The Washington times., 1913-10-15
POMERENE ASSA|LS
i STREET CAR LINES
Suspects Water in Stock Of
Both Companies After Quot
ing the Values in District.

Cleveland. with n street car system
as good as Washington. enjoys a three
cent fare covering the entire city.
Columbus for one year has been en-
Joying eight tickets for a quarter.
Washington paws a quarter for six
tickets. has not even universal trans
fers. and yet:
The Capital Traction Company. which
has 6o.4G miles in and out of the District
is capitalized at $4,000 co... or s2@5.2i7 a
mile, as against a fair capitalization cs-
tmate Of $4,000 mile fixed by railway
officials. I suspect there is some water
In this stock.
And the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. with $3.50 miles Of
track, is capitalized at s3l.f1,46S, or
sSS6,a25 per mile. suspect that there is
not only water in this stock, but air
Also"
These were a few of the points charged
against the local traction companies last
night by Senator Atlee Pomerene of
Ohio and member of the Senate Dis
trict Committee, in an address before
the Chamber of Commerce, at the first
fay meeting of that body. incidentally,
the Senator told of the efforts of repre-
cSAhoiiN u htS pObllS SclNlCt COTptES-
tons tc delay the passage in the Senate
Of the bill providing for a public utilities
commission. He said he was glad TO say
none of the Senators were influenced.
Urges a Delegate.
Senator Pomerene also urged strongly
that the District was entitled to a dele
gate in Congress-. He pointed out that
this was the only community in the
whole country that did not have repre-
Sentation in Congress, and humorous!y
said. that everybody had benefited by
the Boston tea party except residents of
the District Of Columbia.
Senator Pomerene declared that he
was more interested than in almost any
G1h0r one thing in the project of har-
Aeoeing the power of the Potomac at
Great Falls. so as to provide electric
current for the District He declared
That this would supply more current
than the entire District uses today, and
said he hoped Congress would pass the
bill providing for the appropriation.
Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, was
scheduled for a speech following Sena-
tor Pomerene but owing to other en-
gsgements was unable to wait. He ex-
pressed himself as favoring a delegate
in Congress from the District in chat
ting with some of the Officers of the
chamber bQOre leaving.
Freight Increase Up.
r.. p. Andrews opposed the request of
P. T. Moran for subscriptions to a gen.
eral fund 10 fight the proposed 3 per
cent increase in rates by the railroads.
Mr.. Andrews declared that under the
present conditions the railroads are en-
titled to per cent increase. and as
the entire increase would amount to
approximately $4,000. II was not worth
fighting.
President Callahan was empowered to
appoint a committee TO study the va
rious phases of the District delegate
question ard report TO a special meet
ing of the chamber.
Urging larger appropriations for blind
children, and the Withdrawal of the
children, and the withdraway of the
necessity of parents of blind children
taking :hc nauper's oath in order to
obtain District aid. Chairman William
F. Gude made a strong report urging
readjustment of the present system.