Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-01
Public Utilities Commission
Amazed by Findings of
Accountants Survey.
COMPARISON is BASED
ON TWO RATE PERIODS
Heavy Decline in Closing Months
of Year Regarded as Par
ticularly Significant.

washington's two street railway sys-
TENS lost nearly $4,000 900 revenue pass
sengers in 1880, in comparison win
figures for the previous year, 1t was re-
vealed yesterday in a statement pre-
pared for the Public Utilities Commits
sion by b. NICK. Bachman, its chief
accountant.
suffered by the companies in any one
year The closest approach to them oc-
CURED in 1920 when the revenue pas
sengers dropped 11,Ss1.7S7 under the
total for 1919. due to the exodus of
Government war workers.
The Washington Railway g. Electric
Co., with twice the trackage Of its rival,
largest loser Bachman's figures showed
it dropped 9,325,071 passengers. The
Capital Traction suffered q loss of
4,1l4,776 passengers In the first IL
months, and this figure is expected to
go beyond the 4,5O0,000 mark when the
December losses, at present unknown to
the commission, are added.
Commission Is Amazed.
Bachman's report amazed the COM
mission. He said he, too, was astounded
when he learned the result Of his own
compilations.
For the purpose of careful compare
son, Bachman divided the figures on
the losses into two separate groups, one
showing the decline in the first seven
months of 1880, and the other In the
last i've months, when the companies
we're operating on the increased fare
authorized by the commission in July.
The passenger loss of the Washing
ton Railway & Electric Co. for the
first seven months under the former
rate of fare closely approached $780,
OOO.. In the last five months of the
year, the loss was in excess Of 5000, 900.
The Capital Traction dropped 1,132. $50
in the seven-month period, and 2,382,-
396 in the months of August, Septem-
ber October and November.
The heavy losses in the closing
months of the year are regarded at
the commission as particularly signif-
icart in yieW OF the fact that Spring
and Summer ordinarily are the lean"
seasons for the street car. companies.
The Fall and Winter usually finds
their earnings on the upgrade But
this was not the situation last year.
It was quite the contrary.
In August, 1,409 ,642 less passengers
were carried by the two lines than in
the same month of 1929. The decreases
in September was 1899 $50 under the
corresponding month of the previous
year. The October figure was 1,254,49
under that of October 1929. In Nc
vember, the decrease under that month
of 1929 amounted to 1,460,243. And
in December the Washington Railway
& Electric Co. carried 655, 1913 less pas
sengers than the corresponding month
of 1929, but the losses of the Capital
Traction Co. for that month are yet
unreported.
Report Shows Percentage Loss.
In fact, Bachman's report shows that
the revenue passenger loss Of the Wash
ington Railway & Electric Co. for the
last five months of 1880 was 1911 per
cent under the same period Of 1929
The less of the Capital Traction in
August, September, October and No
vember was 1877 per cent under these
same months in 1929.
In actual cash, the net income of
the Washington Railway & Electric Co.
for the last five months of the year,
with the higher rate of fare prevailing,
was $7,044 less than the corresponding
period of 1929. Bachman figured that
had the lower rate of fare prevailed
in these five months, the reduction in
income would have amounted to $685.
oOO' LII OIAlcE WOIoS, Tile ulCI6dScU 1dIc
aided this company to the extent of
$252,81l in the five-month- period.
Relatively, the situation is about the
same with the Capital Traction. Its
net income for August, September,
October and November was $487 under
that for the same months in 1929, and
had not the rate of fare been in
creased, the income for these five
months would have been S182,840 less
than in 1929 In this case, the higher
fare put $182.353 into the Golfers of the
Capital Traction in the four months.
Decline Since 1919.
Ever since 1919, the revenue passen-
gers of the two companies have been
on a steady decline. The losses, how
ever, have been heaviest in recent
years, with the exception of 1920.
Bachman's records show that the
losses from 1924 to 1880, in Comparison
with the passengers carried in me ipz-.
mediate preceding years, were as
follows:
1924-7,3o ,2s5.
1925 ,949, 557.
1896, 622, 473.
1927-4,5 29, 500.
1925, 1905
1929, 705, 939.