Evening star., 1921-03-24
CAR FARE
APPEARS CERTAIN
Commissioners Agree on
Same Rates for Companies
and No Zoning.

| continuation OF the pTeSeHI Ao%S
of street car fare of cents with four
tokens for 80 cents loomed as
strong probability when the Public
+! Utilities Commission met today TO
consider the traction situation.
Admittedly the most difficult prob
lem the Commissioners have faced or
, may be confronted with during their
! administration, the carfare puzzle of
how to give the Washington Railway
! and Electric Company needed relief
] without unduly enriching the Capt.
| tai Traction Company appeared to
have had only two factors underlying
1 it's solution definitely established to-
| day. These were:
There will be but one fare for both
companies.
! There will be no zone fares.
| With their individual opinions prac-
tically formed. Commissioners Kutz.
Oyster and Rudolph went into execu-
| tive session to exchange their views
on the fare question for the first time.
| Little or nothing was known by each
! member as to now his colleagues
| viewed the matter. but it was felt
that. if opposite views were presented
at first, a basis would be found for
1 unanimous decision. AS was the case In
| the gas rate decision last week.
Fear Hardships to W. II. 4 f..
1t has been indicated that some
members of the commission. if not all
of them, are inclined to the belief that
anything less than the present rate of
fare would work severe hardship
L upon the Washington Railway and
| Electric Company.
! Working from this point, they have
sought during the last few days to
discover some method which would
extend adequate assistance to the
Washington Railway and Electric
O. tuytf
nues Of the competing system, which
can operate on less than an scent
fare.
| Unless some such plan is found ac-
cording to the. belief Of usually well
informed persons at the municipal
builc1ng,. the commission very likely
will decide to continue existing rates
until 1t can permanently solve the
traction muddle by bringing about a
merger of the companies, voluntarily
or by legislation.
/ Should the commission follow this
course, it is expected. there will be
an immediate development of Com
missioner Oysters suggestion that the
commission and the companies en-
dcavor to compromise their valuation
differences as the basis of a merger
agreement.
Former Commissioner Calls.
4 Former Commissioner w. Gwynn
fGardiner called at the District build
| that, in his opinion, a valuation COM
! promise offers the only satisfactory
solution of the street car fare situa
ton. Finding the Commissioner in
board session. Mr.. Gardiner left a
brief which he had prepared touch
ing upon the legal considerations n
volved in the suggestion for q COM
promise of the valuation ratings,
which face several years of litigation
in the courts.
| The Commissioner was visited this
morning by President Ham of the
! Washington Railway and Electric
| Company and Clarence F. Norment,
a director. The purpose of the visit
traction company officials were
sounded out as to their attitude to-
ward valuation concessions as a
means Of Fastening a merger.
Ham Approves Compromise.
| To a Star representative Mr.. Ham
said that he considered Commissioner
ties of a valuation compromise be in=
vestigated a good one and that his
company would cooperate to the full
est in determining what might be ac-
complished along this line.
President George +. Hamilton of
the Capital Traction Company has
been confined to his home by illness
for several days. which has prevented
the obtaining of an opinion from that
ing the Oyster plan. 1t is believed,
however, that both companies are de-
sirous of giving the plan thorough
trial.
Commissioner Oyster has been con-
sidering various plans by which ma