Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-18
Traction Official Attacks Gen.
eraI Transfer Idea
BEFORE HOUSE COMMITTEE
C. P. King Supported in Protest by
Georgetown Resident.
CITIZENS SIDE NOT HEARD
Further Arguments in Street Car
Fight to Be Made Next
Monday.

G. +. King, president of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company, and
FRANK r. Leech, member of the George
town Citizens Association, appeared be-
Iore the House district committee today
IN opposition to pending legislation which
would compel the local street railway
companies to provide free universal trans
fers. Mr.. Leech prefaced his remarks
to the committee with the statement that
he appeared not as a representative of
the association, but only "as a private
citizen
+. '. Heating, chairman of the execu-
tive committee Of the citizens confer
ence. and p. J. Ryan, chairman of the
legislative committee of the Central La
Dor Union, We're on hand today ready to
testify, but did not have an opportunity
to be heard. The hearing will be con-
tinued next Monday
President King sketched the history Of
the Washington Railway and Electric
the District committee.
Conditions Are Cited.
1t was in receivership. he said For
ten years the common stockholders did
not receive dividends. For four years
no dividends We're paid on the preferred
stock. The wages of the conductors and
motormen used to average 16 and 1s cents
an hour.
Now they receive 21,a to 23,s cents an
nour. The common stock now pays only
l per cent year, and the preferred stock
~ per cent semi-annually. We carried
Sl,OOO,OO passengers last year, and of
these 21,O0OOOO rode on transfers Why,
the people of this city already have free
transfers. We are inclined to be fair, but
can say without exaggeration that in no
other city in the United States do the
street railway companies give so much
service for so little money as is the case
right here in Washington
President King added that the average
rate of fare on the Washington Railway
and Electric Company's lines last year
was 3.164 cents per passenger.
That" he declared, "is not as much
as the average man would pay to have
his hat brushed off. Yet we carry some
passengers twelve and fourteen miles
Isn't that free enOugh?'
Mr.. King closed his remarks with the
statement that the free universal trans-
fer legislation would be almost ruin
Gus to the railroad company.
Deplores Endorsements.
Mr.. Leech in opposing the pending
legislation said he deplored the manner
in which cooked and primed' indorse-
ments of universal transfers were put
through the various citizens associa-
tions of the District without opportun-
ity for study. discussion or hearing.
1.-The universal transfer proposition is
seductive said Mr.. Leech. 1T makes
the people think they are going to get
something free. Never yet have l heard
a single man or a single organisation
substantiate its claims as to the justice OF
the bill proposed"
The witness declared that if the local
street railway companies were permitted
to charge five-cent fare he thought they
could stand the strain of universal trans
fer Legislation without financial embar-
rassment
In reply to questions by Representative
Redfeld and Representative George of
New York, Mr.. Leech admitted that he
was not practical railroad man and
could give no details as to the probable
effect of universal transfer legislation.
But he was strongly opposed, he said, to
any legislation that struck at invested
capital and that had not been given fair
and due consideration