The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-07-03
Our Limited Utilities Board.

By authority of law which mas not
been seriously questioned the Interstate
Commerce Commission has established
a limited public utilities commission
for the District of Columbia. This Is
the first result Of the compromise
effected on the Union Station trackage
bill. The nub of it is that the Capital
has obtained a supervision over its
street railways which IS local at heart,
which promises to be effective, which
Is a distinct advance over any control
heretofore exercised.
In personnel the District Electric
Railway Commission holds the full con-
fdence of the people. Commissioner
West, General Wilson, and Thomas w.
Smith have all identified themselves
with the public interests, have all
done valuable and disinterested seTv-
ice for the District, have all shown
themselves to be possessed of clear
Judgment and courage. The wonder is,
am it is a real wonder, that men Of
such business standing are able to
find the time for a work which prom
ises to be so extensive and to consume
so much time. Washington can be
proud that they have accepted appoint
ment-
The work which lies before them is
multiform. Two specific pleas already
await their attention The first is the
perennial complaint against the service
provided by the Washington Railway
and Electric Company to BrightwOod.
The second is the use of heavy cars on
the lines of the old Metropolitan Com
pany now controlled by the company
fir-t named.
With the one complaint it IS believed
the whole community has full sym
pathy Brightwood, Takoma, and the
rest of the District out the old Bright
wood road have long suffered for lack
of a service which is granted by the
same management to residents of
'Berwyn, Brookland, Hyattsville, and
,Anacostia. With the second complaint
it is difficult 10 be patient. The cars
used on Connecticut avenue are not so
heavy as those run in practically every
other large city, the number of house
holders annoyed by them here is small
compared to the number of their neigh
bor- who do not Join in the complaint
and the cars provide convenient and
comfortable transit to the people of a
territory a hundred times as popu1ous
as Connecticut avenue,
But hearing complaints is not the
measure of the Commissions field. II
must also frame and maintain for the
Interstate Commerce Commission a
manual Of police regulations. That is
a task which presents to the local board
Immediately an opportunity vastly tc
Improve the service
The abolition of the so-called fire
stops is meant, of course. Established
at a time when our Board of District
Commissioners was ratified, not to put
too fine a point upon it, those stops
have been continued by succeeding
boards to the. constantly multiplied in
convenience and real danger of thu
whole body of street car patrons, with
out yielding anything like compen
sating measure OF safety. The prim,
product 80 far has been TO interrupt
the progress Of the car, and to requir'
the passenger. who intends 10 alight t
Jump with dangerous haste before tht
signal is given to go ahead. The simple
requirement that all cars stop at tn,
sound of the bells of Ihe fire -enginl
and reel would meet every need Er,
add greatly to the security of the pas
senger and the expedition, of his jour
ney.
The Times has not changed its posi-
ton. It still believes this supervision
over the street railways and the large
authority over the other public serv
ice corporations of the District shoult
have been conferred directly upon