Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-27
OPERATIONS REVIEW
WINDS UP HEARING
IN ". R. F. BUS CASE
Cross.Examination on Evil
dence Is Expected to Be
Completed Today. s
4
STATISTICAL SURVEY 4
IS PRESENTED BY HAM
President Believes System of Stat.
ing Certain Accounts Contrary
to Law. p.

The case of the Washington Inter-
urban Railway Co.. a subsidiary of
the Washington Railway & Electric Co.,
was completed at the hearings before
the Public Utilities Commission today
in the car fare case. and cross exami-
nation on the evidence presented is ex-
pected to be completed this afternoon.
The hearings today were extremely
quiet and devoted almost sentirely to a
comprehensive statistical survey of the
history and present operations of the
company by William F Ham, its presi-
dent.
Mr.. Ham also answered few ques-
tions asked by Commissioner Harleigh
H. Hartman with respect to the Wash
ington Railway & Electric Co.'S case.
In one of his answers Mr.. Ham said
that he believed that the system of
stating certain of the companys ac-
counts advocated by Mr.. Hartman. in
his question, was contrary to the classi-
fication Of accounts prescribed by the
commission. contrary to the public utili-
ties act, and otherwise contrary to law.
Ham Resumes Testimony.
Mr.. Ham resumed his place on the
witness stand this morning and placed
in the record a number of statistical
exhibits showing the volume of traffic
and the incumbent expenses of the
Washington Interurban Railroad CO..
which operates busses from Fifteenth
and H streets northeast over the
Bladensburg road to the District line
and thence to Cheverly, East Riverdale
and College Park in Maryland. The
exhibits related only to the business
Of the company within the District.
Although operated as a separate con-
cern. this company Is owned by the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.
Mr.. Ham showed that since the
busses were placed in operation in May,
1923, up until the present time there
has been loss in operating income of
$48,675, Every month in that period
except one showed a deficit.
The total number of revenue passen-
gers carried by this bus line in the last
six years was 2,46l 1859 as compared
with 1.990.58o free passengers. which
includes passengers carried on free
transfers. For the IL months ended
April 80 of this year the bus line car
ried S75,502 passengers. of which ATT. .l81
paid 8 cents cash or tokens at 623 cents
each and 1888 rode on free trans
fers.
For the same IL months the company
received from its cash fares $12, ,401 and
from tokens S2l,477. From 2-cent
transfers it received 500, making total
revenue within the District of approxi-
mately $34.414.
1T was pointed out by Mr. Ham that
the figures showed steady growth in
the number of revenue passengers car
ried by this bus line and in the total
revenue received from them.
Free Transfers Reduces Revenue.
Another exhibit disclosed that the
average fare per revenue passenger in
creased from TOT cents in 1923 to 7.21
cents in 1929. The average fare for all
passengers carried showed decline
from 4.01 cents to 1896 cents, due to
ber of free transfer passengers carried.
Mr.. Ham then submitted statement
estimating the effect of the proposed
increased fare on the bus line The line
is asking for 10-cent cash fare, with
four tokens for 80 cents, free transfers
to cash passengers and 2-cent transfers
to token passengers.
1t is estimated by the company that
30 per cent of the revenue passengers
carried during the IL months ending
April 80 last, availed themselves of the
transfer privilege. The company assumes
that there will be no change in the
number of passengers who do not trans
fer and 10 per cent decrease in the
who do transfer between bus
and car line and that on this basis
there would be an annual revenue Of
al ,514.80. The revenue actually received
from passengers under the present rate
Of fare for the IL months indicated was
s34, 4,414.23. This would give an estimated
additional passenger revenue of ST.
100.57, from which the 4 per cent gross
earning tax of $284.02 is deducted, which
would leave a net increase in operating
income from the proposed change in
fare Of $6,816.55.
The. operating deficit for the II
indicated actually was $4,l64.-
81. This would mean that under the
proposed rate of fare the company
would be able, according to its estimate,
TO convert this deficit into a net in
come of $2,651.98.
Mr.. Ham then said that the inter-
burban company rented its busses from
the Washington Railway & Electric Co.
on a bus mile basis. 1t paid the rail-
way company per cent return on the
bus mileage used, calculated on the
average cash investment in the type
Of bus used, plus the charge for insur-
ance and depreciation on the buses
on bus mileage basis. plus 10 per cent
~. a ~,