Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-03-01
Hearing Begun on the Wiley
Free Transfer Bill.
DISCUSSION LIVELY ONE
House District Committee Members
Ask Some Pointed Questions.
MEN PRESENT
TRACTION
Their Side of Question Not Reached
When Adjournment Is Taken
Until Next Monday Morning.

'Do you think there is any difference
between operating a street railway COM
pany to exploit land and operating
street railway company to exploit wa
| tered stock?'
This rather warm and pointed ques-
ton was asked by Representative Cox OF
| Ohio today at the hearing before the
House District committee on the Wiley
universal transfer bill. o. c. Brothers.
president of the East Washington
Heights Railway Company. was testifyine
| at the time. opposing that provision Oh
the Wiley bill which provides that the
pro rata share of railway companies IN
their operations on universal transfer
basis should be on mileage basis.
Gen. George Fl. Harries. vice president
| of the Washington Railway ana riec.Ii y
Company. drew Mr.. Cox's fire by asking
| Mr. BROTHERS if his company could not
get along all right if enough buiioing lo.s
were sold whether it made any money
carrying passengers or not.
Commissioners Rudolph, johnson ana
Judson, Gen. Harries, Ward Ihoroh. W.
president of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company; w. F. Ham. controiler
of that concern; II. Mckay Clayton. rep
resenting the joint committee Oh i've
northwest suburban citizens associations
H Z. Eddy, special examiner OF the my,
state commerce commissions; E. Van H.
Tucker. president of the East washington
Citizens Association, and others ATTENDED
to-days hearing.
The street railways did not get a chance
to present their side of the case, ana .ne
hearing will be resumed next Monudy
morning at 10 o'clock
Hearing Adjourned Until Monday.
At the close of the session today an ef-
fort was made by Representative Smith
of Michigan, Representative Coudrey OF
Missouri and others to put the universal
transfers hearing off for a couple of
weeks, but Representative Hamilton Fish
Of New York objected. somewhat sarcasti-
cally remarking: why not put 1t of
until the close of the session"
"Oh, we don't want to do that, re-
piled Mr.. Coudrey, in a shocked tone.
He explained that the reason he wanted
to delay the game was to give the
Moore special food committee. which
has been somewhat neglectful OF late.
Monday was decided upon. Mr.. Fish
would have insisted on another hearing
this week. but Gen. Harries said he had
to 60 out of town.
10 o'clock, but at that hour Chairman
Smith was the only member of the COM
mittee on hand. although the District
Commissioners and all those who de-
after three-quarters of an hour had
been wasted, Representative Wiley Of
New Jersey the author OF the BILL and
several other members having come in,
the hearing was begun.
Appear as Citizens.
S. 8. Symons of 31is 18th street north
oI> 10, xl,n va,t,o
appeared 'just as a private interested
Citizen appealed for the passage of the
universal transfer bill on the score Of
economy Of time. He gave several in
stances of how 1t was necessary to go
all the way around Robin Hoods barn
in order to get to a given point in the
city.
H. A. Volker another interested pri-
vate citizen with a pronounced German
practically the same grounds except that
he added economy of money az we'll.
William Mckay Clayton said the 1000
or more property owners whom he repre-
sents favored the bill, too, but said the
people in the northwestern suburban sec
ton, IL called upon to make a choice be-
tween universal transfers and some much
needed improvements. would take the i'm
provements and let the universal trans
fers wait. He praised the service on the
street railways of the National Capital.
with emphasis on the modern improved
cars.
"Do you call those dinky cars on Penn
sylvania avenue improved cars?" de-
manded Representative Cary of Wiscon-
sin.
Mr.. Clayton wasn't sure that he did.
Evan III. Tucker, president OF the East
Washington Citizens Association, favored
the bill on the grounds of economy OF
time, economy OF money and convenience
TO the public.
President Brothers Objection.
President Brothers Of the East WASH
ington Heights Railway Company OBJ
jected to the Wiley bill in its present
form-the mileage feature. as previously
explained-and said If adopted it would
! make his company haul passengers for
three mills each. cutting the annual re-
ceipts of his company from 5000 to less
| than 81 900.
Henry w. Williams, a Baltimore lawyer.
who is president Of the Baltimore and
Washington Transit Company. which Ia
just completing the construction of two
miles of line running from the head Of
| l4th street to Takoma Park. favored the
Wiley bill, although he. too, objected to
| the mileage basis of adjustment He
asked that the settlements between COM
panies be made on the surplus Of tickets
and transfers OF one line over another.
At his suggestion, Representative Cary
drew an amendment providing for an adj
justment on the basis Of the established
average rate of fare for all surplus trans
| fers.
Speaks for Commissioners.
Engineer Commissioner Judscn pre-
sented the arguments In favor OF the bill
for the Commissioners.
| However advantageous competition
may be In most lines Of business" said
Commissioner Judson, lit 10 certainly not
SO in urban transportation. 1t leads to
waste In operating as we'll as in conbtruc-
ton costs and In diminished public con-
venience. Improved service can be re-
quired Of our local lines by the Commits
ers Of public service commission, but
| it is obvious that compulsory improve
ments cannot lawfully be confiscatory.
| If the lines are operated most eco
| nomically. which would necessarily in
volve operation by single company.
1t is obvious that the greatest number
of improvements in service could ba
exacted for the public. without reach
ing the point OF confscation. Two
things, then, desirable for Washing
ton in the matter of it's street rail-
ways. are consolidation and efficient
regulation. 1t has been calculated that
suit in the reduction OF operating
costs by 10 or 10 per cent of the COM
bined operating costs OF the existing
companies. while permitting q rear
Irangement of service over existing
rails that would increase the conven-
fence of the lines to the public In
about the same proportion.