Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-10-30
The Putrons Get Soaked

Things are getting more ana more COM
plicated in the strange "cold war" being
waged between the Interstate Commerce
Commission and the District Public Utili-
ties Commission Two Virginia buslines
i and the Capital Transit Company are in
volved in the controversy, which has
reached the District Court. And, through
no fault of their own, the chief sufferers
OF the battle so far have been patrons OF
the three buslines who work at the Penta-
gon, the Navy Annex or other Federal
buildings just across the Potomac River.
The latest blow to the patrons will come
tomorrow, when, under District Court
order of last Tuesday, the Capital Transit
Company will begin collecting six cents
additional from holders of the joint tickets
authorized by the ICC. This means that
District residents who work In buildings
across the river will have to pay total Of
twenty-five cents each for one-way ride
between office and home. That is pretty
stiff fare for trip no longer than many
distances in the District that may be
travelled for thirteen cents under the in
creased rates.
This all comes about as an outgrowth Of
the feud between Federal and District
authorities which began when Capital
Transit terminated its wartime bus service
to certain Government installations in
nearby Virginia. Despite its withdrawal
from interstate operations into Arlington,
Capital Transit found that the ICC would
not relinquish its control over the COM
pany. The ICC ordered two Virginia bus
lines and Capital Transit to continue
joint-fare arrangement, under which the
latter would have received less than the
legal District fare for transportation in
side the District of Pentagon and some
other Federal employees. The Public Utili-
ties Commission in effect, ordered Capital
Transit to disregard the ICC order. Faced
with these conflicting orders, Capital Tran
sit sought relief in the courts. three
man Federal court verdict last August
upheld the right Of Capital Transit to
collect the full legal fare from users of
the joint tickets. . This has Just been
amplifed to permit asix-cent> cash charge
in addition to the crt-rate ticket when the
new District fares 60 into effect tomorrow.
In its Understandable desire to protect
the interests of Federal workers across the
river, the ICC has become embroiled in a
legal controversy that may be prolonged
and bitter. Certainly the hapless victims
of the dispute-the Government workers
who will have to pay exorbitant fares for
relatively short rides-deserve some con-
sideration. Yet, but for the challenged
Intervention of the ICC, there is no gov
ernmental agency to which they can appeal
for relief. Their plight is not the proper
concern either of the District Public Utili-
ties Commission nor Of the Virginia Public
Service Commission.
Here is an example of why there is need
for Metropolitan Area public utilities
body, fully authorized by the Federal Gov
eminent, the District of Columbia and the
adjoining States to handle 'no-man's-
land" cases. The Star believes that If
such body were set up by common con-
sent of the several jurisdictions concerned,
many of the causes of local intersectional
conflict in the utility field would be
eliminated