The Washington times., 1907-12-18
WORDS RUN HIGH
At A PEACE MEET
OF TRACTION MEN
Interstate c ON mere e
Commission Expert
Fails With His AC-
count System.

Murder was almost done with a head
light. Gentlemen brandished on high a
militant TRANSFER and tried to beat out
somebody's brains. The spirit Of assas-
sination was In the air. And 1t came
pretty close to a suit for damages for
forcible election.
All this happened in the meeting of
representatives Of city and interurban
street railway systems at the New VIII
lard Hotel CAST evening. when these gen
tlemen held a convention TO confer with
Prof II. c. Adams. Of the Interstate
Commerce Commission. o.. the means
-. securing a uniform method Of book
keeping among the street railway COM
panies OF tie United States. The trouble
arose when the delegation from New
York got sore because they could not
bring the meeting around TO their posi-
ton which was:
Depreciation is not a debatable
proposition"
General HarTies Taxed to Limit.
Gen. George H. Harries presided. and
was relieved now and then in his
onerous duties by Prof Adams. 1t de-
manded all the suavlty for which Cen
eral Harries is justly famed to pour
oil On the troubled waters Language
rose TO a high pitch. The New York
delegation was on the Job. They quail
fed as leading members of the Put
Me-Out-If- You-Dare Club" There were
forty men present. and many Of then.
believed depreciation was a debatable
proposition But the New Workers had
no such iGea Depreciation to them was
sacred subject. Far be Il from the
meeting to enter the sanctum and
desecrate the presence OF depreciation
with unaVaillng words, PeriCh the
thought that, in the cOmpeny Of the
Interstate Commerce Commission any
murlly light Of discussion be thrown
on the great puzzle known as "depre-
citation"
Finally. the New Workers arose and
with one accord and one gesture. threw
from their minds any intention OF de-
batting whether depreciation was a
thing TO be debated Excitement rose
e the highest pitch II had vet at
tanned. General Harries cleared his
throat three times. Then he cleared
the atmosphere. Depreciation was left
behind, undebated.
Even Discussed Lovely Woman.
other abstruse questions were de-
bated. such as whether transfer
should be entered on tho books or
charged up to the conductor: whether
it cost more to stop on the near side
or the far side Of the street corner.
whether 1t was. more economical to hire
good men OF bad men 70 orerate the
cars; and whether there was any eco
nomical device for making women 20,
on cars with some show OF hurry.
At least. this was the way II sounded
60 the casual observer. Also II &c
worthy Of note that the Interstate Com
merce Commission is not issuiag TODAY
a new system Of uniform bookieepinp
Tor street railways. Instead a depr
and impenetrable gloom lies heavily
Hpon those who hoped TO solve the
problem. For they are up against in
In the parlance OF the streets they
nave for the present bitten of more
than they can mastiCate.
Commission Has Hopes.
Street railway companies prefer p
keep their books as they Ike. Depre-
citation is not debatable. Nor do thew
want the Interstate Commerce Com
mission telling them how to keen +bei,
books They had rather make them
look like Chinese writing with Sanskri;
marginal notes as explanations. There.
fore, the faithful forty came to the con.
ference with Prof. Adams. with their
Dristles so well developed and raised
that the system Of uniform bookkeen-
ing got scratched every time II put n
SITS appearance. -
However, the commission homes u
have further conventions Of this sort
When there VIII be less battling, less
guarding of depreciation, and less r111r.
derous welding Of the transfer.