Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-12
Regulating Street Car Traffic.

In effect denying the right of the
public utilities commission to regulate
the operation of street cars In the Dis
trict in such manner as to prevent dan
gerous overcrowding, the local street
railway companies take high ground
that 1T will be difficult for them to
justify before the public or to maintain
as a matter of law. In the arguments
before the commission at yesterday 8
hearing representatives Of the compa-
MES virtually declared that to comply
with the "full-car" rule would operate
seriously to the public's disadvantage.
intimatng that the companies could
not increase their equipment sufficiently
TO handle the traffic on the basis of this
regulation. In other words, IL this
contention is admitted, the companies
have the right to pack their cars to the
absolute physical limit of capacity, or,
lacking that right. they are under no
obligation to run cars enough to supply
the demand. This presentation Of the
argument is virtually an appeal to the
public apprehension Of inadequate
service in order to bring pressure to
bear upon the public utilities commits
sion to cause it to modify it's ruling.
As to the power of the commission TO
make and to enforce reasonable rules in
regulation Of the service there can be no
doubt. Paragraph Of the public utili-
ties law reads as follows:
That every public utility doing bust
ness within the District of Columbia is
required to furnish services and facili-
ties reasonably safe and adequate and
in all respects just and reasonable.
Every public utility is hereby
rax - ~ b. 10
the commission created by this section
1t may be that the companies have
ground for technical complaint in this
immediate case in the PRONUNCIATION of
the rule against carrying passengers on
running boards and on the front seats
of open cars without formal hearing.
But that is fault easily cured II the
commission, after hearing, wishes to
continue its order. AS to the reason
ableness of the order 1t Is for the CON-
panies to show the commission unques-
tionable facts sufficient to cause it to
change Its mind. II may be that the
commission would decide upon such a
showing that the 'full-car" rule is in
operative because 1t does not yield q
sufficient accommodation for the public.
But cannot such a rule be operative,
provided enough cars are run: Is 1t
not the contention of the companies
that they should have the right to
swell their receipts by securing a maxi
mum of returns from a minimum of
service instead of granting a maximum
OF service? Reduced to it's last terms,
this is a question of finance and not of
the legal powers of the commission, a
question TO be answered after consid-
ering whether it is possible for the
companies to operate their lines at a
reasonable profit without compelling or
permitting passengers to crowd the
aisles, the running boards and the plat
forms in an unsafe, indecent manner.
II sufficient service cannot be rendered
on the basis of the full-car rule with
the present equipment OF tracks. steps
should be taken to increase the number
of lines to permit digressions In the
congested districts during the rusf
hours. The commission has authorized
the operation Of trailers, provided they
are manned by separate conductors
Acceptance Of this opportunity would
cure some Of the particular faults men,
toned by Representatives OF the com.
panies at yesterdays hearing in caring
for specific instances of periodic crowd
ing. That the prohibition of dangerous
packing OF the cars Is needed in the
public interest is not to be refuted. anG
IL IL to be hoped that the commission
will strictly insist upon its right tc
regulate the traffic In such manner as
TO give adequate accommodations with
out danger.