Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-04-01
Amends Measure to Provide
for 2-Cent Fare for
School Children.
ALSO WOULD CONTINUE
SCENT RATE 10 MONTHS
Controverted Section IL, Pertain
ing to Rights of Appeal,
Remains in Bill.

Adding an amendment to provide a
2-cent fare for school children, the
public utilities subcommittee of the
House District committee today voted
to report its approval of the pending
traction merger resolution, which would
consolidate the two local street Car
companies.
The subcommittee, meeting in ex-
ecutive session at the House ONCE
Building, also amended the measure to
provide for continuance of the present
Scent fare for adults for period Of
10 months after the merger becomes
effective. The bill as drawn by the
Public Utilities Commission provided for
a two-year extension.
The controverted section IL, excori-
ated in the merger hearings by the
public utilities interests on the ground
that it would deprive them of right OF
appeal guaranteed citizens by the Con-
stitution, was approved by the sub
committee and remains In the bill.
Reduced Fare Meets Approval.
The action of the subcommittee, of
which Representative Mcleod of Michi-
gan Is chairman, will be reported to the
full committee of the District of Co
lumbia probably tomorrow, when the
latter committee is scheduled to hold q
meeting. The reduced fare for students
meets with the approval Of all parties
concerned in the merger movement,
Judging from testimony presented to
the committee during the lengthy hear
ings. One of the outstanding advo
Gates for the special rate was John j.
Noonan, champion of Washington's
school children, who gave the committee
voluminous data concerning conditions
among the under privileged school
children Of Washington. Noonan, how
ever. would have preferred free fare
for school children, although he said
at the hearings he would not oppose a
cheap fare.
OfficiaIs Indorse Action.
Gen. Mason M. Patrick, chairman of
the Public Utilities Commission, and
William r. Ham. president of the WASH
lngton Railway a Electric Co., and John
H. Hanna, president of the Capital
Traction Co., Endorsed the reduced fare
proposal in the hearings, but all agreed
that the taxpayers, and not the car
companies, should bear the burden Of
the reduction. Apparently the subcom-
mittee today made no provision TO
recompense the merged companies for
the loss in revenues resulting from the
student fare reduction. Action Of the
committee in reducing from two years
to a year and a half the period for
continuance of the present Scent
fare is victory for the car companies,
which had raised objection to the pro-
vision as it stood in the bill.
In the hearings 1t was estimated that
II would take lone or two years" to
complete revaluation of the street car
companies and make surveys and adj
justments preliminary to a proper con-
sideration of the rate of fare that
should be levied under the consolidation.
Traction representatives told the COM
mittee there was no prospect whatever
of q reduction in fare under the mer-
ger agreement, and commended that In
dicationS pointed to an increase In the
rate. Such an increase could not be
granted by the Public Utilities Com
mission for 10 months, as the bill now
stands.
The measure provides for free trans
ferS between all lines of both COM
panies, but would not affect transfer
charges made between street cars and
buses or between buses.
The disputed section regarding APP
peals from decisions of the Public Utili-
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