Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-19
Ruling Will Go Into Effect
After Signing of Decree to
Be Presented to Court by
Next Tuesday.
COMMISSION TO APPEAL;
LONG BATTLE PROBABLE
Justice Bailey Allows Lines to Sell
Four Tokens for 80 Cents, Three
for Is Cents or Seven for so
Cents-First of Three Plans Will
Be Adopted.

Justice Jennings Bailey Of the
District Supreme Court today de-
cided that the local street car
companies are entitled to 10
cent fare as a just return on the
valuations of their several prop
critics.
The decision of the court, rem
dered on appeals of the Capital
Traction Co. and the Washington
Railway g. Electric Co. from the
refusal of the Public Utilities Com
mission to grant the companies
requests for a Decent fare, sets
forth a valuation of the Capital
Traction Co. at SOS, 728, 683 and
that, of the Washington Railway
& Electric Co at $19,210,899.33.
The decision provides that In
lieu of a Decent cash fare the
companies may sell four tokens
for 80 cents, three tokens for IS
cents or seven tokens for so cents.
VIII Appeal Decision.
Informed of the decision, Harleigh H.
Hartman, member of the Public Util-
tiles Commission, declared that the
commissions counsel probably would
file notice of an appeal to the Court
of Appeals
Counsel for the respective parties viii
present a decree to Justice Bailey next
Tuesday. The increase in fare will not
go into effect until the signing Of The
decree.
0ficiaIs in Farley.
Shortly after the decision was handed
down officials of the two companies
called on the Public Utilities Commits
sion and went into conference with its
members 1t was said that they were
discussing the question of which of the
alternative fares mentioned in the de-
cree the companies would accept.
After the conference President John
H. Hanna of the Capital Traction Co.,
said that the companies would put the
10-cents fare with four tokens for 80
cents into effect and would not attempt
the okens-for-a-quarter rate or
seven tokens for so cents. The said
the companies planned to put the rate
into effect as soon as the decree Is
signed.
Peoples Counsel Richmond B. Keech
announced, after reading the decision,
that he would petition the Public Uttll-
ties Commission for an immediate re-
valuation of the property OF both COM
panies. He said that the decision
rested on questions of fact and had left
many questions of law undecided.
He said that the public might get
better results out of revaluations than
out of an appeal to the Court OF APP
peals, although he has not yet made
up his mind whether to file the appeal
or go along with the commission in
case 1t should appeal
Justice Bailey in the course OF his
opinion said:
ION July /, 1914, the commission
proceeded to value the properties of
the two street railway companies, the
Capital Traction Co. and the Washing
ton Railway g. Electric Co. On Sep
TENDER 4, 1919, 1t fixed the value of
the property of the Washington Railway
g. Electric Co., at $16,106 ,368.14, and
that of the Capital Traction Co. at
14,270, 495.
THE latter company appealed from
this order to the Supreme Court of
the District of Columbia and from
that court an appeal was taken to the
Court of Appeals, which fixed the valu-
alton at $25, 1864 $50, as of January ],
1925. Later, by order OF the commits
sion. the value of the property of the
washington Railway e. Electric Co.
was fixed at $17,469, 527.73, as of De-
cember 81, 1921.
Applied for Increase.
I'm 1927 the Capital Traction Co. ap-
piled to the commission for an increase
ir the rate of fare, but owing to the
tendency of negotiations for a merger
of the two companies and of the action
of Congress thereon, the application was
dismissed without prejudice. Congress
did not act on the proposed merger and
on June IA, 1928, the Capital Traction
Co. renewed its application. The WASH
ington Railway & Electric Co. was made
a party to the proceeding and joined In
the application for an increase In fare.
"At the hearing the railways relied
upon these valuations as of their re-
spective dates together with testimony
as to additions, retirements, changes in
value. and other matters in order to
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