The Washington times., 1930-07-22
H|GHERCOURT
TO DECIDE
QUESTION
New Flat Rate Of 10 Cents
Due to Go Into Effect Tomor-
row morning at z O'clock

The Public Utilities Commission
and Peoples Counsel, Richmond
B. Keech, in open court today
noted an appeal to the District
Court of Appeals from the decree
which Justice Jennings Bailey
signed today granting q dime
fare to the traction companies
and at the same time increasing
the transfer revenue to 2 cents
in some cases.
Street car transportation will
take a decided jump at 2 a. m.
tomorrow when the schedules are
filed and the order becomes
finally effective.
Basic Rate Is Dime
A basic rate of 10 cents cash is
allowed under the decree, with
four tokens for 80 cents on all
lines where the present rate is
cents and where six tokens are
sold for 40 cents. The court, how
ever, refused to allow the insertion
of a provision in the order that
the companies might reserve the
right to sell tokens at the rate OF
three for a quarter in lieu of the
four for 30-cent provision.
The transfer status is now ma
terially changed as a result Of the
decree.
No charge for transfers between
intra-company lines will be
charged, A l-Cent charge is inn
posed for transfers between inter
company lines, regardless Of
whether cash fare of 10 cents or
a token fare is given by the pas
senger.
In transfers from cars to buSses,
or vice versa, 2-cent charge is
imposed except when the paSSeHl"
ger pays decent cash fare.
Decree Is Brief
The decree is short and to the
point and all that is necessary to
place it in effect is for the street
car companies to deposit their
fare schedules with the Public
Utilities Commission and extract
a dime from their passengers
where they only charged 8 cents
before.
Keech at the present time is
undecided whether he will take
the fight for a revaluation of the
car company properties to the
higher court with his appeal from
the dime fare order. He may
easily do SO and the decree signed
today also overrules his motion
for the court to compel a reval.
uation of properties.
During arguments on the petl-
tions some time ago. Keech ex-
posed the car companies in their
| valuation accounts. and pointed
to numerous instances where the
manner of the different comN
panieS in arriving at their yalua-
tionS was at variance. He also
showed how, in many instances.
the car companies, to initiate
their valuations, were using obSo-
lete equipment and at the same
time appraiSing it at the same
value which might be placed on
the most modern machinery.
With the street car merger bill
pending on the Senate calendar
Senator Arthur Capper. chair
man of the District committee
and chairman also Of the Public
Utilities Subcommittee, believes
| the traction companies have ex-
hibited poor strategy and made
"a serious business hlunder' in
their recent successful application,
for 10-cent cash car fare.
Senator Capper Talks
| Senator Capper, whose bill
authorizing the street car merger
and the presumed reduction Of
overhead expenses had been IA
vorably reported, said:
"I believe the 10-cent car fare
authorization will expedite the
passage through Congress of
the merger bill. 1t appears to
me the car companies have
made serious business bIuMder
in their successful application
for raise in fares at this time.
| 'Tt has been shown that the
car companies lost 3,0OO,OO0
passengers during the first six
months of this year, rs com.
pared with normal passenger,
carrying for a similar period
heretofore. This is largely due,
understand, to the competition
Of cheap taxicab competition
the 35-cent cabs-and now We
have a nickel cab for q third
Of a mile.
eff there is q loss Of 3,OOO,OOO
passengers In six months under
an scent car fare, what viii be
the loss under 1Ocent fare? /
think there is poor business
logic in a raise Of car fares at
this juncture.
''The street car companies Of
the Capital ought to be merged,
in the interest of service and
economy in operation. Wash
ingtOn is practically the only
important city In the country
today that does not have = uni.
fled system Of street car trans
pOrtatiOn."