The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1921-05-23
D. c. WILL REJECT
PLEA OF CITIZENS
FOR CAR HEARING
Federation Request Considered
Inexpedient Until Congress
Acts on Merger

No matter what action the Fedora
ton Of Citizens's Associations takes to
get a hearing from the Public UTILITIES
Commission on the proposed plan TO
merge the Capital Traction Company
and the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. they will not be
granted a hearing until after Congress
has taken action on the proposition.
This was the sentiment expressed
today In official circles. And II they
dc grant a hearing after Congress
acts. IL Is highly improbable that they
will grant different fares to each COM
pany.
PLAN II OPPOSED.
It was explained today that If the
Public Utilities Commission would
give a lower fare to the Capital Trac-
ton Company than that given the
Washington Railway and Electr.c
Company. the result would be disis-
trous to the less prosperous corpora
ton because, in many sections of the
city, especially the business section.
the car lines parallel each other
within a block. and the bulk of the
cSpcSieity thV - -
fic. would 60 to the c. T. lines and
the W. r. and E., instead of teing
helped, would be injured by the order.
1t is understood that the members
OF the Public Utilities Commission
are opposed to this plan. which was
suggested in a resolution adopted by
the Federation Of Citizens Associa-
ton at it's meeting Saturday night.
The Washington street car riding
rublic Is losing several hundred thou
sands OF dollars every year because
the Public Utilities Commission Is
forced to give the Capital Traction
Company the same rate of fare that
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company enjoys. The Capital Trac-
ton Company does not require an s.
cent fare. can get along with a 7-cent
fare. pay dividends and keep up the
rolling stock and tracks. This diff
ference is said to be a distinct loss ia
the public and some means 10 being
sought to alleviate the increased
fares.
MAY INCRsAsE RATES.
One of the feasible propositions, 1t
is said, is to decrease the fare and in
crease the electric light rates. The
company is now receiving a Decent
rate for electric light. One and one
half cents fthis amount is being
impounded by order of the court re-
cause the 8a-cent rate allowed by
the commission Is being contested in
the District courts. 1t is reasoned
that the public Is now paying 10
cent rate for electric light. and the AZ
ton of the court may allow the COM
pany to keep IL. Most OF the per
sons paying for electric light never
THAR mart of the
money thai is impounded. while many
hundreds who have paid the rate for
years have left the city and their
wherea bouts is not known.
1t is understood that one OF the
propositions to be presented at the
meeting OF the Senate subcommittee,
which will consider the merger at its
meeting tomorrow, will be the lifting
OF the burden of paying the salaries
of the crossing policemen and the
paving charges from the traction
companies In return for this con-
cession 1t Is suggested that the rate
of fare In the District be four tokens
for twenty-five cents 1t Is said that
with the paving and crossing police-
men charges lifted from the traction
companies, they can make money at
this rate.
RELIC OF OLD DAYS.
The paving charge is said to be
relic of the old days when the street
cars of Washington were hauled py
horses, and the horses did much dam
age to the pavement between the
tracks and on the sides. Now 1t is
said that with the electric power the
pavement Is not harmed as much by
the street cars as 1t is by the heavJ
auto trucks which cross the tracks.
II Is also argued that with the al
vent OF the automobiles, the crossing
policemen are used more for the ben =
eft of the public than the traction