The Washington times., 1925-02-09
The Real Issue in the Cross
town Bus Line Fight
Bv Bull PRICE.

The pnblc Utilities Commission faces really serious
problem in its attitude toward the Of cross
town bus ne privilege of which the Washington
Rapid Transit Company and the Washington Railway ana
Electric Company fighting desperately each making ap
This further than question of which corpora
ton shall have the right these busses Underlying
all the extremely vital issue Of whether the commission
bend all its efforts toward the reduction Of and
bus fares this city, at least prevent them going higher
whether the street railway companies of the District get
ting ready strike for higher fares here the
mission with its inside knowledge of the earnings and manage
of the railway companies ought to have idea Of
what it will do if faced with this problem. t
So far the commission has appeared to steadily favor the
street car companies against the bus lines undoubtedly
has for this The three strongest to be-
FRST-That it would be unfair to permit bus lines to
operate in strict competition with the railway companies
where the railways already giving apparently
giving, adequate transportation facilities;
SEC0ND-That the companies operating
somewhat lower fare than the bus lines pay large sums
into the city treasury in gross earnings must meet
exceptionally large expenditures for street repairs and also
pay salaries many crossing policemen while the bus
companies escape these burdens altogether;
THIRDThe dwindng number of passengers being hauled
by the railways because Of the of bus lines and private
automobiles threatens their financial returns and that it
better to their continued prosperity through favoring
them than to further weaken them by bus competition.
The bus line claims to be giving better service to-
the public than the car lines and that the public willing
to pay slightly larger fare to get their service The public
support the bus company receiving to give backing to
Railway andi Electric Company gave thought to this
crosown line until the bus company put in application for
the privilege
portaton they get the lowest possible fare behOoves
the commission to bear this fundamental proposition in mind
times Satisfactory service Of the public is just i'm
portant the financial welfare of public utilities corporations
engaged in transportation.
greater degree than the fighting financial interests
understand
the Public Utilities Commission is convinced that the
railways preparing demand higher car fares and
that the commission may have to grant increases then the
commission should hesitate at giving bus companies an
opportunity demonstrate whether they can serve the public
equally well and through increased business lower the fares
they getting.
On the other hand if the commission feels, should
that there sound boost fares here and that
the street companies be given fair returns the
fares lower fares its duty is to protect the
public against anything that precedent for higher fares
As matter of cold fact the policies of the commission so
Tar have been those which give greater monopoly to the
street railway companies and in doing this their only ust
cation be that conditions such that they acting to
maintain the lowest possible transportation charges
the financial interests of the public not to be consd
erd then should have full and complete competition with
the that able to give the best service at the lowest
rate surviving the people of Washington to be ex
plotted makes little difference what utilities corporation
comes out on top.
The public cannot possibly gain anything by corporation
strangng throttng competitor and then through old
Standard Oil methods boosting rates when it has complete
control of the local transportation field
It ought to be possible for the commission get ind
cation from the railway companies what their plans may
be as to car fares in the future.