Evening star., 1937-06-04
ESTIMATES GIVEN
ON TRANSIT RATES
Many Passengers Would Be
Unaffected by Boosts
Now Proposed.
BY EDWARD c. STONE.


by the increase in fares now proposed
by the company, it was disclosed today.
The Capital Transit Co. has Just
completed an estimate of the number
ofsrevenue passengers who would be
affected by the proposed rate in
crease, the survey covering II months
and being based on the passenger
traffic records in the first three months
OF 1887.
The estimate states l00850.8l5 rev.
enue passengers would not have to pay
any more money in car or bus fares
than they do now. This number in
c)udes 76,2l7,89 pass riders who pay
sl.25 for their weekly tickets and
would continue to pay SIPS under
the proposed advance in fares
1t Is also interesting to note that
under the proposed plan of increasing
tokens from for 80 cents to for
IS cents, 1927 ,956 revenue passengers
would enjoy a decrease in their car
fares. These passengers are now pay
Ing l0-cent straight fares They live
along lines which do not permit the
use of tokens.
The proposed advance in fares
would mean an increase in street car
and transportation costs to 5l,O36, 500
yearly riders, according to the Capital
Transit survey. including 40,457,l2
revenue passengers who DO not pur-
chase weekly passes but always buy
tokens. To them the proposed increase
In fares means payment of 35 cents for
every four tokens they purchase in
stead OF the present 30 cents for four
tokens
High Costs Halt Dividends
In the last few years the Capital
Transit Co. might have paid $3.50
per share in dividends on the stock.
had it not been for the steady in
crease in wages and taxation costs,
President E. D. Merrill said today.
At the time of the merger. Deem
Der l. 1888, two-man car operators
and bus operators received 81 cents
per hour and one-man car operators
SIS cents. At the present time two
man car operators are paid 81 cents
per hour and one-man car and bus
operators are paid "A cents. Two-man
=
cents hourly in March, 1884; 10 cents
by arbitration. effective April, 1885,
and cents by agreement in April,
1897.
Bus operators had increases of
cents in March. 1884; Is cents in
April. 1885. and cents in April, 1887.
One-man car operators were increased
cents in March. 1894; IL cents in
April. 1885. and cents in April, 1887
At the same time these employees
wages were increased other en-
plaveS were substantially advanced
The total cost Of these wage increases
to employees from December |, 1888.
TO the present time is over SLIPS 900
annually, President Merrill said
In addition TO the increase in wages,
materials and taxes have materially
advanced. Excluding Federal income
taxes, the taxes Of the merged COM
pany in December 1888. amounted to
800. or at the rate of about s425.-
900 per year.
For the first four months of 1887,
taxes exclusive of income taxes were
$3.50, ,489, or at the rate of $751; 900 per
year. This increase in taxes amounts
to s326000 annually of which ap-
proximately 100000 represents taxes
imposed by the social security and un-
employment compensation legislation
The aggregate increase in wages
and taxation com pared with the year
1888 is sl55l.O0o per annum. This
Is equivalent to an annual dividend
Of 6'2 per cent. or $3.50 per share of
stock
Regarding dividend payments in the
Tuture, President Merrill said he could
not venture a statement Dividend
action will depend on the rate of fares
allowed, cost Of operation and whether
the directors see fit to turn the earn
lngs into new equipment or make
dividend payments. These are mat
ters that cannot be forecast Earn
ings, however, should be better this
year than last with the heavy eX-
penses of track changes out of the
way and some economies made bv
reroutlng Of certain street cars. he
said
5000 Ignore Dividend Checks.
eral-American National Bank &, Trust
Co, today announced that while divi-
dend checks representing Is per
cent distribution have been ready for
delivery at the office of the receiver
ship, 1886 New York avenue north
west, Washington, since April 5. 1897.
rome 5000 individuals have failed to
call for their checks.
Mr.. Hardee also stated that it was
his desire to deliver the checks to the
proper claimants at the earliest posi-
bic moment, and asks that the de-
postors call at the office, whether they
have received notice or not.
Wholesale Firms Listed.
Half Of the wholesale establishments
in the United States in 1885 we're
corporations and they accounted for
more than IS per cent of the whole
volume of business, according to ma
tional summaries on wholesale distri-
button for that year made public to-
day by the Census Bureau.
OF the l76756 wholesale establish
ments in the United States in 1885
60,306. or 34.l per cent, were owned
by individual proprietors: 10000, OF
lib per cent, were partnerships; 88,-
Al, or so per cent, were corporations
and the remainder came under minor
claSsifcations
The corporation-owne businesses
however. accounted for TIL per cent
of the total trade volume, it was re-
ported. The report, issued as Volume
! of the United States Summary Of
Wholesale Distribution, includes i'm
portant new analyses of legal form
of organization. multi-unit whole.
salers and data for auxiliary unit
of wholesale organizations not classi
fed as trade establishments,
Today's Trading on Exchange.
Georgetown Gas SIS sold at ll3 ol
the Washington Stock Exchange toda
in An active market session.
American Security & Trust Co StOc