Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1921-01-22
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Dignity it by the name Of camouflage lhe statement
made is frank confessions Of weakness The company
says that to properly operate and MAINTAIN us M
it will be necessary to secure additional revenue ls
may be true but why should the commuters and passen
gers be mcted in order to obtain it. Would it not be
far wiser to increase the traffic and the trave The very
first result Of proposed increase in fares would be TO
drive Hundreds to seek pelallane homes in washington
We SPEAK BY the card Thousands Of trips would De
abandoned monthlin addition, which would mean re
dlcon revenue that Wo not, in years be conpensat-
ed by the increase n:fares. Butsays the Company
lit is now esated that that, the tariff filed, and to be
defective February 18TH 1921 should produce after max
ting due allowance for falling travel approximately
$4,000 additional gross operating revenue than
did obtain for the calendar year 1920 with the tariffs now
in force Is this prophecy EXPERIMENTATION? II the form,
en- we may well say right here that we have los all
faith in the W. Ry Co.. prophets Their record IS
baa Their predictions do pan out They say in the
same BREATH that they estimated that the former raise
effective December 9TH, 1919 would yield additional
gross operating revenue Of S25340800, whereas the
oneratng results for the year 1920 indicate that the IN
crease SO obtained was only s65Oo0 Angels and ninst
ers Of grace defend us One of hghschoo boys
could have made better guess. They underestlmated
BY slSS00O per annu1n They obtained only onefourth
a their expected increase What assurance have the clt
zens that their is any more reliable than their
former? How know that next year they
may not ask another raise based upon the same plea that
they underguessed? No, gentlemen OF the Railway Com
pany this will not do Your raise OF 1919 was failure
raise will prove worse failure The citizens bore
with the former increase and retained their residence in
Alexandria But this recent attempt if successful Will
wholesale migration from which the city will not
recover in many years.
Again the Railway Company claim that ''since May.
1920 there has been All increase in the cost Of power
Now is this deliberate satemen-or IS it only the DIES
peration of stupidity? We have before their very
own words uttered in 1920 which say Electric current
IS purchased from the Potomac Electric Power Company
under long time contract As this contract was drawn
oefore the war periods its terms are reasonable We de-
aot askNhichFis thestruh We happen to have evidence
that the latter statements correct There IS Legal
maxim that argument false in one thing is false in all
We might paraphrase another and say that faint OF
fraud vtiates the whole fabric.
The Railway Company has not chosen to be frank in
its statement to the citizens We asked this because wei
believe fairness to both sides of controversy The
company has committed an error.
The meeting at the rooms of the Chamber of Com
MERGE last night overwhelming success we have
just word OF two more before closing the GAZETTESI
campaign We shall take up the matter from time toI
time as occasion offers But our part in arousing public
interest came end last night We have just wore
to say to the very active and competent committees tha
have charge of the fight Falls Church has already
employed its lawyer filed its BRIEF and asked for hear
ing Alexandria will have the cooperation of the city,
attorney but the other counsel has not yet been employed
SO far know. Any lawyer however able, viii have
to devote his undivided attention to the matter for
the preliminary argument asking for continuance There
is not much time We believe thatbefore are through
with the contest will be found necessary to have an
pert accountant audit the companys books we take
their pare testimony to their records the City will
be at tremendous disadvantage. Figures, as well
known be made to prove anything. And with the e.
perts of the railway company skilled in all the willy eger
deain of bookkeeping the most astute lawyer Wlneed
professional assistance in the anayssof the company
carefully fabricated statistics %sSs i
In conclusion the GAZETTE: thanks its readers for
their interest and cooperation Whenthe occasion again.
demands it will be found alert andpr the job
Of certain corporation that the fu kidneys
oniorc monono,7 IN thic shape My back panied
80 ri. - in misery all the
ii Gus vi though being