Evening star., 1948-10-02
Boost in Transit
FareAppea|ed
To White House
Consumer Protection
Committee to Ask
PUG for Reheurinq

granted to the Capital Transit Co.
ran into bitter opposition today
when the washington Committee for
Consumer Protection filed charges
with the White House against the
Public Utilities Commission.
Announcing also that it will for.
mally ask the PUG for q rehearing,
the committee stated it would meet
early next week to decide on pos.
sible moves in District Court.
The text of the 18-page petition
sent to the White House today was
not Immediately disclosed, but Harry
r. Booth, committee counsel, said il
charged the public utilities commits.
sioners and Peoples Counsel ODea
with undue favoritism" to the tran.
sit company.
ADA May Take Action.
The Washington Chapter of Amer.
leans for Democratic Action also
may take some action" in protest
against the decision, a spokesman
said. The organization, he said, has
felt all along that no transit fare
increase was justified.
The PUG yesterday aauthorized
Capital Transit on October 81 to
boost its cash fare from 10 to l3
cents. issue tokens at three for IS
cents. and increase the cost of the
weekly pass from $3.50 to $175. This
does not change the school fare Of
cents.
The company last June applied
for 15-cent cash fare, tokens at
two for Is cents, and a $1.85 weekly
pass. Company President E. D.
Merrill said he was "a little disap.
pointed by the PUG decision.
Mr.. O'Dea had suggested a IL
cent cash fare, five tokens for IS
cents and a $165 pass.
| The action taken and planned BY
the Washington Committee for Con-
sumner Protection, Mr.. Booth ex-
planned, is in line with the organi-
zation's previous criticism of PUC's
"unwarranted favoritism" to the
transit company.
Specific Recommendations.
"The petition we are delivering to
the White House today contains
several specific charges and recon-
mendations," he said. I'm general,
this move is in line with the policy
of the National and Washington
Committees to fight vigorously
against public utilities bodies which
we believe do not function strictly
in the public interest"
At public hearings on the transit
companys application, the commit
tee, through Mr.. Booth, asked PUG
Chairman Flanagan and Commits
sioner Lauderdale to disqualify
themselves. This request was re.
fused.
The Progressive Party Of Wash
ington announced today that "a
brief is being rushed to the Presi-
dent, petitioning him for removal
Of the two Commissioners because
of the manifestly unfair conduct Of
the original hearings"
In statement issued by Mrs.
Gertrude Evans, chairman of the
District, Affairs Committee, the
Washington branch of the New
Party backing Henry A. Wallace for
President, declared:
If President Truman means what
he says about trying to control inf1a-
tion-an dive have no evidence but
words so far-we demand that he
revoke this PUG decree before it
becomes effective and that he order
rehearings."
shameless Grab" Charged.
Mrs. Evans said her group is or
ganizing protest actions to mobilize
public support" The statement de-
scribed the increased fare as "a
shameless grab from the pockets of
Washingtonians."
The increase awarded by PUG
yesterday was the same as had been
recommended by its chief account.
ant, v. A. McElfresh. The commits
sion noted that the new fares would
yield return of 51a per cent,
which will not seriously impair the
companys credit position"
This yield, it stated, would fall
short of the tx per cent it prey
iously set as a fair rate of return
for the company. But 1t added that
the increases granted would ''in con-
junction with further operating
economies, materially improve the
present inadequate earnings posi-.
ton of the company"