Evening star., 1932-10-10
Nothing Under Ten Cents.

In response to letter from People
Counsel Keech inviting the street car
companies and the Washington Rapid
Transit Co. to a conference with the
Public Utilities Commission over pro-
posed five-cent rate for short hauls,
President J. H. Hanna of the Capital
Traction Co., accepting the invitation
in the spirit with which it was rendered,
wrote:
We have considered the possibility OF
establishing lower rates for short-haul
riders, as we'll as other schemes Tor
making our service more attractive, very
carefully for the last several years and
are quite aware of the desirabllity OF
making some such trials, If 1t can be
done without undue risk Of further loss
in revenue.
Replying to the same invitation,
which also had been accepted by the
bus company. President Ham OF the
Washington Railway g. Electric Co. has
just written:
We desire to assure you Of our
continued desire to cooperate to
the fullest extent at any time,
when. in your Judgment, any mat
ter of interest to the public and to
ourselves suggests the desirability OF
such a conference. However, in the
matter of the particular Recommended
ton which occasions your letter to us
we do not consider this all opportune
time to enter upon any SUCH experiment
as that suggested by peoples counsel.
There IS nothing new or novel in this
euorpction iS Snhlpct that for
several years has been given study and
consideration both by regulatory bodies
and those engaged in the business OF
street car transportation. Numerous
experiments have been made along SIM
liar lines under varying conditions. as
presented IN individual cases, with
varying reSultS-mostly negative. The
street car companies recognize the dill
ficulty of stimulating greater use OF
their facilities under existing conditions,
because there are SO many factors that
have to be reckoned with beyond their
control.
And there you are. Nobody ever
advanced the optimistic belief that a
f1ve-cent fare for short hauls would
cure the ills of the street railway COM
panies. Everybody agrees with the
Washington Railway g. Electric Co. in
its contention, voiced elsewhere in its
letter, that little can be done to i'm
prove local transportation conditions
until there is merger of the lines
and unified operation. But it Is equally
true that one cause of street railway
difficulties is the very attitude assumed
by the Washington Railway e. Electric
Co. in refusing even to discuss fare re-
duction, whether or not the proposal was
advanced as a possible way of stimulat-
ing declining passenger revenues. The
merger legislation was defeated in the
first place because of the. effort by the
corporations to sell the idea to the pub
lie and profit through the deal. The
manner in which that first attempt
was made has since placed any merger
legislation in jeopardy.
The lower street care fare as induce
ment to street car riders is now con-
demned in Washington because the
Washington Railway & Electric Co.
does not believe it would work. Another
opportunity to gain public good will, to
interest the public in the street car
problem. to invite cooperative and in
telligent study of a subject of great
importance to the community as well
as to the stockholders. is thus lost.