Evening star., 1948-10-11
WIN. &A.Fa are
Boosts 10 Meet
Capital 'sU!rged
PUG Accountant
Sees Benefits in
Identical Charges

Fare increases to bring the Wash
ington, Marlboro & Annapolis
Motor Lines rates on its District
operations into line with new rates
granted the Capital Transit Co.
were recommended today to the
Public Utilities Commission by v. A.
McElfresh, PUG executive ac-
countant.
Mr.. McElfresh recommended
13-cent cash fare and three tokens
for IS cents on the W. M. & A.
buses which operate within the Dis
trict. This is the same rate the
PUG authorized for the Capital
Transit Co., which will go into
effect on October 81.
w. M. and A.: lines operate from
a terminal on Eleventh street and
Pennsylvania avenue and serve a
number of outlying District areas
as we'll as points in Maryland. They
include the Seat Pleasant line, which
according to Mr.. McElfresh carries
IS per cent of its passengers within
the District; Forestville, with 81 per
cent District passengers; Temple
Hills with 30 per cent District pas
sengers: Oaklawn, "a per cent Dis
trict passengers; Camp Springs, As
per cent District passengers; the
Bradbury Heights local, which is
the only w. M. g. A. line 100 per
cent in the District and the Suit
land local, with % per cent District
passengers.
Identical Rates Stressed.
Mr.. McElfresh told PUG members
that it was desirable to preserve the
same token and cash rate as the
Capital Transit Co. had to avoid
confusion and because of the trans
fer arrangements the two companies
maintain.
The PUG accountant said the pro-
posed fares would bring the w. M.
g. A. Lines an estimated income of
$212, ,440 in the next year on District
operations and that this would give
them a return approximately 8
per cent, which was considered "a
fair return.
Mr.. McSlfresh said a study of the
company's books led him to be-
lieve that of the company's operating
revenues of $3.50, ,408, the District
operations amounted to $185 ,586. He
said that for the II months ending
last June 80 the company had net
operating loss of s4,734 on all of its
operations and loss of Sl,123 on
its District lines.
He added that the company was
short s13.562 of what it should have
earned on its District operations,
taking into consideration the per
cent return.
The w. M. g. A. Lines have re-
quested that fares on District lines
be boosted to a straight 15-cent
rate instead of its present 10 cents
cash fare or three tokens for a
quarter rate.
Mr.. McElfresh and Assistant.
Corporation Counsel Lloyd B. Har-
rison maintained that a 15-cent'
cash rate would make Washington
passengers pay a disproportionate
of the company's overall cost Of
operation.
Mr.. McElfresh told the PUG that
q 12-cent cash fare probably would
produce the needed revenue even if
the present traffic declined Is per
cent. But the difference would be
SO small in the amount of revenue
produced, he added, that it was
more desirable to have the fares
the same as the Capital Transit Co.
Does Not Ask Limiting.
He said that he would not make
o recommendation that the PUG
limit the fair return to 8 per cent
because of the small amount of
money involved and because of the
many uncertain factors in deter
mining just how much of the bus
lines business was within the Dis
trict. He pointed out that the $212,-
440 revenue which the new rates are
expected to bring was several thou
sand dollars more than the income
the company was entitled to.
However, he added, a normal 5
per cent decline in passengers plus
an expected 10 per cent decline in
passengers as result of boosted
fares should level this off.
He said study of w. M. & A. op-
Grating statistics showed that in the
II months ending last June 80 the
company had suffered a 3.7 per cent
decline in the number of miles op-
Grated and 8.95 decline in the
number of passengers carried. Op-
Grafton and maintenance expenses
went up 4.46 per cent during that
period while operating revenues in
creased 4.07 per cent. He said the
increase in revenues probably was
due to the interstate fare increase
granted Ia ct war