Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-21
Ten-Cent Rate Would Save
Being Annoyed by Pennies,
He Ayers.
FLEHARTY CLASHES
WITH COMMISSIONER
Peoples Counsel Mixes With Hart
man in Questioning Over Com
pany's Securities Income.

President William F. Ham Of the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.
told the Public Utilities Commission to-
day that to increase carfare in WASH
ington to 10 cents cash and tokens
for 80 cents would be benefit to the
public.
He said that he did not think the
public now buying tokens would object
to the small increase asked Of them and
that the public now paying cents cash
is composed of two parts, those who
are transients and do not buy tokens
as they would have no need for them,
and those who are Indifferent to the
rate of fare. A 10-cent fare would save
the public a great deal of time and
annoyance by abolishing the necessity
for making change involving the use of
pennies, Mr.. Ham said.
Clayton Conducts Questioning.
William Mex. Clayton. counsel for
the Federation of Citizens Associations,
conducted a long cross-eXamination on
the basis of Mr.. Hams statements.
Mr.. Ham had said that the fare in
Washington should be uniform. Mr.
Clayton then pointed out that in the
company's application five exceptions
we're made to the rates of fare in the
case of the following five bus lines:
Burleith-T Trinidad, Rhode Island Ave-
nue. coach line, Bunker Hill road-Tenth
and E streets bus line, Massachusetts,
avenue line and Foxall- Potomac Heights
bus line. Mr.. Clayton asked the wit
ness If he did not think that the people
in the territories served by these buSseS
also should have the benefit of uni
form fare. This question, however, re-
manned unanswered, as it was regarded
as argumentative by the commission.
Commissioner Harleigh H. Hartman
that where there was limited demand
for public transportation 1t could be
handled more economically by bus than
by street car.
He then asked Mr.. Ham why higher
charge was asked for bus service when
that was substituted for car service on
Massachusetts, avenue IN the Spring of
1925. Mr.. Ham replied that the bus
service gave direct transportation down.
town to residents to American Univer-
sity Park and Wesley Heights. which
was superior to the service previously
rendered by the street cars.
brush between Peoples Counsel
Ralph B. F1eharty and Commissioner
Hartman over the introduction of evi-
dence enlivened the earlier stages OF
the hearing. Mr.. Fleharty was seeking
to discover what income the company
earned from securities in addition to its
operating income.
Bowen Objects to Questions.
S. r. Bowen, counsel for the COM
pany, contended that this testimony
had no place in a rate case and Com
missioner Hartman held that 1t should
not be introduced as it was all in the
records of the commission, of which
they would take judicial notice. Mr..
Fleharty, after having failed to get
the testimony in, noted an exception
to the ruling of the commission.
The Washington Railway & Electric
Co. completed its affirmative case when
the commission took its luncheon re-
cess at noon. Next will follow the
case of the Washington Interurban
Railroad Co.. a subsidiary Of the major
company.
Shows Increased Rate Table.
Upon taking the stand this morn
ing Mr.. Ham presented a table show
ing the estimate prepared by the Wash
ington Railway & Electric Co. Of the
effect of the proposed increased rate of
fare-10 cents cash with four tokens
for 80 cents. He said the number of
passengers on the lines of his company
who would be affected by the pro-
posed change in fare totaled 65, ,813, ,486.
OF these 18,277,388 are at present cash
passengers, comprising PITT per cent OF
the total The number of token pas
sengers is 47,536.099, which is 1928 per
cent of the total.
Mr.. Ham estimated that under the
proposed higher fare 81 per cent OF the
passengers would use tokens. This
would, on the basis of present traffic
volume, give a total of 8,555,753 pas
sengers paying 10 cents cash and ST.
257,733 paying 71a cents each for tokens:
The return from cash passengers would
be $855,57530 and the return from
token passengers. S4,294, ,329.98 making
a total Of $5,149. .905.28.
In addition, Mr.. Ham estimated that
his company would receive from pas
sengers carried for the washington,
Baltimore & Annapolis Railroad $69,-
209.89. j..
This would make the revenue received
from pressengers at the proposed new
rate $,2l9,115.17.
The present revenue Of the company
CONTINUED on Page 2, Column 6)