The Washington times., 1909-07-25
interstate Commerce Com
mission Will Probably De
eide They Must Go.
STRONG OPPOSITION
is ANTICIPATED
Claim of infection Of Unjust Loss
Likely 10 Be Made by
Companies.

What is to become Of the 200 odd
trailers that are being operated on Ger
tain of the street railway lines in wash
ington?
This is a problem which has Originate
ed since the discussion of the tariff be-
gan. and which. on that account has
been showed TO the rear of public inter
est. so that the public has not busted
itself trying to solve it.
But with the Interstate Commerce
Commission Il has been different. The
commission originated it; the commits
sion has 10 solve it, and, in an prob
ability. the commission viii solve il by
September J.
Indications are the commission viii
decide that the trailer must so
Expected to Oppose Order
Among the recent orders and reguIa-
tons issued by the commission for the
operation of District electric railways
was an order requiring all the com
panies operating traiIers TO submit to
the commission by September ] reasons,
il any exist why their further use
should not be discontinued.
This. the companies have not yet done,
but there is "a pretty general opinion
prevailing that they are preparing TO
flood the commission with an avalanche
of reasons why the use Of the trailer
should not be discontinued before the
time limit arrives.
When the orders ana regulations We're
first issued, two of the companies began
Immediately fight against them with
respect to certain provisions relating
10 schedules This hght- has been but
little more than a preliminary skirmsh
compared with what 1t Is expected VIII
follow.
The real fight will center in the pro-
posed abolition of the trailer, and here
is where the companies will make their
principal stand.
In Back Number Class.
Washington is about the only city of
prominence in the United States that is
using the trailer to any extent Three
local companies use them almost -excIu-
sively. They are the Capital Traction,
Washington Railway and Electric, and
Mt. VerEOn companies.
The principle lines in Washington on
which the traileTs are used are Penn
sylvania avenue, Seventh street, New
Jersey avenue, Fourteenth street and +
street. The discontinuance of their use
would throw go cars on the hands OF
the company, which would either have
10 be sold, converted into new cars, or
consigned to the scrap heap.
When the y eYsr Jersey aRenue-lin eva
opened up shortly before Inauguration,
the -as-you-enter tyne of ear was
installed on Fourteenth street n is
true that this type has greatly cut down
the use of the trailers on the Four
teenth street line, but the difference has
been more than made up on the New
Jersey avenue line.
Companies Probable Claim
AS yet, the companies have manifest
ed no disposition to discontinue using
trailers, and there is no probability
that they will This makes it fairly
certain that the commissions views on
the trailer will not be enforced without
strong opposition.
II is believed that, in answers 10 the
commissions orders the companies viii
maintain that the abolition OF the trailer
VIII infiict upon them an unjust loss,
since the cars would be made useless
and would have 10 be replaced
On the other hand, 1t is believed the
commission VIII maintain that the COM
panles can convert two OF their trail
ers into one nrst-clsss car which viii
be sufficient 10 take care OF the patron
age that the tralIers are now meeting.
A feature that bears Upon the ~ ua-
ton is the decision that-has- been reach
ed TO established the trailer system in
Philadelphia. Here, however, the cars
are TO be larger each is 10 be motor
car, each is 20 be equipped with air
brakes, anu each is to have a separate
conductor
May Effect Compromise.
There is a possibility. that a compro-
mise might bee reached between the
commission and the companies. where
by the latter would agree TO operate It's
trailers on the principle Of the PhiIa-
delphia trailers.- Occasionally, the Can
ital Traction Company has employed
separate conductors on its traIlers. but
il has never beeH required TO do SO by
an order.
Secretary and Executive OFFICER EDDY,
Of the District Electric Railway Com
mission, the branch through which the
Interstate Commerce Commission gov
erns the local electric railways. believes
that there are serious objections 10 The
operation of rrailers. These ne classi-
res principally under the general head
of danger TO passengers, insisting that
there are too many entrances and exists
Tor one conductor 20 watch
r. after the objections of the COM
pauies are heard, TIE commission de-
cides 10 order the Jisccrluuauce If
The trailers, 1t is believed, the companies
VIII be given year, or lnaEeTs IN which
10 gradually replace JE.s type Of car.