The Washington herald., 1921-07-16
House Measure Would
Also Divorce Electric
Company. from Pepco.
SIX AND A QUARTER
FIXED AS CITY FARE
Seven Cents for One Tick
ct, Four for Twen-
ty-Five.

A bill to divorce tue
Railway and Electric Company from
the Potomac Electric Power Coni-
pany. placing at the disposal of the
Capital Traction Company the
tracks OF the Washington Railway
and Electric Company, was intro
duced in the House yesterday after
noon by Representative Don B. Col
ton, of Utah.
The bill would provide for the
distribution OF the shares of capital
stock of the Potomac Electric
Power Company now held by the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company to the shareholders Of the
railway company according to their
respective holdings of such shares,
The Capital Traction Company
would be granted the fright to con-
denim to its exclusive or partial use
any street railway track in the Dis
trict of Columbia, and to maintain
such actions in the District Su-
preme Court as might be necessary.
1t is intended that the value at
which any track might be taken
would be the value heretofore fixed
by the Public Utilities Commission.
Supreme Court Would Decide.
II either of the companies is dis
i.An - q -
commission, the value Is to be fxed
by the District Supreme Court, II
the bill passes. When the value of
any track taken by the Capital
Traction Company is ascertained
the Capital Traction Company is to
assume an equivalent of the ont
standing bonds of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company and
is to pay the interest on these
bonds as il becomes due and the
principal at maturity. %The partial
or joint use OF the tracks is to be
arranged under paragraph , of the
public utilities law. u was ex-
planned.
The provisions Of the bilr would
require the Capital Traction service
to be extended through G street
from Union Station to the Treasury:
on Wisconsin avenue from NJ street
to the District line; on Georgia
avenue TO Walter Reed Hospital;
through New York avenue and
North Capital street to Brookland;
on Eleventh street southeast, from
Pennsylvania avenue to Congress
Heights, and on Fourteenth street
south to the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing and to the Department
of Agriculture. These are not
among the paying lines OF the w,
r. & z. Co., but proponents of the
bill believe traffic is bound to in
crease under the new arrangement.
six and One-fourth Cents.
The street car fare within the Dis
trict Of Columbia would be fixed at
a maximum of four tickets for Is
cents. a single fare being cents
in case the passenger does not elect
to purchase four tickets. The fran
chises granted by Congress have
uniformly fixed fare of S cents for
all lines within the District Upon
this precedent, say hackers OF the
bill. the fare of 6k cents would
apply to all lines within the Dis
trict. It is claimed that Congress
has legal right to make this pro-
vision.
The bill would provide for un,-
versal transfers at junction points
between the different lines. The
balance Of transfers held by one
company against another would, al
stated intervals, be paid at the rate
or one-half the cost of transporta-
ton per passenger. as ascertained
by the Public Utilities Commission.
Finally. the Capital Traction
would be authorized, at its election
to purchase or otherwise acquire
the property and franchises of the
w. q. & E. Co, at a price not to
exceed the outstanding bonds Of the
w. r. & E. Co.. and to issue its own
bonds or shares for this purpose.
In Event Of Foreclosure.
1t is. contemplated that such ar
rangement would be made in the
event of the sale of the w. r. & e.
Co. upon foreclosure. The pur-
chase of the W. r. & e. Co. prop
critics by the Capital Traction Com
rany at such a sale would accom-
plish the incorporation of the w.
ings of the Capital Traction. Com
pany. free from the outstanding
capital obligations Of the W. r. a
E. Co. The Capital Traction Com
pany is said to be in position to
finance such an operation.
The bill contemplstes that the
stockholders of the w. r. & z. Co.
become stockholders of the Potomac