Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-09-08
Inseparable Issues.


and the growth in the number of au-
tomobiles, is an integral part OF the fare
question. High operations costs, the
companies say. demand higher fares.
Lower operations costs. brought by
merger. lessen that demand. From the
standpoint of the public the questions Of
fare and merger cannot be divorced
The public pays the fares. A method
Of reducing costs is as germane to the
fare question as a method Of increas-
ing fares.
The Capital Traction Co., formally
replying to the Public Utilities Com
missions merger proposal, again de-
clares that merger cannot be discussed
as part Of the fare question.
That has been the attitude of the cor
poratlons from the start. They also
have commended that the rate Of fare
must be uniform. They will not en-
terrain the possibility of granting an
increase to-. the Capital Traction Co.,
which voluntarily petitioned for it. With
out granting q like increase to the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.,
which became a petitioner on orders
from the Public Utilities Commission.
Nor will the corporations discuss plans
for joint use of equipment, rerouting,
ETC., which might reduce their opera
tions costs. Nor will they guarantee
any better service, better equipment or
greater convenience to the public with
higher rate Of fare than they now
offer with the existing rate.
From the standpoint of the corpora
tions, there is only one issue. They are
not receiving what they conceive to be
an adequate return upon an investment,
the fair value OF which is questionable.
There is one and only one way to
remedy this difficulty. That is to in
crease the cost of an essential public
service by raising fares and thus to
solve their problem by the simple ex-
pedient Of extracting more pennies from
the public.
But the Capital Traction Co., reiterat-
ing its desire, for merger. is willing to
consider. the Public Utilities Commits
sions proposed unification agreement
'to the end that necessary modifca-
tons protective of its, interests may be
arrived at through proper negotiatio
Provided that such consideration shall
not delay the completion and final de-
termination Of the pending proceeding
for increase Of fare"
te hinhlv ,aropar That fknsn ,.A~<
tiations should begin, and at once. 1t
is as natural for the companies to seek
adequate protection Of their interests
as it is for the public to seek the same
thing. While the companies are con-
testing certain provisions of the COM
missions proposal for merger, the public
may wish to examine other features
such as the plan to shift the cost CT
car-track paving to the shoulders of the
taxpayers, a revenue burden amounting
to about 100000 q year. The COM
missions revised merger plan is, on
the whole, sound, but there are debat-
able features that can be made gen.
orally acceptable only through nego-
tiation.
Nor is there any reason why COIL
Sideration Of the commissions merger
plan should delay the completion and
final determination of the pending pro-
ceeding for increase of fare" The
commission would do we'll to expedite
the remaining proceedings and reach
its final determination of the fare-in-
crease question as quickly as possible.
This final determination rests with
the commission. In reaching it the
commission will weigh the interrelated
issues Of the fare question, of which
merger is one, and base decision
on fair appraisal of a problem tina.
Is capable of other solutions than that
proposed by the corporations.