Hugo Black

“ As previously noted, a Virginia worker could board its local bus or streetcar, ride to a District terminal of Transit's Virginia bound bus, board it, and obtain the benefit of a transfer supplied by Transit. So also could Transit's passenger get the benefit of a transfer on the return journey home from work. Had Transit not owned the separate vehicles used in the transportation, these arrangements would have constituted 'joint rates' for a 'through route' within the statutory meaning of the term. ”

“ At the request of the Secretaries of War and the Navy, the Interstate Commerce Commission instituted an investigation into the reasonableness of the fares of four carriers, transporting passengers by bus between points in the District of Columbia and nearby points in the State of Virginia, where are located certain military and naval offices and installments employing more than 40,000 government workers. More than half these workers live in the District so that the number of individual passenger trips to and from government work on the four motor lines is in excess of 31,000 per day. ”

“ On its second hearing the Commission heard evidence from employees of the Army and Navy as to dissatisfaction with the fares. The Secretaries of both War and Navy made complaints concerning the situation produced by the rate structure. A number of witnesses testified as to the dissatisfaction of employees with the prevailing rates. If evidence was necessary to prove that unreasonably high rates were calculated to disturb the morale of workers forced to pay them, and thus to impair the national defense program, there can be no doubt but that the findings of the Commission were well supported. ”