The Washington times., 1929-08-19
one RAISE
! CALLED
UNFAIR

Vlllldm r.. ham, pFeStueuL
Of the. Washington Railway
and Electric Company, today
opened his company's fight for
higher fares before the Pub
lie Utilities Commission, de-
claring that "it would be an
absolutely unfair thing to give
the Capital Traction Company
an increase in fare that was
not given us. -
One Of the principal reasons the
company wants the higher fare,
Ham said, is to prevent q great
rush of the public to the lines OF
the Washington Railway and Elec.
trio Company during the peak traf-
fic hours.
While / don't believe the public
IL much interested in the small In
crease asked for by the street rail-
way companies. it must be remem.
bered that human nature is such
that the people would without doubt
ride on the line with the lower rate
Of fare
Ham Protests Move
Pointing out that traffic condi-
tlons on the lines of the two trac-
tion companies during the rush
period are as acute as ever, Har
told the commission that it would
work an inconvenience on both the
public and his company if the de-
mands made on the company dur
ing the rush period increased to
the extent they would il the fare
increase was not made uniform.
Regardless Of all matters ct
valuation, operating expenses ana
other things, hte commission well
knows. Ham said. that the Wash.
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany. has been operated as the Cap
ital Traction Company. He pointed
out that the Washington Railway
ana Electric Company system IS
much more widespread than that
OF the Capital Traction Company
and that less passengers ride on his
company per mile than on the other
line.
Own Firm Pioneer
'sThe commission knows" he
said. "that the Capital Traction
Company has confined its system TO
the already well developed sections
OF washington and. has taken no
chances, while, our company has
been a pioneer, going out into me
open spaces of the city and taking
q chance on their development.
At the start of the hearing today
q. r. Bowen, chief counsel and vice
president Of the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company, pointed
out that the company has never
petititoned the. Commission FOR an
increased fare in the present case.
The Capital Traction Company pc
titioned the Commission to increase
the rate Of fare to 10 cents a r1oe'
with four tokens for 80 cents. The
Commission ordered the Washington
Railway and Electric Company TO
become a party to the case ana
the company replied with the plea
that If car fares are to be increased.
the increase should be made uni.
form, The company also declared
that under the present rate OF rare
it cannot get fair return on lts
value.
The only thing? thr INF h umm
i PE6lic View Told
The public has already strongly
expr ssed Itself in favor of a uni
form rate to be absolutely essen.
tial.""
with a huge map on which the
routes of the two companies were
ttlined, Ham pointed out to the
commission that his company is in
direct competition with the Capital
Traction Company wherever the
Iatfar'S lines reach,
Attorneys for the company ran
into trouble early in the presenta-
tion of their case. When Bowen
attempted to introduce excerpts from
the fare increase case Of last year
Commiss 4ier Harleigh H. Hartman
told him, they were argumentive and
could not be included in this csss.