Evening star., 1928-10-25

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had agreed not to contest the order
and that it had promised the COM
panies that the record submitted in
the recent hearings on the Capital
Traction Cos. application shall be
available for use should any further
application for fare raise be filed.
Criticize Commission.
The commissions settlement Of the
fare case was not so pleasing to VIII
liam NICK. Clayton, and William A.
Roberts, chairman, and vice chairman,
respectively, of the public utilities COM
mittee of the Federation of Citizens
Associations, who have led the fight Of
organized citizenship against an in
crease.
Clayton said after cursory examina-
ton of the text of the commissions s
order that 1t appears to him trade
had been made with the car companies
whereby the Commission denied the in
crease and at the same time joined the
car companies in threatening Washing
ton with higher fares after adjourn
ment of the coming session Of Congress
Merger, however desirable, will, under
terms now suggested by the companies" !"
he declared, "mean higher car fares"
Clayton also criticized the commits
sion for reaching its decision with the
car company officials and their lawyers
present at the meeting. THE commits
Sion," he said, had no right to consult
with officials OF the car companies at
that stage"
'Of course something has been ac-
complished in that car fares are not
going to be increased until March" :"
Roberts said. But further than that
nothing has been decided No use was
made Of the opportunity to correct the
excessive 1925 valuation of the Capital
Traction Co. and the rate case is kept
alive as threat over Congress that
fares will be raised If the pending mer-
ger resolution is not adopted
This is all the more disappointing
in view Of the fact that the commission
was reported to be on the point of
signing an order that would have
of the case as to the Washington Rail-
way & Electric Co., and a denial for
the Capital Traction Co., while based
on technicality, at least had no
strings tied to it,"
Several hours prior to the commits
sion's final action, President Hanna Of
the Capital Traction Co. held brief
informal conference with John w.
ChildresS, chairman Of the commission,
at which, it is understood, he urged a
24-hour postponement in the deci
The purpose of the delay, it was sa!f,
was to arrange to have the withdrawal
of the higher fare application sanction
ed by the board of directors Of the
company. The commission, it was re-
ported, declined to defer action, and
Hanna came back later to attend the
conference, at which the new plan of
diSposing of the case was dictated and
approved.
The commission had jockeyed with
the car fare case for the last Severa
weeks, meeting almost daily in an effort
to dispose of 1t, while at the same time
dividing attention with the valuation
proceedings of the Washington Gas
Light Co. now underway.
At one stage, the commission gave
indications that it would be forced tc
approve the petition because the public
utilities act prescribes fair rate Of
return on the valuation of a publ;
utility corporation, whereas the Capita
Traction Co. is earning but 38 per cent
on the $26,000,000 appraisal of the
Court of Appeals in 1925. It was ther
that Corporation Counsel Bride stepped
in with his solution which turned the
tide against a higher fare and ulti.
mately resulted in the action which has
postponed an increase for at least -four
months.