Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-04-24
UNIFORM BUS FARE
RATE AND TRANSFER
RIGHT TO TO Be ASKED
FIeharty to Take Plea Before
Commission if Merger Is
Not Ratified.
PLANS ARE REVEALED
TO HILLCREST CITIZENS
Answers Organizations Move Seek
ing Establishment of Flat
10-Cent Tariff.

Uniform rates of fare and transfer
privileges on all motor bus lines operat-
ing in the District will be sought by
Ralph B. Fleharty, peoples counsel be-
fore the Public Utilities Commission, il
Congress fails to ratify the transit
merger agreement before June !, the
date of it's expiration.
MIR. Fleharty revealed his plans to-
day in letter to Rudolph Malth, preSl-
dent of the Hillcrest Citizens ASsocia-
ton, in answer to the organization
plea for the establishment OF nat 10
cent fare on the Hillcrest bus line OF
the Capital Traction Co.
Klotz Asked to Make Survey.
Capt. r. G.. Klotz, engineer of the
Public Utilities Commission, Mr.. File
harty told Malth, already has been re-
QueSted to make a complete survey
of all motor bus lines with the idea
that in the event of the failure of
Congress to approve the unification
pact entered into by the transportation
companies, he would have the commits
sion call public hearing to consider
the adjustment of rates of fare and
transfer privileges on all bus lines. In
view of these plans, he suggested that
the association not press its application
for 10-cent fare in the HillcreSt line
at this time.
Attaches of the utilities commission
believe Mr.. Fleharty's move may be
more far-reaching in scope than bus
fares and transfer privileges, and re-
solve ultimately into a hearing on the
traction lines as we'll. In fact, Off
Gals of the commission expect to have
under consideration before June l the
petition of the Capital Traction Co. for
an increased fare. The board OF d.
rectors of the company has author
lied the executive board to file the APP
plication, but it has been withheld, 1t
is said, pending some indication from
Congress as to the fate OF the merger
agreement.
The differentA rates of fares on the
various bus lines together with the
variety of transfer privileges have long
been a target of criticism, but the COM
mission, like Mr.. Fleharty. has been re-
luctant to take action to bring about
a uniform adjustment, feeling that this
problem would be solved with the mer-
ger of the transportation lines. Now,
with the unif1cation regarded as I'M
likely, the peoples counsel wants to be
in a position to make move Tor uni
formity as soon as it becomes evident
that Congress will not pass upon the
special session.
Mr.. Fleharty intends to propose a
uniform rate over the District for
similar service. Under the present ar
rangement, he explained, bus paSSer-
gers, IN some instances, are charged
more for short rides than for long ones.
AS an illustration, he pointed out that
a passenger on a Capital Traction car
transferring to the Eastern High School
bus at Seventeenth street and Pennsyl-
vania avenue southeast is required to
pay 2 cents for the transfer, whereas, II
he transferred to the same company's
Randle Highlands bus at that point, a
free transfer would be issued. In this
case the ride to Randle Highlands on
the free transfer is longer than the
one to Eastern High School on the 2
cent transfer.
Other Ineeuities Cited.
There are several other inequities In
existing bus rates and transfer privi-
leges, Mr.. Fleharty declared, which
should be eliminated. Among them he
mentioned the case of the residents of
HillcreSt, who are required to pay two
fares to come downtown. The HillcreSt
buses charge one fare from HillcreSt to
Thirtieth street southeast, and another
1dIG 1IOIiL lIldt pOAAU " NCFChVCCAOA
street and Pennsylvania avenue, where
free transfers are issued to the cars Of
the Capital Traction Co.
When the Capital Traction Co.'s ap-
plication for higher fare was under
consideration last Summer, John H.
Hanna, president, agreed to a 2-cent--
transfer charge between the BUSES and
the cars at Seventeenth street and
Pennsylvania avenue southeast, pro-
vided the 2-cent charge also be permit
ted between the cars and the Randle
Highlands BUSES thus putting all OF the
company's feeder bus lines on the same
basis. The commission, however, took
no action on the offer.
Mr.. Hanna recently indicated to Mr..
Fleharty that the offer not likely would
be renewed because of the financial
condition of the Hillcrest line, which
has been operating at loss. In 1928.
he pointed out, the entire revenue OF
the line was $4,739, while the operat--
ing expenses. exclusive of any overhead
or interest charges, amounted to $8,122