Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-10-19
LABOR UNION FILES
FARE RISE PROTEST
Central Body ReneWs Fight
to Prevent Boost-ChiI-
dress Is Denounced.

With decision on the Capital Trac-
ton Co.'S application for financial re-
lief postponed until Monday. the Cen
trail Labor Union today took advantage
Of the delay and renewed its fight to
! prevent an increase in carfare.
The labor organization filed with the
Public Utilities Commission, as we'll as
the District committees of the Senate
and House. statement vigorously pro-
testing a higher fare. Coupled with it is
bitter denunciation of John W. Chill
dress, chairman of the commission, for
statement he is reported to have made
to the effect that the thought of re-
valuation of the Capital Traction Co.
at this time Is ''preposterous.
The commission also received another
protest today from the Benning, Glen
dale and Oakland Citizens Associations
which, in addition. contained a request
that the car companies be ordered to
sell three tokens instead of six at one
time. Even the existing rate of fare,
this association declared. 'is a burden
on school children as we'll as adults"
Labor Unions Statement.
The labor unions statement bore the
signature of A. C. Hayden, chairman of
the committee on public utilities. 1t fol-
lows:
THE Washington Central Labor
Union, representing 10000 adult citi-
Gems of the District of Columbia,
strongly reaffirms its opposition to the
request for car fare increase.
Since the Capital Traction Co.
stated several years ago that its return
NVN re iVayyn to n
in any way justify a demand for an
increase in the street car fare. there
! has been no revaluation to warrant its
change in position.
We hold as grossly uniustifiable the
statement of the chairman of the Pub
lie Utilities Commission that the
thought of a revaluation is pre-
poSterous.'
Demand Protection.
eve contend that a revaluation, II
demanded by the citizens of this COM
munity, is not 'preposterous' we further
protest that the Public Utilities Com
mission was created by Congress to pro-
tect not only the corporations. but the
citizens as we'll We demand, therefore.
that the protection OF the public in
terests be made function of the Pub
lie Utilities Commission and that this
function be not held as 'preposterous
as the present chairman has publicly
termed it!
And. further, we deeply resent this
unwarranted gesture on the part of the
street railways, in the form of de-
mand for street car fare increases. to
carry out a threat made at the time
of the hearing on the Wilson merger
PLAN"
The statement, 1t vas said. was adopt
ed after long and spirited discussion
in which every delegate to the labor
union not only individually protested a
higher fare, but objected to the tactics
and methods of procedure adopted by
the commission in considering the Cap
ital Traction Co.'S application
Although the commission has not
planned to resume consideration OF the
carfare case until Monday, the members
individually today are giving serious
thought to the plan for denying the
Capital Traction Co.'S application sug-
gested by Corporation Counsel William
w. Bride and strenuouSly urged by En-
gineer Commissioner william B. Ladue
at meeting of the commission yester-
dav while the fare increase was under
discussion.
This plan proposed first the refusal of
an increase to the Washington Railway
q Electric Co. which did not ask for It,,
but was made a party to the case, and
then telling the Capital Traction Co.
that, since 1t has publicly announced it
would not accept a higher fare unless
the competing company was similarly
treated. it would be futile to approve
the 10-cent fare application.