Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-11-07
COMMITTEE PLANS
UTILITIES SYSTEM
Suggestions by Citizens Con-
ference Under Considera-
tion by Board.
PROVIDE FOR REDUCING
LOCAL TELEPHONE RATES
Also Municipal Ownership of Gas
and for Universal Transfers
OH Street Cars.

Every recommendation contained in the
program for public utilities Improvements
adopted last night by the executive com
mittee of the citizens conference will be
considered by the public utilities commits
sion of the District of Columbia. with a
chance that some of them may be favor
ably acted upon.
Commissioner Newman said today tina,
he considers the reforms advocated by
the committee important ones and that
he had no doubt all of them would be in
vestigated In time by the public service
board. it is the intention of that body
he said, first to dispose of the taxicat
and universal transfer questions before
taking up new problems.
The most important recommendations
of the citizens committee are:
F'irst-LoweT telephone rates.
Second-Municipal ownership Of the gas
companies.
Third-Operation by the municipality of
its own cars over the tracks of the pres
ent traction lines, provided the street car
companies refuse TO provide universal
transfers.
Immediate Consideration Likely.
The latter suggestion caught the eye of
Commissioner Newman this morning
when he looked over copy of the COM
mittee's report. AS it has bearing on
the question of universal transfers, the
commission may decide to give it imme-
diate consideration.
Details of the proposed plan are that
the Commissioners shall ask Congress
for an appropriation for the purchase
of d sufficient number of cars to be run
rNN-a vtett f~,1
Observation-Disclosures "a quarter basis.
These cars, it is urged. could be run
alternately with the cars of the trac-
tion companies over the routes. under
an act of Congress, with provision for
compensation to the companies for the
use of track and power, the amount to be
decided by the public utility commits
sion or d special committee appointed
under the authority of Congress.
This method or the absolute pur-
panies by the municipality should be
insisted upon if the traction companies
continue to refuse and litigate the rights
of the people to have universal trans
fers." states the report Of the commit
tee.
Other Recommendations.
Other recommendations in the report
are for the abolishment of the tracks
of the Capital Traction Company on
New York avenue between 14th. and
10Th, streets, and also on 18th street
between New York avenue and II
street. If this be done it is suggested
that the cars of the Capital Traction
Company be required to run north on
14th street from Pennsylvania avenue
to connect with the tracks of the
Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany at 14th and + Streets thence con-
tinuing north to Fl street, where they
would reconnect with the tracks Of
the Capital Traction Company.
BY adopting this method, the commit
tee expresses its belief that the utilities
board would remove 80 per cent of the
danger to pedestrians at the corner of
14th street and New York avenue. and
prevent great deal Of the congestion
on New York avenue. between 14th and
18th streets; OH 18th street between
New York avenue and III street, and on
18th street between Pennsylvania avenue
and New York avenue, in the latter case
distributing the number of cars now
running up 18th street to New York
avenue between 14th and 18th streets.
The report also urges the abolition of
the present terminus of the Brookland
and other branches of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company in G
street near 18th street northwest, on the
ground that the square is dangerously
congested, and recommends that the
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
railway be required to construct a
use of the square between 18th and 18th
streets on New York avenue for termi-
nal purposes.
The report, which is signed by all the
members of the executive committee. in
cluding Charles w. Darr. chairman: p ].
Ryan. P. v. keating, George H. Gall
and III. J. Clark, reached the Commits
nrYin