New Britain herald., 1928-02-02
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 New York. Feb. | (UP)-The nvs-cent fare. now only . memory in most American cities. has been called to . showdown In its last great stronghold-New York. The transit commission had be- fore it today an application of the Interborough Rapid Transit Co. for an increase to seven cents on its subway and elevated lines.
 The Interborough gave every in- dication of intending to make this a real battle to determine whether the city can force 1t to operate at . five cent fare.
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 The transit commission will not grant the increase, and the company intends to carry 1t to the supreme court of the United States. if neces- sary. on the ground that the in- voluntary five-cent fare is . confis- cation of its property rights.
 The impending battle will be watched with interest in cities every where, which have had their own transit battles In the last decade and seen the fares rise from four and five cents to seven. eight, nine and even ten.
 Some transit experts have ad- vanced the opinion that the decision may be the final test of low fare under present living conditions. arguing that profitable operation at five cents, if 1t is feasible anywhere, is feasible in New York. with ita enormous traffic volume and heavy 24-hour-a-day revenue.
 S-Oent-Fare Survey
 4 survey today showed few major cities in the United States operating on a hve-cent fare except New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and . few smaller cities-Terre Haute and Kokomo in Indiana, for instance-were exceptions.
 Here are the rates In the larger cities of the east, midwest and west:
 Boston, 10 cents: Philadelphia, [ cents, two for 15; Baltimore. 8 cents, two for 15: Washington, s cents. six for 70: Buffalo. 10 cents, three for zb; Rochester, . cents; Toronto. 2 cents, four for . quarter (municipally owned): Montreal. ' cents four for 25 (ten cents from midnight to a- m.): Pittsburgh. 10 cents, three for 26, with an unlimit- ed weekly pass for 31.5o; Cleveland. ' cents. eight for 50; Columbus. 6 cents. s for 25: Atlanta. 10 cents; New Orleans, T cents; Cincinnati. 10 cents, three for 25. with interstate passage to Kentucky cities only flve cents: Chicago, ' cents on surface cars, 10 cents on elevated: Detroit, 6 cents with one cent transfer charge (municipally owned): St. Louis, . cents: Kanas City, cents, two for IS: Denver, : cents, two for l5: San Francisco, dve cents: Los An geies, i've cents.
 Point At Issue
 The point at issue in the New York fare battle will be whether | contract between the 1nterborough and the city stipulating . five-cent fare can be declared invalid on the ground that the company does not earn the per cent profit recognized as equitable for transit company.
 The situation is complicated by the fact that after the transit reorgan- ization of IS years ago. the city be- came part owner of the Interbor- ough lines. It built the newer part of the system and owns some of the equipment. Operation was turned over to the Interborough, which claims that its net return last year was only two and one-ha per cent on it's valuation. The city has . decided loss on Its share of the en- terprise, which is passed on the pub lie in taxes.
 Samuel Untermyer. special coun- sel for the Transit commission. con- tended. however, that tho company had included the city's share of lines in the valuation, making its esti- mate of profit vaiueless. The com pany's petition may be opposed on that ground, among others.
 The Interborough carries well over . third of the approximately 5000. 100000 passengers carried in New York in a year.
 The Brooklyn Manhattan subway system carries more than 600.000,- , 900 additional, and the balance 1 comes from surface cars and busses. !
 Administration Battles
 The five.cent fair has become d. most . shibboleth in New York and are apt to rise and | fall on the issue. Observers there 1 fore believed today that the question of municipal ownership here would entail the largest such operation in the country.
 Wall street regarded the situation and Interboroueh stock went up today, registering . gain of Is by midday.
 The subway riders regarded the with mixed feelings. Com- ment in the crowded Interborough cars today was mingled with at the service and grumblings against the company's demand for more fare.
 The brief of James L. Quacken- bush. general counsel of the com- pany. as presented to the Transit commission. argued that the intoler- able conditions which admittedly prevail cannot be remedied without an increased fare. He argued that the dollar is worth only 50 cents cnYn rod ta Hf,A tsr1o ~,han tho n,sh