Evening star., 1951-07-25
Senator'S Study
Bill for Raise
In School Fare
Hearing Witnesses
Call for Transit
Rate of 5 Cents
By William A. MiIIen

leglSIaClOn TO permlJ Tile PuDllc
Utilities Commission to charge
school children half the adult
transit fare instead of the present
Scent rate fixed by Congress.
Witnesses urged that the school
fare should not exceed 5 cents
and one of them expressed out
right opposition to the legislation,
sponsored by Senator Holland,
Democrat, of Florida.
Senator PaStore, Democrat, of
Rhode Island, acting chairman of
the subcommittee declared that
I'VE have not met our responsible
ity in building enough modern
schools and putting them in the
right places" Because of this, he
said. children have to travel long
distances to and from school.
Federation Opposes Bill.
Bernard C. Chapman, treasurer
of the Federation of Civic ASso-
Citations. asserted: eve are op-
posed to the bill as written"
He said his group feels that a
child should not pay more than
cents and that cents would be a
hardship on many families. The
present adult cash fare is Is cents
and the Holland bill would permit
the PUG to charge half of that
amount for school fares.
Mr.. Chapman pointed out that
in the far Northeast there is not a
single high school and that chill
dren have to travel as much as S
miles. He said 1000 used the
transit system in that area daily
and many of them come from low
income families.
The witness said he would like
to see the control of school fares
remain in the hands Of Congress
until We have home rule" He
added that there never have been
new buses in his area and he has
made representation to the PUG
about this. He agreed that the
Scent fare is rather low. He rep
resented the Northeast Boundary
Citizens Association at the hear
ing.
No Objections From City Heads.
Corporation Counsel Vernon E.
West testified that the Commits
sloners have no objection to the
bill as it leaves the fixing of rates
up to the PUG. He said the Com
mlssioners have not had oppor-
tun1ty to prepare a report nor
have they heard from the Budget
Bureau on its wishes.
w. H. Smith. colored, Of 5702
Grant street NE, treasurer of the
Federation of Civic Associations,
declared, I'VE would like to have
the fare kept as low as possible. :"
He said he also spoke as a parent.
Norman j. Nelson, assistant
school superintendent, told the
subcommittee that in rapidly
growing parts Of the city new
schools have not been built. MANY
flrst-graders and kindergarten
children, both white and colored.
have to use buses in getting to and
from school, he said.
At the outset, Senator Holland
described the present school rate
as "antiquated and inequitable.
He said his bill abolishes the pres
ent inflexible situation that has
existed since 1881 when the Scent
fare was fixed. In 1888 Congress
wrote this into law. The Holland
bill would fix a maximum of 18
years for school fares.
The Senator urged the subcom-
mittee to approve his legislation,
be fair to the school children and
their parents. the travelling public
and the investors who make the
transit system possible.
Increased Costs Stressed.
Robert E. Harvey, Capital Tran
sit Co. vice president and control
Ter, testified: 1.-THE cost of carrying
q revenue passenger for the year
1850 averaged over 11k cents
before any allowance for return
on investment. Since there were
over 9 million school fares COL
lected in 1850, the loss in 1850
before any return on investment
from school fares was approxi-
mately $777,000 or nearly six
times the loss resulting from the
use Of school fares in 1884.
In view of substantial increases
which we have recently expert
enced in the costs of labor, elec-
trio power and materials, these
losses will be even greater in the
future. There is no reason to be-
lieve that the number of school
children taking advantage of the
Scent fare will decrease in the
immediate future.
ut is obvious that one of the
reasons in the past which has
compelled Capital Transit Co. to
request increases in fares is the
loss suffered in carrying school
children at a Scent fare"
PUG Chairman James H. Flan-
agan said, Eve regard this as
permissive legislation and are in
favor Of it." He promised there
would be no change in school
fares if the PUG is given this au-
thority until adequate public
hearings are held and findings of
fact made.
Mrs. Frank S. Phillips, chair
man OF the Legislative Commit
tee. Board of Education, told the
subcommittee that nothing should
be recommended to put too much
burden on the families of school
children.
Mrs. Leo Raywid, president of
the District Congress of Parents
and Teachers, urged that the car
fare not excel cents.
Condidute to TuIk
John A. K. Donovan. Falls