Evening star., 1923-12-19
UTILITIES BOARD
HITS Scent FARES
Letter to Senator Ball De-
CIared Rate Would Be
Ruinous to Companies.

The Public Utilities Commission
struck several body blows at a five
cent street car fare in the District
in letter embodying the views OF
the commission dispatched last night
to Senator L. Heisler Ball. chairman
Of the Senate District committee. The
high light of the letter is a state
ment of figures showing that the two
street railway companies of the Dis
trict Would have lost a total of more
than Si,000.000. even If they did not
have to pay taxes. had a five-cent
fare been in effect during the past
year.
The letter was written by the Dis
trict Commissioners as a report on
the Senate bill which would prohibit
the Public Utilities Commission from
fixing rates of fare for street railway
companies in excess of those Stipulat-
ed in their charters. Since the scent
fare is stipulated in the charters. the
bill would by such wording make the
6-cent fare the maximum in the Dis
trict.
Effect Rufnous. Is Belief.
The effect of a cash fare of cents
with tickets at the rate of six for
25 cents. as provided by the terms
Of this bill. would be ruinous to the
street railway companies and disas-
trous to the efficient service now
furnished the public by those cor
porations," the letter declares.
AS for figures, here's what the let
ter shows:
The Capital Traction Company has
carried during the first ten months
of the present calendar year 13, 1885,
6O3 cash passengers and 42,441.S0
token passengers. Had these passen-
gers paid the rates of fare prescrib-
ed by Senate bill 393. the companys
revenues would have been $2.456,
271.s6. The company's actual operating
expenses for that period, not includ-
ing taxes, Rave been S2,602. .513.01, as
shown in its statements submitted
monthly to the Public Utilities Com
in excess of what receipts would have
beer had the rates prescribed by Sem
ate bill 393 been in effect"
w. n. & E. Tabulatfon.
A similar tabulation made for the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company and subsidiaries shows the
f0t.aMinsa Cash Passengers carried in the first
ten months of this year, 12,s1s.2ss;
token passengers, 49,473,912; operat-
ing expenses, not including taxes,
were $3.675. .061.S7. which would have
been $967.684.07 in excess of income
had the scent fare been in operation.
IN the years 1920, 1921 and 1922
each losses would have exceeded
81 100000 for both companies had the
scent fare been in operation, the
letter states.
Figures ms illustration.
The following table is used for IL
lustrating this fact:
In 1920: Capital Traction Com
pany-Operating expenses, exclusive
of taxes. $s:so2,os1;s ;ss; total revenues
at scent fare. six tickets for 25
Washington Railway and Electric
Company-Operating expenses, ex-
elusive of taxes. $4,S3S,270.79; reve-
nues, at 5-cent fare, six tickets for
q quarter, $S,412, ,9700.66; deficit, ST.
425,40013.
In 1921: Capital Traction Com
expenses, exclusive
of taxes, s3,220,740.s9; revenues at
scent fare, etc., $3.120,4s2.76; deficit,
S10O,25S.13.
Washington Railway and Electric
Company-Operating expenses, etc,
S458S,744.79; revenues under scent
fare, s3,35o.215.67; deficit, $685.
In 1922: The loss for the Capital
Traction Company on the same basis
as figured above would have been
$140,0S4.64, and for the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, ST.
152,613s2.
The letter points out that the util-
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