Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-06-15
Memher NJ the Associated Press
The Higher Fare Demand,


The application Of the Capital Trac-
ton Co. for higher fare has been re-
rarded as the inevitable consequence OF
the merger agreements failure TO ma
terialize: so much so, in fact, that the
application pending for . year, has
been viewed in the light of threaten
ing club, sure to descend unless the
street railways offers for merger were
accepted. Now that the club has de-
acended, the damage to be inflicted
thereby depends upon the success OF a
newly constituted Public Utilities Com
mission in dealing with problem that
is common to nearly every big city in
the country, but which is peculiarly
complex here in Washington.
More than seven years ago, when the
last increase in fare was granted, the
washington Railway IL Electric Co. was
the petitioner who came into court with
a sad story of inability to survive I'M
less something was done, and the Cap
ital Traction Co., fairly prosperous, was
maze
ton. Now the Capital Traction Co. is
the sufferer pleading for relief, and the
Washington Railway 81 Electric Co.
NAV be forced to become an tnyolun-
tary partner in misery and join with it.
Opposition to street car fare in
crease at this time, therefore, is not
founded so much on doubt as to the
possibility Of the Capital Traction Co.'S
ability to prove insufficient return on a
valuation that the courts have recog-
nized. Even a new valuation, II taken
by the Public Utilities Commission,
could not be construed as a sure safe
guard against a fare increase. Opposi-
ton is founded on the incontestable
fact that the higher fare plea Is mace
necessary because the people OF wash
inCton are paying for too much over
head on the part OF those who use the
streets for profit. Instead Of sup
porting one street car company,
they are supporting two. with the
resulting waste to be made up IN
higher fare. Mr.. Hanna, the pres
ident of the Capital Traction Co., ad-
nnits as much in his statement COM
npenting on the company's fare appli-
cation. He explains that the directors
refrained from taking action in the
hope that the necessity for taking II
might be postponed, either because OF
a merger Of the transportation systems
Of the District, with resulting econ
onies in operation, or because the
steady and long inroads OF
the private automobile into the COM
pany's business would lessen"
Another obvious ground of opposi-
ton to the fare increase now urged Is
that the increase is made applicable TO
both Of the local street railway systems
though proof of need of the increase is
offered only in respect to one. The ap-
plying company has indicated that 1t
rannot and will not accept a fare in
crease for itself unless the fare charged
by the other company is equally and
simultaneously increased. If one street
railway claims TO need an increase Of
fare, but refuses to ask or receive 1t
urless a like increase is granted to an
other street railway which does not
need or claim to need it, is the only
solution of the problem to exact both
increases from the car-using COM
nunity? II the facts suggest the pos
sibility of a just increase in the fare
to he charged by one road, but negative
. Just increase in respect to the other,
will the commission make itself re-
suonsible for both increases, the unjus.
az well as the just? Or will the re-
f,issl Of the road, which possibly de-
serves an increase, TO accept 1t unless
the fare charged by the other road Is
Increased equally be treated as with
drawal of the petition for an increase
since it has been loaded down by an
unjust condition declared to be indis-
pensable.
When Mr.. Hartman took ONCE rs
o member of the Public Utilities Com
mission, ne suggested that a proper
program of rerouting might accom-
plish for the pubic mucn tnaI Woulo
have been accomplished by congress
sionally authorized unification of the
transportation lines. This program
might solve the problem now presented.
But while the Public Utilities Com
mission has the authority TO rerOute,
the immediate difficulty lies with the
corporations right TO protest changes
affecting the use of their equipment, as
long as they are organized Is COM
peting lines.
The Public Utilities Commission will
doubtless approach the problem with
the thought that the public's right TO
economical and eficient transportation
over the streets they own may be para
mount to the necessity OF giving rela-
lively few stockholders in the street
car lines what they construe as fair re-
turn on money invested. Whether this
attitude leads TO revaluation or rerout-
ing depends upon the commission.
All the conditions point in the in
terest OF everybody TO the necessity OF
= inst merger OF the two systems, under
the terms Of which the car users and
She taxpayers, as we'll as the railways,
shall participate equitably in the bene-
fits.
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