Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-06-17
Defends Fare Appeal.
Bus Line Official Holds Increase
Needed to Avoid Loss.
To the Editor Of The Star:

l
Columbia, Is making every effort to
render to the people of Washington
the best service possible at the lowest
rate of fare consistent with the quail
ity of service to which the National
Capital is entitled, and we are sure
that in this effort we will have the
hearty cooperation Of The Evening
Star and Of the other Washington
newspapers.
In this connection, 1t Is unfortunate
that in an editorial in yesterdays Star
relative to the hearing before the Pub
lie Utilities Commission for straight
| 10-cent fare, undue emphasis was Civ
en- to incidental references in my testi-
mony before the Public Utilities Com
mission on Monday last to the fact
| that falling off in the number of pas
sengers carried during the first four
months of 1927 was due, among other
things, to a somewhat slower schedule,
resulting from the installation Of traf-
fic lights on Sixteenth street. and to
weather conditions, which have been
particularly unfavorable on Sundays,
when weather has the greatest effect
on riding. know that you will be
glad to correct the unfortunate I'm
preston left by this emphasis on the
least important part of my testimony.
The matter of the straight 10-cent
| fare is being considered by the Public
Utilities Commission and 1t would be
discourteous to the commission to ar
| que the case fully in the newspapers
at the present time, but there arc one
or two points already brought out be-
fore the commission and not reported
| in the newspapers to which particular
| attention should be paid.
1t should be emphasized that no ef-
fort is being made by the Washington
Rapid Transit Co. to increase fares so
| as to obtain a return for etockh olders
on money invested, but that the re-
quest for a straight 10-cent fare will
help only to cover operating expenses
It, Of course. will be agreed by every
one that no public utility should he
forced to conduct its business on a
basis showing an actual operating loss.
During the hearing on Monday last
exhibits presented by the company
| showed that although the fares in ef
feet during the first four months of
1927 were the same as during the first
four months Of 1925, the operating rev.
enue during the present year has been
smaller than in 1926, and when the
peoples counsel inquired the reason
for this decrease in revenue, / stated
to the commission that there had been
q considerable falling off in the num-
| Der of passengers carried.
When asked the reason for the fall
| INT off in the number of passengers, l
stated that it was attributable partly
to lessened activity in business in the
| District of Columbia, which is noticea-
n nf ef
way passengers carried; partly to a
| somewhat slower schedule, due to the
| installation Of traffic lights on Six
teenth street, and partly to weather
conditions. Subsequently during the
hearing, Capt. Klotz, engineer for the
| Public Utilities Commission, stated
that he had received independent in
| formation that installation of traffic
| lights on Sixteenth street had result.
ed in some falling off in business.
We, of course, have made no pro-
| test against the installation of traffic
| signals on Sixteenth street, and realize
their value to the community. but new.
| ertheless, 1t Is a fact that they slow
| up bus operations and, as a result,
| some former patrons of the buses
| have ceased using them. AS to the
weather, you will probably be sur
| prised to learn that revenue from bus
operations will vary as much AS $500 a
| day between a rainy Sunday and
| pleasant Sunday.
These two causes, however, only in
creased the operating loss during the
first four months of 1927, and other
| conditions were such that there would
have been an operating loss, even had
good weather prevailed and the traffic
| signals not been installed. Even with
| the results for the first four months Of
| 1926 showed an operating loss.
l desire to call attention to the fact
| that the Washington Rapid Transit
| Co. has now installed what we con-
| slider a very adequate system for in
! vestigating the histories of men apply.
| ing for positions as drivers and con.
| ductorS on cur buses and that we are
maintaining very thorough records Of
! performances of these men, and that
| as result our complaints from pa
irons have shown a very considerable
| falling off, indicating that there has
been noticeable improvement in the
character of service rendered. I also
want to call attention to the fact that
we are constantly conducting investi-
| cations, into the results of our various
| routes, with the object of establishing
| service of benefit to the public when.
ever this can be done without proving
too great q financial burden On the
| company.
Beginning with the first sign of good
weather this Spring, bus service has
| been provided every evening and on
Sundays to the Lincoln Memorial. and
| 1t Is planned to maintain this service
| throughout the Summer months.
We think particular attention should
be called to the fact that bus opera.
tions in the City Of Washington diff.
fer from those in any other city in
| the country. AS stated at the hearing
| Monday by Capt. Klotz, nearly every
one in Washington goes to work at
8 o'clock in the morning, and, as a re-
| suit, the management Of the Wash.
ington Rapid Transit Co. has installed
| extra service In order to accommodate
this unusual rush just before 8 o'clock.
Attention also should be called to the
fact that all cities at all comparable
| with Washington have a straight 10
cent fare on buses. although in such
| cities the street car fares run from q
scent cash fare to an Scent cash fare
and from 6X cent ticket fare to 715-
cent ticket fare.
1 do not believe It is generally un.
| derstood that already approximately
one-half Of the bus patrons are paying
straight 10-cent fare. The Washing
ton Rapid Transit Co. Is seeking in
every way possible to decrease its
costs and at the same time render
good service, but. of course, II Is i'm
possible to install additional buses and
| improve the service generally, as long
as the company. month by month,
| shows an actual operating loss.
e. D. MERRILL,
President and General Manager.