REDUCED CAR FARES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1930 UNITED STATES SENATE, COMMITTEE ON THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 2.30 o'clock p. m., in the committee room, Capitol, Senator Arthur Capper presiding. Present: Senators Capper (chairman), King, Copeland, Blaine, and Carey. The committee had under consideration H. R. 12571, which is here printed in full as follows: [H. R. 12571, Seventy-first Congress, second session] AN ACT To provide for the transportation of school children in the District of Columbia at a reduced fare Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That after the expiration of thirty days from the date of enactment of this act the rate of fare for the transportation of children found entitled to reduced fare as hereinafter provided going to or from public schools in the District of Columbia, upon street-railway or motor-bus lines in the District of Columbia, shall be 2 cents. The Public Utilities Commission of the District of Columbia shall have power to determine which school children live far enough from school or have physical disabilities such as would require transportation at reduced fare, and the Public Utilities Commission is hereby authorized and directed to make such rules and regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this act. The CHAIRMAN. The first bill on our calendar is House bill 12571, which is to provide for transportation of school children in the District of Columbia at a reduced rate. The bill passed the House last May and was before our committee several times. Objections were raised to certain provisions of the bill, and finally we adjourned without action. I find there is a very great interest throughout the city in this proposal, and very strong support for it from the public, including the citizens' associations, so it is brought before the committee to-day for action of some kind, if the committee feels something should be done. There are quite a number here who are interested in the measure. Mr. Ham, I believe the transportation companies would like to be heard. You so indicated at our last meeting. Mr. WILLIAM F. HAM. Yes; we would like to be heard, Senator, but some amendments have been suggested to this bill. The CHAIRMAN. Would you prefer, then, if I asked General Patrick to speak first? Mr. HAM. Yes. The CHAIRMAN. General, I think we had a communication from you suggesting some amendments. STATEMENT OF GEN. MASON M. PATRICK, CHAIRMAN, PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA General PATRICK. Yes, Senator Capper. We did suggest certain amendments to the bill as it passed the House. The first amendment is-in line 5, after the word "children, "insert the following: "not over sixteen years of age." That was inserted after consultation with the people's counsel. Sixteen years is the statutory compulsory school attendance age limit in the District. We felt that some limit should be put upon it, merely in order to enable you to determine what is meant by "children." The CHAIRMAN. Have you any information, General, as to what limit other cities put on the age of school children who come under reduced fares? General PATRICK. I have a complete list, I think, sir, of all the cities in the country where children are given reduced school fares. They vary considerably. In Denver, Colo., for example, the privilege is extended to children between 6 and 12 years of age. In a number of other cities they make a distinction between students and children, although they assign no age limit. I think the students are those attending institutions of learning of the higher grades. In Miami, Fla., there is an age limit of 18 years; in Albany, N. Y., they provide for students and children; in Buffalo, for children, 3 to 12 years of age; in Troy, students and children are given reduced fares; in Galveston, Tex., the age limits are from 5 years to 12 years. Those figures are typical. The majority of cities seem to establish no age limit, but in those where there is a limit, it is about as I have stated. I find one other city here: In Waco, Tex., the age limit is 17 years for students, and they put an additional limit on children of 5 to 12 years. The CHAIRMAN. The bill as it passed the House had no limit as to age. Do you think there should be an amendment? General PATRICK. We suggest the limit merely to define the word "children." I wouldn't know how to do it, and the Public Utilities Commission is required to make rules for that bill for its operation. It seems to me best to have some limit, and we merely suggested the compulsory school age limit to the committee. That is the only reason for that. Senator COPELAND. General, before you proceed I would like to ask one question about this proposed amendment. I don't find any rate given here. Senator CAREY. Two cents. Senator COPELAND. Where does it say two cents? General PATRICK. In the eighth line. Senator COPELAND. In that bill, but I mean in the proposed amendment. The CHAIRMAN. You don't change the rate? General PATRICK. No, sir. Senator COPELAND. I am speaking about this amendment presented by the Public Utilities Commission. Is this from the commission? General PATRICK. This was based upon an amendment which we suggested to the House bill. Senator COPELAND. It doesn't say two cents there anywhere. General PATRICK. It only puts in the amendment. It doesn't put in the text of the bill at all. It would read, as we amend it, in this way: "That after the expiration of 30 days from the enactment of this act the rate of fare for the transportation of children, not over 16 years of age, going to or from schools in the District of Columbia upon street railway or motor bus lines, where the basic rate of fare does not exceed 10 cents, shall be 2 cents." Senator COPELAND. What is meant by "where the basic rate of fare does not exceed 10 cents"? What is meant by that? General PATRICK. It means this: There are certain busses that are operated by the street railway companies on which the fare is 25 cents. They provide a seat for every passenger, and it was thought by us to be unjust to crowd those busses just at the time people want to get down-town in them with school children at so small a fare as two cents, when they are just about paying expenses at the 25-cent fare. This would give them the privilege of riding in every bus and street car in the city of Washington except those one or two linestwo, I think-where the bus fare is 25 cents. Senator CAREY. Does your commission fix the rates on the street cars? General PATRICK. Yes, sir; it is our duty to do so. Senator CAREY. Under your present law a street car company couldn't raise their rate to 11 cents or enough to escape this? General PATRICK. No, no; they couldn't do that. Senator CAREY. I would like to ask another question. .What is the rate in other cities where they give a reduced rate? General PATRICK. In Birmingham they give 50 student tickets for $1.25. That is 2.5 cents apiece for children. The adult fare is 7 cents flat. In Mobile and Montgomery, Ala., the fare is 8 cents, and the students get, in one case 30 tickets for $1.05 and 16 tickets for 60 cents. There are a number of others. Senator CAREY. Isn't that rate generally lower than in other places? General PATRICK. Yes, sir. In Denver, Colo., the rate is 10 cents cash, three tickets for a quarter, and they carry children for 4 cents. In Connecticut the rate is 10 cents cash, three for a quarter for adults, and they let the students ride for a fraction over 4 cents. Senator CAREY. That will be enough. Senator COPELAND. General, the amendment reads "with free transfers between street railway lines and such motor bus lines, and to and from such motor bus lines and street railway lines." Is there any conflict there with this basic 10-cent rate? General PATRICK. No, sir; not at all, because it reads "such motor bus or street railway line." That liberalizes the House bill very much, Senator, and provides for transfers to these children. which the House bill did not give them. Senator COPELAND. Where do you put "shall be 2 cents," after the "street railway lines" or after the 10 cents"? General PATRICK. Where do we put it? Senator COPELAND. Yes. General PATRICK. It goes in the bill in line 8; "the rate of fare for the transportation of children not over 16 years of age found entitled to reduced fare as hereinafter provided going to or from |