The Washington times., 1910-10-01
REAL STREET CAR REGULA-
TON NEEDED


of furnishing its transPortstiOn-at a
profit
Why do we stand it?
Last winter these street ear com
panics defeated a bill requiring them
to issue interchangeable transfers and
we submitted.
Last summer they left their open
cars in storage and tried 10 force Us
to use hot. stufTy cars. We protested
and they brought forth open cars
Last summer they calmly announc-
ed they would equip their systems
with 2. A. Y. E. cars from which the
air is practically cut of at front and
rear. We protested, and one OF the
companies-the Capital Traction Com
pany-changed its plans. It bowed
to public demand, and its new cars
VIII be comfortable
But IT HAD To BE FORCED, BY
POPULAR PROTEST, TO ADOPT
THE TYPE OF CAR ITS PATRONS
WANT
The other cOmpany-the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
has heard the same protest and has
paid not the slightest heed to it. 1t
has purchased a lot of new cars of
the uncomfortable, Objectionable type,
and It has a lot more coming 1t Is
installing them as rapidly as possible,
and IN the meantime the public suffers
discomfort and the Interstate Com
nerce Commission continues its in
vestigatious to determine whether the
now car should be used OF condemned
After the investigation has been
concluded, even If the commission de-
cided the new cars are not fit for Use,
we have no assurance that We can
obtain relief The efforts OF the COM
mission TO prevent crOwding Of street
cars in Washington have been set at
naurht bv a court decision, and the
authority under which 1t is looking
into the p. a. Y. T. car question Is
proviIed IN the same section Of the
same act under which the commission
brought its crowded car prosecution
IF II attempts 10 tell the Washington
Railway and Electric Company It can
not operate It's new P a Y l. cars
OF that It must make alterations IN
them. who knows but what another
court decision favorable to the com
panv viii be the result?
The statute under which the Inter
state Commerce Commission Is given
Jurisdiction over the Washington street
railways Is 8 beauty Observe its
provisions:
That every street railway company
or CORPORATION owning controlling
leasing or operating one or more
street railroads within the DlSJrlct
Of COIum bia shall on eacn anu -s a.
of its railroads supply ana operate
a sufficient number OF cars cream.
SANITARY. in good repair, with proper
and safe power, equipment, appll-
ances. and service, conf oTtsble ano
convenient and so operate me same
as 10 give expeditions passage NOT
TO exceed fifteen miles per hour WIN
in the city limits OF twenty Inlles Per
hoTr 81 the suburbs TO all persons
DESTROYS Of the use Of said cars, WIN
out CrOwdiHg said cars ~,=
Tn Interstate Commerce Commls-
sion is hereby given power 70 require
md compel obedience to all the PIT
visions of this section ana 70 maze
alter amend. and enforce all need
f1,1 rTTeS and regulations to secure
e77cT, obedience Che penalty Tor
failure TO obey the PROVISIONS OF Ine
section or the regulations OF the com
mission is a fine OF Sl,yVV Ior eaCh
dav an offense Is committed
The difficulty which confrOnts the
travelling public Of Washington is two
fold. First, the law providing for the
regulation of the street railways by
the Interstate Commerce Commission
i indefinite in its provisions. Sec
oud- the Interstate Commerce Com
mission has 50 much work of far
greater Importance on its hands that
it could never give the Washington
street railways the attention they need,
even If it had unquestiOned authority
to do 50.
What we need Is a public utilities
commission. or a broadening of the
mowers OF the District Commits Sioners
over the street car companies Such
indefinite provisions as those contain
ed in the section quoted should be
wined of the books. In their place
should be written specific declarations
proyIGing Just what the street car
companies can do and jUSt what tH''v
cannot do. and showing just where
the authority of the public utilities
commission or the District COmmls-
-ioners begins and lust where It ends.
Until we establish such a system OF
street railway control We are going
to continue butting our heads into a
stone wall. Just as we've been butting
them for the last three months as a
result OF the P. A. Y. z. car contrO-
veTsy-
HARD FIGHT PROMISED IN