The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1925-09-05
Why We Will Not Have Higher
Car Fares in Washington
By BILL PRICE


We have the peculiar Washington OF local street
car companies abetted by officials connected with the
Public Utilities Commission claiming that the railways are
entitled to higher fares based valuation OF properties
yet making no in that direction
To begin WITH the claims that the companies are entitled
to more revenues harmony with property values is one
that will thoroughly investigated by the Public
Utilities Commission before there could be increase in
fares if sought then within the province of the
Commission to decline allow increases unless it is plainly
evident the street companies are subjected to
such losses as amount to confiscation.
There no law good policy compelling the Public Uti
Commission grant any fixed percentage Of return on
railway valuations set by the Commission In pursuance
of court orders The Commission has been extraordinarily
liberal granting the Potomac Electric Power Company
per during this and in fixing that return
FOR the Chesapeake and Potomac Telephone Company The
electric lighting prospecting greatly that its
returns are this year far IN excess OF per cent.
Federal and other courts have ruled that per cent
return fair and it might be lower under some
conditions and circumstances.
Aside from the fact that there is nothing compelling the
o. to grant higher car fares here there are some
Sranted some IN fact which indicate that the companies
might obtain greater revenues on lower fares
No. is that this city in its helpless state of
suffrageIessness, will not stand for increases.
No. that Congress in mood to permit increases and
that there is in that body strong sentiment especially in
fhe Senate arbitrarily fix cents the cash fare in Wash
No. g. the one that holding companies back from
asking higher fares is potent Of all It is that the
experience all railway companies in the last
is that the higher the fares the less the ererom
The public simply viii not stand for fares regarded
unreasonab1y high and finds its of refusing to
ride would be the inevitable outcome of attempted
higher fares here You can't make people pay prices that
displeasing to them
For the benefit Of our street railway managers and officials
Public Utilities Commission offer these significant
which has monopoly of things in that city, and
phaze that they FACTS easily verified and not ances
doubled the per capita riding on that road from 1911
to 1920 by encouraging short riding with 5cent fare
Che Men management asked the Public Service Commission
for straight bcent fare without transfers The management
objected cents cash and four tickets for % cents on the
ground that there would be such loss Of short haul pas
kengrs would make further increase in fare certain The
was right In the first on the increased
fare there loss Of passengers hauled This
necesaed increase to cents cash. two tickets for Is
cents, which hasn't resulted favOrably
It plainly demonstrated in Philadelphia and else
where that the smaller the fare the larger the number of
short haul who furnish the for railway
enterprise Drive the short ride passenger away and there
loss of revenue.
In these days of congested traffic conditions large
cities where automobiles cannot be left convenient to their
owners the street made Of On scent cash fare
people jump and ride few blocks Raise the fare
and they won't do it,
Philadelphia management does believe either that
saphangr to produce and
and constantly trying to give service that furnishes seat
for every passenger hours thing which the Public U
ties Commission and street railway officials here might look
into just little carefully.
Saphangng like fare increases leads to people hunting
forms of transportation and finding it, too
The putting on here of larger cars with an increased seating
capacity might induce riding and change strap
hangers from hckers into contented human beings.
may be- that the speeding Of would increase
passengers hauled and the of the
companies Speed be what everybody hunting for
street speeder they would surely invite many
people who their automobiles or bus lines
Anything which leads to Improvement Of service by the
street railways is going to result in more passengers and
greater Higher fares reduced
and increases in fares attempt to make
the required revenues
do think in spite Of all the hints that thrown
out going to have higher fares here It
wouldn't work The public won't stand for it. Congress
won't stand for it.