Evening star., 1953-05-15
ice Asked 10 Reject
Fare Raise Request
AtA. B. B.&W. Hearinu
By WiIIiom A. kAiIIen

The Interstate Commerce Com
mission was asked yesterday to
reject a fare increase request Of
the Alexandria, Bancroft &
Washington Transit Co.
The request came from Gerald
j. GlasSman. executive assistant
to the Arlington Public Utilities
Commission. He also asked that
the company be required to con-
duct a traffc survey and come
In with more exact information.
The company wants to abolish
the 1212-cent token and gen.
orally increase fares 5 cents o
zone in its interstate operation.
Firms Figures Challenged.
Mr.. Glassman. who challenged
the accuracy Of the company's
figures placed in evidence, urged
that the token be retained, the
company. have shorter fare zones
and that any fare increase apply
only to peak traffic riders.
Attorney S. Harrison Kahn,
for the company, charged shat
Mr.. Glassman was using false
premises to reach false con-
clusionS.
Mr.. Glassman attacked the
company's estimates Of pas.
senger losses to be expected If
a fare increase must be granted.
He also criticized the company's
method Of computing future
revenues.
Gerald L. Phelps, attorney for
the Arlington County Board,
placed in the record an exhibit
showing the company estimated
a net operating loss of $57,171
for 1858, if there is no fare in
crease. But Mr.. Glassman con-
tended, following the method en-
ployed by the company, that it
was just as reasonable to say, as
the exhibit did, that there could
be net profit. before taxes of
@AA4,tO1 CI1IS yCdI'
Financial Condition Good.
The company is in excellent
financial condition, Mr.. GlasSman
maintained and faces no emer-
gency situation, requiring the
higher fares. He testified A. B. &
w. has a good cash position and
has paid of it's debts in short
time.
A. B. & w. income has de-
clined less than that of 10 other
transit carriers, a study showed,
Mr.. GlasSman declared. The
company has been able to keep
well ahead Of other carriers in
its rate Of return and had much
stronger revenue operating po-
sition than other carriers in 1852.
he said.
Mr.. Glassman told ICC Exam
tner r. Edwin Brady there is
considerable question as to the
reasonableness of the proposed
fare increase. Elimination OF the
token would place a burden on
the regular rider, because the
cash fare rider is an occasional
one, he said.
Furthermore, he testified that
requiring the peak traffic rider
to pay q higher fare would tend
to stagger working hours, giving
the Federal departments an in
centive to do this.
Cross-examined by Attorney |
Kahn, Mr.. Glassman conceded he
had made similar arguments be-
fore the Virginia State Corpo-
ration Commission without sue
cess recently. That commission
has granted the company a
Within Virginia fare increase.
effective June /.
Mr.. Kahn ridiculed Mr.. Glass
mans statement that a great
number of Federal employees,
within limits, can adjust their
own working hours as they wish.
The company's lawyer closed
the company's main case yester-
day, after Robert T. Mitchell,
vice president, said that unless
fare increases are granted the
company will have to cut off un-
profitable lines to balance the
ledger. Mr.. Mitchell testified
the company has received more
letters and telephone calls COM
mending it for service than
those condemning it.
The plan to buy 80 new diesel
buses this year will permit the
company to retire 26 old buses,
he said. The new buses will
have larger seating equipment,
giving more seats for rush hours,
Mr.. Mitchell explained.