Evening star., 1933-08-14
Utility Commission Criticizes
W. R. & {. in Ruling on
One Short Route.
DENY VIRGINIA GROUP
14TH STREET BUSINESS
Blame Loss of Revenue for Com
panies' Failure to Keep Abreast
of Demands.

In an order bristling with sharp criti-
cism of failure of the street car COM
panies to meet demands of the WASH
ington public for modern transporta-
ton, the Public Utilities Commission to-
day ordered the Washington Railway
d Electric Co. to institute the first
nickel bus fare that Washington has
seen for many years.
Today's order was the result Of
fight between this company and two
Virginia bus line operators for the traf-
fic on Fourteenth street to and from
the Bureau Of Engraving and Printing
and other large Government Offices in
that section.
At hearing on the matter recently
the street car companies complained
bitterly about the nickel fare which the
bus operators were willing to put into
effect and pointed out that this was
unfair competition, in the face of their
declining revenues. The commission,
however bluntly told the street car
companies today that declining revenues
were their own fault.
The falling of of its patronage" the
order said, with respect to the railway
company, with the consequent loss of
earnings, is due in part to the failure
OF the street railways to keep abreast
of the demands of the public for mod
ern transportation service"
Nickel Route Outlined.
The route set for the new nickel line
starts at Fourteenth and Water streets
southwest, goes north on Fourteenth
street to B street southwest, east on B
street to Twelfth street, north on
Twelfth to G street northwest, east on
G street to Twelfth street. south on
Tenth street to Constitution avenue,
west on Constitution avenue to Twelfth
street, south on Twelfth to B street
southwest and west on street to
Fourteenth and south on Fourteenth
street to Water street.
The origin of today's order was a
petition by the Alexandria, Bancroft
& Washington Rapid Transit Co. and
the Arlington & Fairfax Motor Trans
portation Co. for leave to pick up and
discharge intra- District passengers at
points along their routes north OF High
way Bridge.
These companies previously had been
doing this business for S cents. and
the ground this was cutting into their
revenue as the street car fare for the
same business was 10 cents cash or a
token costing 7l2 cents.
Order Nickel Bus Line.
The commissions order today denied
the applications of both Virginia bus
lines and ordered the institution of the
nickel bus line by the Washington
Railway & Electric Co.. starting August
81. for an experimental period.
The order, after blaming the street
car company's declining revenues on
failure of the companies to keep abreast
with the public's transportation de-
mands, went on to say: New and up
to date equipment, faster schedules. bet
ter routings, free intercompany trans
fers Informative advertising and proper
merchandising of the service rendered,
would tend to meet competition from
other forms of transportation and help
regain lost patronage.
Street railways have for the time
being lost their one-time monopoly on
transportation. The day has passed
when the needs Of the public can be
ignored. Reliance cannot be had
solely upon the fair value rule to ad-
just the rates to provide revenue which
might otherwise be provided by meet
ing public demands for service Fur
ther fare increases would most likely
result in still less income Added rev.
enue could only be secured by furnish
ing the public the service they re-
quire.
Merger Would Mean Saving.
Steam railways and other forms of
transportation are reducing their rates
Of fare in order to meet competition
and to provide more adequate rev.
enueS. However, under existing traffic
conditions. street cars must be relied
upon to provide mass transportation.
A merger of the two street car sys-
TENS should result in large economies
in the operation of the combined sys-
tenn. If the new company will meet
the public demand for modernization
OF street car service, and thus in a
measure effectively meet competition
from other forms Of transportation. it
should have little occasion to complain
of the lack Of proper return.
Furthermore, even under existing
transportation conditions within the
District Of Columbia, a very large num-
Der of people are dependent upon the
street railways for transportation. The
granting to foreign corporations of the
privileges Of doing intra District pas
senger transportation business while
the commission has the power to re-
quire q local transportation agency to
render adequate and efficient service
would be manifestly unwise, as it would
render the local company less able to
perform the necessary service at rea-
sonable rates. To permit the petition
ing inter state bus operators to engage