeting of the commission (the
next regular meeting is Thursday
they would take up the question of
whether a hearing should be held
now or two or three weeks before
the expiration of the time limit pre-
viously decided upon for the present
rate of fares. August 81.
q mis- iS
will give serious consideration to an
immediate reduction to cents straight
or five tokens for 35 cents on both
lines.
The law requires that public hear
ing be held before changing rates and
fore such a hearing.
When the existing rate OF fare was
renewed in March it was slated to re-
main in effect until September. The
commissions order. however. closes
with the words .or until otherwise
ordered which gives the commission
the right to reopen the question be-
fore September.
A petition from the Federation of
Citizens Associations, asking for a
bearing to consider reduction in
fdre on the Capital Traction lines, is
pending before the commission. 1t is
practically certain. however, that il
the commission decides to cut the fare
at this time it will adhere to it's fixed
policy of maintaining the same rate
on both systems.
Commissioner Kutz gave the COM
mittee figures. based on the street
car business of last year, which
showed that fare of five tickets for
30 cents or Z cents straight would
yleld o.O4 per cent on the valuation
of the two companies taken as one.
He thought that this was the low
est fare that could be established
under the law.
Members of the House committee
differed emphatically with him on
that point They insisted that the
law does not provide for fixing fare
on the joint valuation, but a. fair re-
turn to each company on it's individual
valuation. Commissioner Kutz said
the Commissioners did not look on it
In that light.
Well. then: that is probably what
Is the trouble with the street car
situation in Washington" rejoined
Representative Kunz He stated his
belief that the Public Utilities Com
mission was protecting the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company.
Acting Within the Law.
Commissioner Kutz argued tkst in
its Interpretation. the commission
was acting by advice of the corpora
tion counsel. and considered itself
we'll within the law. He said that if
a lower fare was set for the Capital
far worse situation for the car riders,
but the members of the committee
showed plainly. by words and actions,
that they did not agree with the COM
in this iline of thought. I'm
the interests Of justice and within