Evening star., 1924-01-31


commission to fix fares, since Con-
gress had reserved the right to
change the rate of fare originally set
and Congress had delegated to the
commission the power to make rates.
Senator Bail asked sMr. Syme II he
did not represent a bus line operating
here and If that line was not now
asking for an increase to 10 cents III
fare. Mr. Syme replied that he did
represent the bus line and that, In his
opinion. the ten-cent fare should be
granted.
Defends Rate Decision.
Mr.. Syme was questioned by both
Senator McKellar and Senator Ball
regarding the increases allowed in
street car fares here since the begin
ming of the war. He told the COM
mittee that after the war came on
the population had increased here
enormously and that it had been very
difficult to get labor and that all costs
had increased. He said that the Pub
lie Utilities Commission had made
careful study of the situation before
granting increased rates. The prn-
cipal question involved during the
war was to provide the people with
transportation. f1e OtIenueQ the 0G-
cision of the commission fixing the
same rate of fare for the Capital
Traction Company and the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company.
although the Capital Traction Com
pany was able to earn a greater re-
turn on it's investments than the
other company.
To have fixed Il lower rate for the
Capital Traction Company, he said,
would have caused so many people TO
seek to ride on the Capital Traction
Company line that it would have been
Impossible for that company to han
die them, and at the same time would
have so seriously reduced the reve-
nue. of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company as to endanger it's
continued operation.
Senator Stanley of Kentucky want
ed to know whether coming plan.
whereby passengers who Travelled
longer distance would pay more had
been considered in fixing rates of fare
here Mr. Syme replied that il had
been considered, and that he thought
that the street car companies would
like to have such a plan, but that the
public sentiment had been strongly
against II.
War Conditions Blamed.
Senator Mcclellan asked if the in
creased fare now charged had not
been superinduced by war conditions.
Mr.. Syme agreed to this, and added
that fares had been increased in other
cities for the same reason.
Senator Ball called attention to the
fact that street car fares in Memphis,
Tenn, Senator McKellar's home city,
had been increased to Z cents.
Yes" said Senator Mcclellan, ''and
r. \ that mt hyy
public utilities commission against
the desires of the citizens"
Senator Mckellar also called atten-
tion to the fact that hve.eent fare
had been retained in New York city.
But Senator Ball insisted that it was
unfair to compare New York with
Washington because of the difference
in the size of the population and the
number of people who desire TO be
transported at all times of the day.
Senator. Mcclellan suggested that
the population of Washington had
been doubled during the war period
and that the street car companies
here, therefore, should have been bet
ter able to increase their earnings
than at other places.
President Ham of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company testi-
fed that wages paid by his company
at present, as a whole. are as high as
at any time during the war or there
after He mentioned only one reduc-
tion, that of cutting cent or two an
hour from the pay of new men. other
wages, he said, were generally high.
Vice President Hanna of the Capital
Traction Company said the wages
paid by his company were the same
as those paid by the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. The
various increases in fare granted by
the Public Utilities Commission since
the beginning of the war were put
into the record by Mr.. Hanna and Mr..
Ham.