Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-29
CLAYTON MAY BALK
CARFARE INCREASE
Citizens Counsel Will Move
to Suspend Hearings
and Value Properties. )
Continued From First pase.)

opinion as 10 the effect OF competitive
buses on the business of the Capital
Traction Co. Assuming that the car
company would carry all the passengers
I now riding on competing bus lines.
. Chairman Patrick asked whether a
computation could be made which
would show the loss Of passenger traffic
as the result of such bus competition.
! Thinks Answer Impossible.
II do not think it would be possible
to given even an approximately accurate
| answer TO that question lnterposed
John H. Hama, president Of the Capt.
tai Traction Co, who was sitting at Mr..
Heberles elbow
Mr. Hanna said there was no wav
Of telling how many bus passengers
would walk and how many would
lines, and, therefore. it practically was
| impossible to measure the extent or
bus competition
We'll, can't you give an approxi-
mate fgure?" insisted Chairman Pat
rick.
! Mr. Hanna said that he and Mr..
! Heberle would do the best they could.
but they couldn't promise TO answer
! the question. even after studying the
records Of the company and the bus
| lines.
| Mr.. Hanna said the Burleith- Trini-
dad bus line had cost" the Capital
/ Traction Co. great many passengers,
but it would be difficult to measure the
number with any degree of accuracy.
He expressed the opinion that the Bur-
I leith-Trinidad bus line was improper
ly permitted"
Promises Result Later.
Replying to further questioning BY
! Chairman Patrick. Mr.. Hanna said 1t
would be mere guesswork" TO say how
many passengers were lost to the car
company by this bus lines operation.
but he would be glad to figure 1t out
as best he could and let the commits
sion know the result later.
Mr. Hanna then took the stand him.
! self and answered several more pending
questions They related TO the arrange
ments in various cities for transfers
between buses and street cars: taxes
paid BY street railway systems in other
cities and the bases for accrual OF de-
probation in those cities.
Mr.. Hanna next introduced state
ment showing the history of the COM
pany's depreciation reserve. He SAID
that the present depreciation reserve
had its beginning in 1911. when $780,
| 900 was set aside from the surplus &C
count for the depreciation OF way ana
structures. The next year $4,000 was
| transferred to the same reserve from
surplus Thereafter depreciation was
accrued from the company's transport
| tation revenue on percentage OASIS
In 1913 the statement showed 2H2
per cent OF revenue from transportation
| for depreciation of way and structures
Similar statements for each year were
! included.
! In the first half of 1916 3 per cent
! OF railway operating revenue was
charged to depreciation Of way and
structures, equipment and power plant
buildings. In the last half OF that year
depreciation was ACQUIRED on ) per
cent basis plus an additional $4,000.
Per Cent Sinking Fund.
In the years 1917 and 1918. the de-
preciation reserve was based on the es-
timated lives of depreciable property.
, the rates being reduced to equivalent
per cent sinking fund rates and ap-
piled to the various classes OF properly
! according to the estimated lives OF eacn
! kind of property.
The 1917 sinking fund rates were in
! creased 10 per cent in 1919 to take care
/ of the unusually heavy service required
from the company-s plant due to war
conditions.
! In 1920 a revision was made OF the
{ estimated lives of various classes OIL
property and depreciation inquired on
this new basis The lives OF the COM
pany's property were estimateo ,s as .oas
! lows: WAY, 20 years: TRANSMISSION ana
| distribution, 80 years: general buildings
! and power station buildings, so years
! power station equipment. IL years: roll
! ing stock, l8 years, and miscellaneous
equipment. 8 years.
Revised in 1925.
, The lives and rates were revised IN
1926 to correspond to the rates eStao-
lished by C. l. Pillsbury in his report
! to the Public Utilities Commission. the
Ives OF verious properties being shgntiy
! increased. -
A table was presented by Mr.. Hanna
showing the division of costs OF the
comnany's property into general groups
for depreciation purposes as OF Decem-
Der 81, 1923, as follows
WAY, $5O434286l: transmission and
distribution. $820513.73: general build
| ings, 81 .452. 1921: power station ouho-
| ings. s462 ,858.17: power station equip
| ment. sl,257.O72 S. rolling stock, 81
| 3o9. 254. 81. and miscellaneous equlpmen',
! Sl57.e46.59. making a total OF Sll.503.-
40757 To this is added S294.75l.94 for
bus line equipment The sum OF S8.7l1.-
! 36738 for -depreclaole properly
brings the total cost of the property up
to S20,5l5.526.89.
The table shows that the companys
/ depreciation reserve balance has gone
from Slooooo W
years.
President E. D. Merrill of the Wash
| ington Rapid Transit Co. took the
stand at the hearing yesterday after-
! noon over the objection OF Attorney
| George P. Hoover and testified con-
i corning the operations Of the companys
bus lines
Routing Authority Questioned.
| Mr.. Merrill was questioned by Com
| corning the authority for operation OF
several sections of the company's routes.
! Mr. Merrill answered most OF the ques-
| tions by saving that the routings were
| authorized. but whether by formal
| order. or simply by letter Of the COM
mission, he was unable to state.
| Mr.. Merrill said the commission had
| authorized his company to pick up
District passengers in interstate BUSES
south of the District line and north
| of Kennedy street by approving con-
| tract between the company and the
| Capital Traction Co. h. which the bus
| company took over operation OF the
car company's bus line from Fourteenth
and Kennedy streets to Alaska avenue
and Holly street Mr. Merrill said that
| at the time this service was taken
| over the company began to pick up
! passengers also between Holly street and
the District line.
! Explains Permit.
I Questioned about several express
| routes established by the company after
| the purchase of new buses in 1927, Mr..
Merrill said that the company had per-
mission of the commission to operate
| these in a letter from the commission.
but that he could not say whether
| there was a formal order authorizing
| the service or not. He said this was one
of the companys most popular forms
OF service, as it saved long-haul pas
| sengers a quarter to a third of the