Evening star., 1937-06-21
Scent CAR FARE
WILL Be STUDIED
BY UTILITIES UNIT
Effect on Revenues of Capi.
tai Transit Co. Will Be
Weighed.
OFFICIAL OF CONCERN
WILL JOIN IN WORK
To Make Independent Inquiry
Along Same Lines as Result
of Agreement.

Effects of scent cash fare on
revenues of the Capital Transit Co.
will be studied by the Public Util-
ties Commission and company officials
as result of an agreement reached
at today's hearing on transit prob
lens.
At the request of William NICK
Clayton, representing the Federation
of Citizens Associations, the commits
sion authorized its chief engineer
Fred A. Sager, to make a thorough
study of the long -agitated proposal
for q scent fare.
J. E. Heberle, vice president and
controller of the traction company
agreed to make an independent study
along the same lines, SO the commits
sion would have the benefit OF COM
parative analyses.
Company Seeks Increase.
The company has asked the COM
mission to increase the cost of tokens
from four for 80 cents to four for 35
cents. retaining the l0-cent cash fare.
Heberle said he could not conceive
of ANY fare based on cents that
will produce the necessary operating
revenues" He said he would have
the problem thoroughly analyzed with
a view to showing the commission
approximately what might be expected
in the way of return from a straight
scent cash fare.
Chairman Riley Elgen pointed out
the studies would be merely for the
information of those interested in
determining a proper car fare for
Washington.
Heberle said that scent cash
fare, plus a charge for transfers, nat
urally would produce more revenue
than a scent fare with free transfers.
He said he would base his study,
therefore, chiefly on the paid transfer
plan.
Effect Of Passenger Increase.
Elgen suggested that in making the
studies consideration be given to
estimating the increase in car passen-
gers that would result from Z scent
fare.
The unscheduled discussion of the
scent fare proposal came during
lull In testimony by Sager concerning
a technical analysis OF transit COM
pany revenues.
During his presentation OF this
analysis Sager said he did not think
it would be practical to restrict street
car passes to use by their owners, al
though he is of the opinion only the
owner OF pass should use it.
Number of Necessity" Rides.
The engineer said he had found that
the average owner OF pass makes
from II to IA necessity" car rides
per week. He described necessity"
ride as one for the purpose of going
to or returning from place of busi-
ness. If necessary rides from one
place Of business to another are taken
into account, he said, the average
might be Is necessity" rides week.
The average fare paid by pass owners
Is extremely difficult to estimate, he
said. He also pointed out that there
is no way of determining accurately
whether elimination of the pass sys-
tenn would result in increased reve-
nues, as many pass owners might elect
to use their automobiles if passes were
done away with.
Sager said there was need for con-
tinuing study to devise economies in
transportation methods. He said there
was apparent loss in bus revenues as
compared to street car income due to
the fact that bus lines extend into
sparsely' settled outlying sections,
whereas the street cars are concen-
trated in thickly populated areas.