Evening star., 1947-11-04
Capital Transit
Seeks Fare Rise
In Maryland
D. c. Study Planned
Before New Boost
Is Requested

Is Requested
Commuters who work in Wash
ngton and live in suburban
Maryland are facing the imme-
iiate prospects of increased
;ransit fares.
Capital Transit Co. announced 1t
would apply to the Maryland Public
Service Commission within the nexi
lew days for an upward revision oi
is Maryland rates.
The company announced no plans
at this time for petitioning the Dis
,rict Public Utilities Commission TO-
a fare increase in the District itself,
Company officials are making 6
detailed study of its service with
view to accomplishing every prac-
tical further economy in opera
TONS" the company announcement
said. I'm this manner we may b,
able to tighten the final burden
the $2,310,000 arbitration award OF.
the public"
Award Is Cited.
The arbitration award directed :
Is cents an hour wage increase TO
4,500 company employees, plus an ad-
ditional cents in fringe benefit
The award was announced las
Friday.
The company said 1t has every de-
sire to do all it can to be sure tina
when it applies for an increase Ii
the District lit will only be after "
have exhausted our ingenuity to ef
feet economies while still preserv
ing the service commensurate wit,
good maintenance and safety"
The company also announced tha
in compliance with the arbitratio
award it is placing its mechanica
and way and structure department
employees on five day week effec
tive November 49, On the same da
the five day week will be effectiV
on the eastern division of the trans
portation department., serving tn
Mount Pleasant car line.
Service to Be Retained.
The company said, however, tha
the shorter week on this line wi.
not mean less service for Noun
Pleasant patrons. The five-da.
week will be established on othe
divisions as soon as practicable, tn
company said.
The increase to be asked in Mary
land fares not only will affect sub
urban residents who are employed
in the District, but also Washington
dwellers who work in Federal agen-
cies in Maryland. These include the
Army Map Service, the Navy's Davic
Taylor Model Basin at Carderock
the Bethesda Naval Hospital thc
United States Public Health Serv-
ice and the Agriculture Research
Laboratories at Beltsville.
The company is seeking to abolish
weekly passes which range in price
from $1.75 to $225, depending on
the zone, and one good for unlimit-
ed rides in the District and as far
as the zone for which the pass Is
issued. Cash fares to be affected nov
are from 2 to 10 cents per zone in
Maryland. Instead the company
would ask for a uniform system OF
5 cents per zone, each zone to meas
ure IL miles, the measurements
starting from the terminals at the
District line.
S1.35 Increase Possible.
If the Maryland Public Service
Commission grants the company's
petition, many Maryland residents
who use the transit company facil-
tiles seven days a week may have
to pay as much as $135 additionally.
For example, a Beltsville resident
who now pays s2.25 for a pass would
pay 30 cents day for riding in
Maryland plus $1.50 for weekly
pass in the District.
The company said 1t would notify
the Maryland commission it in
tends to discontinue the Q-1 and
the Q-3 lines, Riverdale via Mount
Rainier to downtown Washington.
This is rush hour express service
which started experimentally few
weeks ago.
The company pointed out that
Maryland fares were undisturbed by
the fare increase allowed in the
District last May II, and, in fact,
have been unchanged for a number
of years.
Lump-Sum Back Pay.
The company announced that
the back pay due employees because
the wage increase award is retro
active to July l will be paid in a
lump sum, probably about the
middle of December. This will
amount to approximately $5O0,000.
Concerning the fve-day Week,
which the company had opposed.
the company statement said:
1--WE realize that there will be
somewhat less pay per week for the
shorter week. The increase in hour
ly rates alone will cost the COM
pany more than 81 SOC, 900 but it will
be spread among more men.
"As for the transportation de-
partment, we will continue to re-
cruit more new employees, but the
present shortage precludes going
beyond the eastern division dn
establishing the five-day week. at
the moment, and overtime will have
to be paid to some in other divisions
to keep the service going
When the measure takes place
in full, it will also mean that all
the street car and bus operators will
take home less in their pay checks
than they now do despite the higher
hourly rate. In the mean time,
such men as work the six days will
enjoy the high rate of s2.021a per
hour for every hour of overtime it
is necessary for them to work in
order to keep a reasonably good
service on the streets"
Old Boy Line Considers