Evening star., 1951-11-09
Arnold Bus|ine
Initiates Costs,
CountyCharges
Board Attorney Says
Transit Firm Hides
Facts From Public

L1leSl HAS peeu luIlaClng It's eX-
penseS by considerable amount" {"
Attorney Malcolm D. Miller, rep
resenting the Arlington County
Board, charged today at an Inter-
state Commerce Commission hear
ing.
Mr.. Miller contended that the
company is guilty of IAN apparent
attempt to hide facts from the
commission and the public" which
they are entitled to know.
Attorney S. Harrison Kahn, gen.
eral counsel of the company, de-
MED any attempt to conceal facts.
He declared the leases of buses.
about which Mr.. Miller is inuuir-
ing. are on record in Arlington
County and are available to him.
Mr.. Kahn complained that because
of the "harassment" of the COM
pany by the Arlington County
Board. it's operations are made
more difficult. -
Charges Delaying Tactics.
He declared that if the board
would cease and desist" in its
delaying tactics. the company
could go into the open market and
purchase new buses instead of
leasing them.
After repeated clashes between
opposing counsel, the company
Iagreed to furnish the total rental
figures for leased buses for 1851
and 1852 as well as the rental for
the first nine months of this veal.
The company proposes to acquire
additional leased buses during the
rest of this year.
Richard c. Bennett, company
controller. conceded under cross
examination by Mr.. Miller that
the firm could purchase new buses
outright more cheaply than it can
lease them. Previous testimony
has been that the company does
not have sufficient funds to pur-
chase new equipment and that
that is one factor in its request
to drop the use of tokens and put
its fares on a cash basis.
Comedies Point in Garage.
Mr.. Bennett also conceded that!
ii the company owned its garage
offices and shops. which it now
leases for $4,000 a year from MI.
and Mrs. Joseph L. Arnold, maj
.lty stockholders in the bus COM
pany. that would be a valuable
asset as security to acquire new
buses.
David o. Walter. of 100 East
George Mason road. Falls Church,
secretary of the Federation of
Fairfax County Citizens Associa-
tions, appeared this morning be-
fore ICC Examiner j. j. Williams,
who is conducting the hearing, to
oppose eliminating the tokens. Mr..
Walter said that his group is COM
posed of IS member associations,
is of them representing neighbor-
hoods served by the Arnold lines. |
Mr.. Kahn charged yesterday
that Arlington County was setting
itself up as a judge. bent on tell
ing the bus company how to serve
the public.
e., Few Miles in Arlington.
"Only small portion of (the
bus) route miles lie in Arlington
County" Mr.. Kahn said. yet
Arlington seeks to set itself up as
a judge to tell this interstate mo-
tor carrier how to serve the pub
lic."
The lawyer said that county
representatives have complained
to the commission that the COM
|pany is not rendering good serv-
ice. And he quoted them as say
ing there is no evidence the
service is improving.
Mr.. Bennett, who finished his
direct examination at the close
Iof yesterdays hearing, testified
that Arlington County, although
opposing additional revenues for
the company, has directly taken
away some of its business. He
tpointed out that in June, 1850,
the county acquired its own school
buses.
The controller declared that the
company formerly carried these
children, as well as taking them
on special sightseeing trips, a
function which the county has
now also taken over by using
school buses.
Sees New Territory Losses.
Because the company is extend
ing its routes into areas that ara
just beginning to be built up, Mr..
Bennett testified it expects to lose
$19.855 for the balance of this
year. He declared these routes
will not become profitable for
some time, until the territory be-
comes more thickly populated. He
said 65,277 miles are being added
to the company's bus schedules
1000 of them in these new areas.
Mr.. Bennett testified that the
company is now carrying 10 per
cent fewer interstate passengers
than it carried in 1949. Within
the State, he said, there is a re-
duction of rs per cent since 1949.
He cited increased operating costs
and taxes and a total payroll of
81, ,025 900.
The company comedies it will
lose about 10 per cent Of the pres
ent users of tokens, which rep
resents about 100000 passengers
ANNUALLY, if the tokens are elm
linated. For the calendar wear