Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-01
Commission Then Agrees to
End Efforts to "Break
Down" These Accounts.
HARTMAN AND TRACTION
STATISTICIAN TO CONFER
W. r. & E. Officials Invited in
Order to Prepare to Give
Similar Data.

An important point was won by the
Public Utilities Commission in the car
fare hearing this afternoon when John
H. Hanna, president of the Capital
Traction Co., agreed to furnish the
commission a new and detailed analysis
Of the various general expense and
equipment accounts of the company for
the year 1928. The commission on its
part agreed to suspend further ques-
tioning in an effort to break down"
these accounts.
The questions which Commissioner
Harleigh H. Hartman has been asking
since the hearing opened with regard
to these accounts have given rise to
sharp controversy between the commits
sion and the officials of the company.
The company, through its lawyers, con-
tended that Commissioner Hartman's
questions could not possibly be answered
without study of its records and also
that the information which Mr. Hart
man sought did not have an important
bearing on the rate case.
But Mr.. Hartman insisted that the
accounts submitted by the company
should be closely questioned by the
commission, since they were the basi.
for the commissions application fol
increased fare. In a ruling this morn.
ing, Chairman Patrick, on behalf O:
the commission, overruled the car conn
pany's objections to Mr.. Hartmann
questions In accordance with the termt
of the truce reached this afternoon
Mr.. Hartman will confer with j.
Heberle, chief Statistician for the Cap
1tal Traction Co., with regard to tn
details desired by the commission. OF
ficials of the Washington Railway-d
Electric Co., which is a party to the
present rate case, were invited to be
present at this conference, in order
that they may be prepared to furnish
similar analysis Of their accounts.
The disputes today centered around
the detailed nature of the questions
asked by Commissioner Hartman Of
witnesses for the company relating to
exhibits filed in support of the COM
pany.s petition for fare of 10 cents
cash or four tokens for 80 cents on all
Washington street car lines.
The company'S representatives COM
planned that time was being wasted be-
cause the commission had not straight
ened out these matters of detail before
the hearing opened. The commission
however, overruled all objections and
Mr.. Hartman pursued his inquiries.
The morning session also witnessed
the second failure of the companies to
separate consideration of the petition
for higher fares from a consideration
of the probable reduction in operating
expense, if possible, through rerouting
and joint use of tracks.
S. R. Bowen, representing the Wash
ington Railway & Electric Co., filed a
statement on his company's objections
to this, substantially similar to that
u,l1 oh hIy floa 10 oI
ton Co. at the start Of the case.
Bowen Says Authority Lacking.
In explaining his document, Mr..
Bowen said that it was his position
that the commission had the power to
authorize joint use of small stretches
of track where the companies were III
agreement that such joint use would
| be beneficial to both, but to order
complete rerouting and joint operation
would be the same as ordering merger
and the commission has no authority
to do this without the specific approval
of Congress.
S. R. Bowen, counsel for the Wash
! ington Railway & Electric Co., at the
opening of the hearing this morning
presented in written form an elabora-
ton of the reasons of that company
for objecting to the commissions order
dll A1fCollSdI-OI1 W
economies that would result from uni
fed control of car lines in the District
and making such inquiry a part of the
present rate case. This objection was
raised verbally by Mr.. Bowen on the
opening day of the hearing. 1t was
overruled by the commission.
Chairman Patrick, after reading over
the written statement submitted by Mr..
Bowen today, said that the reasons ad-
vanced were similar to those offered by
the Capital Traction Co., except in one
instance. He referred to one paragraph
in Mr.. Bowen's statement which de-
clared that it would be unjust, un-
reasonable, discriminatory and confls-
catorv of the property of the companies
and violative of their rights under the
Constitution of the United States to
delay granting of the relief to which
they are entitled under the law at this
time" until the commission completes
the proposed inquiry.
"The commission has not indicated
any intention of delaying its decision
upon the request of the Capital Trac-
ton Co. for an increased fare" declared
Chairman Patrick.
Mr.. Bowen explained that he merely
wished to point out that any saving
from unified control of car lines which
might be brought about in the future
was entirely problematical and had no
part in the present case.
1.-The commission will accept the OBJ
jections as made" said Chairman Pat
rick, "but repeat that there has been
no indication of delaying our decision
in the rate case"
There is no power in the commits
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