Evening star., 1913-06-17
SAYS CAR SERVICE
IS NOT ADEQUATE
Writer Complains of Condi.
tions and Suggests Use of
Motor Buses.
To the Editor Of The Star:

To the Editor Of The Star:
VIII YOU please bring the subject DIS
cussed below to the attention of your
readers?
l write concerning the insufficient, eN-
pensive and antiquated public convey
ance service in the city of Washington.
The car service is insufficient in two
ways: First. as to the number of cars.
which is so limited to provide seats Tor
all on board only during the middle OF
the forenoon and of afternoon and at
certain periods at night: a all other
times passengers are taken on to any
number that can secure q foothold with
out regard to their comfort or even to
the laws of decency. While there are
laws governing the overcrowding of live
stock in transit, there seems to be none
concerning the safeguarding of human
beings. in that respect and the public
carriers take full advantage of their lack
of protection. During the hours when
seats are available for all, those who
ride are best able to stand. but during
the rush hours the exhausted tolers must
sway Ill d Seething mass of all sorts OF
humanity, seldom occupying q seat.
There is crying need for a readjuStment
so as to permit every one aboard to have
a seat 1t would be an improvement even
to run at certain hours uncovered fiat
cars with seats. so that all the workers
might sit, in decency and comfort.
The service is insufficient, secondly, be-
cause of too few lines; this works a
hardship in addition to that caused by a
limitation in the number of cars by COM
pelling people to walk long distances
when they can lilly spare the time.
Further. it initiates against home COM
fort, by forcing people to gather together
within rs easy access as possible TO
this meaSer system. So 1t conduceS 10
congeSted neighborhoods' and overcroWd-
ing at home, because of high rent, as
well as on the carS-they are victims IN
both instances. 1t is well known that the
pretense of car service enables real es-
tate owners to exact higher selling
prices and higher rents. We are trying to
clean out crowded alleys and to en-
courage suburban dwelling, but at the
same time people must be provided conf
Portable and rapid transit or they won t
go far from their work.
Expensive In Many Ways.
The car service is expensive in many
ways: first. it is so inadequate as to lie
contributing factor to the high tarlff
of horse cabs and taXicabs. The charge
for a taxicab in London is 16 cents the
first mile. and cents each additional
mile. with horse cabs somewhat less. III
IS expensive. again. in relation to the
cost of installation, equipment and main
tenaIce. this city presenting no essen
TALLY difficult engineering problem Tor
the car companies. 1t is expensive, In
another instance. in not furnishing uni
versai transfers. This is a perniciOuS dis
tinction which should be wiped out. Per
haps the most glaring fault with the cost
to the majority is the fact of being
charged full fare for only nominal dis
charge of their obligations by the car
companies. In this day it is not renderln :,
value received for a common carrier
a public Utility which should be the serv-
ant of the PEOPLE and not its exploiter
to haul men. women and children to and
from their work like hogs to market I'm
til every passenger is provided with equal
accommodations there should not be
equality of fares. Those who ride at GER
tain hours have seats and those who ride
at other times do not. and yet the car IN
the latter case earns more money. and
1t would be only fair. in order to equaliZe
the burden of cost according to the con-
venience enjoyed. for the people travelling
during rush hours to pay a two-cent rate
This distinction between cost to passen-
gers who enjoy whatever privileges the
service affords and those who cannot is
recognized in many places, notably by
London street railways, where there is
a wide difference.