The Washington times., 1921-05-27
6-CT. RATE
IN YEAR IS
PROMISED
D.C.R|DERS
Congressional Committeemen
Favor Plan-Four Tokens for
Quarter Is Immediate Aim.

Capt James F. Oyster today sub
mitted to the House District Com
mittee plan which is designed to
bring about immediately a 7-cent
fare on the traction lines in the Dis
trict and which, within q years time.
will reduce the faces to 6 cents.
WOULD BOOST LIGHT RATE.
Captain oystAr's plan would grant
to the Potomac Electric Power Com
pany. a subsidiary Of the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company,
an increased rate Of III cents, or
total of 10 cents a kilowatt hour.
Captain Oyster declared that this
plan would work out to the satis-
faction of the public as well rs the
stockholders of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company.
The Oyster plan was drafted by
Eugene Thompson, an investment
banker of Washington. 1t is Opposed
by Commissioner Kutz and Rudolph
but met with a gerat deal of favor
from members of the District Com
mittee-
CITES RATES ELSEWHERE.
In explaining the plan. Mr.. Thomp-
son pointed out that the light and
power rates in other large cities is
generally 10 cents or more. He said
that the advance in light rates n
washington was purely tempofa3y
expedient. designed to bring the two
traction companies closer together
and pave the way for the merger.
At this juncture Engineer Commits
sioner Kutz took the floor and de-
cfared that it was unjust to impose
the brunt of street car fares on tho
10000 odd users of electric power in
the District of Columbia
That Is not So" declared Mr..
Thompson. washington. unlike
other large cities, has no large indus
trial establishments using electricity
and, were 1T not for the street car
companies, the rate for electricity in
Washington might go as high as Is
cents"
RATE LOWEST HERE.
Mr.. Thompson submitted a table of
figures showing the electric power
rates in other cities and without ex-
ception the existing Washington rate
was the lowest
Continuing with the outline of his
car fare could be reduced to Z cents.
four tokens for a quarter. In the
course of time, possibly a year. he
said, the rate could be made cents
straight
To questions submitted by various
members of the committee 1t was
brought out that by the Oyster plan,
the District of Columbia would lose
approximately s35o,o0o annually in
taxes. This feature, however. was de-
Tended by Mr.. Thompson because 1t
would be of untold benefit to the Dis
trict in future years.
BELITTLE TAX LOSS.
"The loss of these taxes would
hardly be felt. and IL we were able
thereby to put the street car CON-
panies on a paying basis and at the
ss me time restore a low fare IL would
be q wonderful investment"
Congressman Sproul of Illinois ask
ed the members of the utilities COM
mittee IL 1t were not a fact that the
Capital Traction Company Is ready to
reduce it's fare to Ave or six cents
IL given that authority by the Util-
tiles Commission. Commissioners kuts
replied that no such offer had been
made and suggested that officials
of the Capital Traction Company be
summoned before the committee.
Congressman Sproul declared 1T Is
high time to let the traction COM
panies loe little money. People
have been losing long enough, and I
am disposed to let the stockholders
bear the burden for little while"
SCORES "wILD PROMOTERS
Congressman Lambert interrupted
at this point TO say that so far as he
was concerned. he was interested
solely in lower street car fares.
"T am not in the least interest-d
in the returns to lot of watere1