Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-06

c. G. Go0dI0e has been appointed s
operating out Of Washington. He came
In the photograph, left TO right: Mrs.
its faith in the present fare, fixed by
| this commission.
II strenuously protest against bring
! ing us In here and mixing up tn s
company with all these other matters
that are before this commission in the
present hearing. The Washington Rapid
Transit Co. can be valued separately,
and its rate of fare should be consid-
! cred as an independent case"
Brief remarks were made by G..
Thomas Dunlop, counsel for the Capt.
! toll Traction Co., and John s. Barbour
counsel for the Washington Railway q
lectric Co. in opposition to including
the Washington Rapid Transit Co. in
the present case.
Chairman Patrick at this point an
nounced that the commission would
consider the question and reserve its
ruling until later day,
The testimony today centered around
| an exhibit filed by ]. B. Heberle, the
company.s statistician, showing graph
ically the rates Of increase and decrease
! in revenue passengers carried by the
! company from January, 1916, to date.
The chart showed a normal increase
until March. 1917. and then a phenom-
email increase, which continued until
| october, 1918 The rate Of increase in
October lessened somewhat. and then
tE> curve resumed its upward trend to
/ 1t has been falling TO the present day,
although the rates of decrease have
been different. From the peak until
May, 1921 the fall was almost as rapid
| as the previous rise. Then The curve
fattened out somewhat and the DE-
crease since March. 1922. has been
more steady. The only increase regis
| tered since that time was in June. 1928.
the month of the Shrine Convention.
passengers has returned to where 1t
was in July, 1917, approximately S.
000.00 passengers per annum.
w. n. f. Strike Is Credited.
The witness explained the sharp in
crease following February, 1917. first by
the strike of the employees Of the Wash
ington Railway a. Electric Co.. which
threw an unprecedented burden upon
the cars of the Capital Traction Co.
and next upon the World War. which
the United States entered the following
month. The rate continued to increase
for more than two years following the
signing of the Armistice. but the wit
ness explained that war activities in
Washington by no means decreased
with the closing Of the war and 1t took
a long while for the city to get back
to normal.
President John H. Hanna OF the
company, testifying as to the same ex-
hibit, said that underlying the whole
curve was the constantly increasing use
of automobiles in the District. Each
additional automobile could be counted
upon to take two passengers per day
throughout the year away from the
company, he said. He explained that
the system Of registering automobiles in
IL District. whereby new registration
must be made each time an automobile
changes ownership, made it impossible
to secure accurate figures as to the in
crease in the number OF automobiles,
but that it was commonplace and
notorious fact that the number had in
creased in the period under considera-
ton.
Rate Of Fare Is Shown.
The chart also carried a separate line
indicating the rate of fare in force
during the period Beginning with AS
cents, this rose to cents in December,
1918. and to 81 cents in November.
1919, and to ~ cents in April, 1920.
Thereafter it declined to Z cents in
August, 1921, and to 6 2-3 cents IN
March. 1922, where 1t has remained
ever since.
Mr.. Hanna said that there apparently
was no connection between the rate OF
increase or decrease of passengers ana
the increase and decrease OF fares. Tne
decrease In the rates of acceleration IN
October, 1918, was due to the epidemic
of influenza he said. which had woe
spread influence upon the transporta-
ton of passengers here.
Hanna Defends Request.
In response to several questions asked
b. Chairman Patrick and Commission
er Hartman about the effect OF fare IN
creases on the number Of passengers
carried in the past, Mr.. Hanna mace
the following statement:
TT Is q fact that increases OF rare
have had some effect in reducing the
number of passengers carried, but 1t mas
been q temporary effect and not very
important. The falling of in passengers
has been going on all the time without
regard to the fare We need financial
relief and believe that If we get 1t we
can improve our service and attract |
more passengers. We believe the peo-
pie of Washington want better service
and are more interested in that than In
a slight difference in the rate OF fare.
Asks Beeler's Study BE Sought.
Mr.. F1eharty. asked the commission
at yesterday Afternoons session to en-
ploy the Beeler organization Of New |
York City to make a survey Of street |
railways here and point out economies
that might be derived from rerouting |
and joint operation Of cars. John A. |
Beeler, consulting engineer and trafnc
expert who is familiar with the situa-
ton In this city, consulted Mr.. File
harty Saturday.
It was Mr.. Fleharty's idea that a 10
day survey of local street car conditions
might be made by the Beeler organiza.
ton upon which preliminary report
might be based. It then could be de-
cided whether more extensive survey
should be made by the Beeler experts
for the benefit of the commission.
The tentative survey would cost about /
81 $50, Mr.. Beeler said in a letter to Mr..
Fleharty, which was read at the hear
ing. The time of one expert at SIS a
Ccy and another at $50 day would be
required, he explained.
Decision to Be Made.
The commission took the matter I'M |
der Amusement. Its decision will be |
rendered after 1t has had time to con-
suit Mr.. Fleharty on the details OF the
proposal. If more extensive survey |
of local street railway conditions is
made by the Beelef experts It might
include retaliation of the street car
companies properties.
Mr. Beeler was employed by the Pub
lie Utilities Commission in 1918 to solve ;
problems growing out OF wartime con- !
Ia fc 1Hm nf