Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-01
SAYSLAB0R WANTS
OWNERSHIP BY CITY
Favors Municipal Control Of
Street Railways, Co|poys
Tells House Committee.

els HOUSE COI1lI1lItlee.
| That organized labor is in favor of mu-
! nicipal ownership of street railways in
the District of Columbia was asserted
before the District committee of the
House today by John B. Colpoys. repre-
sentative of the Central Labor Union Of
the District. Mr.. Colpoys was followed
by Robert II. Bradbury. representing the
Randle Highlands Citizens Association,
who bitterly complained against street
railways in the District for not extending
lines through Anacostia and beyond into
a section which. he said. contained 22,OOO
persons.
Charles W. Emmons. president of the
| East Washington Citizens Association
! told the committee that what Washington
needs is not municipal ownership. but
more attention to duty by the Commits
sioners. He said the Commissioners could
not assume the responsibilities of an op-
| Grating body to run street railways, as
they have too much to do now, and are
not railway men.
! Mr. Colpoys. speaking for the organized
| labor of the District. told the committee
! that one-third of the population could
be said to be interested in labor organi-
cations, counting families of the work.
| tngmen, and that municipal ownership
of public utilities is fundamental prin-
| cipie of organized labor He contended
that hours could be shortened and wages
| increased in the case of Washington
street railways if operated by the city.
| Replying to questions. he said he favored
the municipal operation of utilities even
| if at loss.
Opposes Pay for Franchises.
| r. Colpoys told Representative Wins
low. in response to questions. that the
present roads should be taken over by the
city after a fair valuation of their
physical properties. He explained this
| not think the city should have to pay
for paper profits or franchises.
| He said, however, that if a competent
commission or jury made fair appraisal
| OF the value of the roads and found 1t
equitable to include in their valuations
items other than purely physical ones he
would not object, as he believed the city
should own the roads.
| AS to increased wages and shorter.
hours, he told the committee that other
| cities OF size comparable with Washing
ton paid higher wages for street car en-
| ployes, and enumerated them. Boston,
he said. had car wages running higher
| than Washington. Representative Wins
| low also had him enumerate the wages
IN the same cities for carpenters and
/ u
than in Washington:
! why don't you union men jack up the
| wages here?''
| We are aiming at that all the time"
| responded Mr.. Colpoys
| Il know that" said Mr. Winslow, but
| | just wanted to show you that wages
in the cities you mention are higher for
everything than they are In Washington"
Mr.. Colpoys said that the reason for
labor organizations generally in the Dis
| trict favoring municipal ownership was
on account Of the general principle and
not because of specific complaints.
| Robert II. Bradbury told the commit
tee that the section east and south Of
| Anacostia is badly in need of a car
system and that the railroads have re-
| fused to make extensions there, and
for that reason municipal ownership
/ is getting to be a popular doctrine in
his neighborhood.
Tells Need of Car Service.
There are 2e.ooo people living in my
section said Mr.. Bradbury. "and some
of them live a mile and half or two
miles from street cars. We think
| that the money which the car company
makes in the center of the city could
be properly spent, in part by building
an extension over to u.s.
| He said that the railroad had esti-
mated the cost of the extension to be
s55o.ooo for five and one-half miles.
/
he was interested in real estate in the
section through which the company
refused to run an extension
Yes, sir, said Mr.. Bradbury; II am
interested in Bradbury Heights
! Why don't you take your kick to the
public utilities commission"
! Mr.. Bradbury told him that they had
jcomplained to the public utilities COM
mission in January and had received
no reply. and he also told the commit
tee that the street railway had made
the reply to a request for an exten-
sion that if the extension was built
and given to them they wouldn't take 1t
| as "A gift
And did YOU not hear Col Harding
say the other day that the commission
would not be justified in ordering an ex-
tension until the physical value of the
road is obtained?''
NO, sir was Mr.. Bradbury's answer;
Il had to leave before that"
/ Then you have been waiting patiently
| for an answer to your complaint from the
public utilities commission from January
to June, and yet you ould recommend
putting the operation of the roads in the
hands of slow crowd like that" COM
mented Representative Winslow.
Holds Commissioners NeglectfuI.
| Charles M. Emnons. president of the
East Washington Citizens Association
told the committee that the District would
be worse OFF with municipal ownership
than il is at present
THE Commissioners are not experienced
railway men," he explained, "and be-
sides that they have all and more than
they can do at present. Duties have hean
neglected by Them and we believe that n
they would devote their time to the work
they have on hand at present some of
the existing evils might be corrected.
Corporation Counsel Syme. favoring mu-
lr.1rt t,1.aI -l,sy
zation of the Washington Railway and
| Electrical Company. He said that the
committee would find that the total valua-
ton of the subsidiary lines of the COM
pany would he about S6uOO,OoO
President King of the road who hap
pened to be present, interrupted him, and
said his figures We're not correct He told
the committee that the properties when
| ...Iro nh