Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-01
WORKING HOURS AND TRAFFIC.
Objections Raised Against Plan to
Divide Departmental Forces.
To the Editor Of The Star:

10 the Editor OF The Star:
With reference to E. T. Semans' prop
osition to relieve street car congestion
by having some of the department en-
ployes go to work one time and some
at another, I am sure that a due con-
sideration of the plan will convince
any one of its futility and unfeasibility
1t should be borne in mind that the
department employees comprise only a
limited number of those who patronize
the street cars. A large number of
those who use the street cars work in
stores or Offices. having different hours
from those in the departments. SO that
a change in the hours of even part Of
the department employees would result
in their colliding with the other crowd
mentioned. Another so-called rush hour
would therefore be produced, and con-
ditions would then probably be as bad.
If not worse than at present. 4 large
number of the department employees
are. under the present hours. walking
to and from their Offices, SO that these
employees as a body cut only a moder-
ate figure in the matter of street car
congestion. 1t is quite apparent that
much Of the congestion in the after
noon is due to the fact that shoppers,
for some reason or other, select the de-
partment closing time for going home.
thus greatly increasing the number of
people to be handled at that time. If
these could be induced to start for
home a little earlier or later, much re-
lief might be obtained.
OF course, an equal distribution of
traffic throughout the day is much to be
desired, but this is impossible. Neces-
sarily, there are times when the traf
f1c is much heavier than at others. Par
ticularly is this the case in the after
noon. when SO many are returning to
their homes. but every one can control
the situation to suit himself. for If he
finds that car is too crowded to suit
him, he has but to wait few minutes
for another. The different government
Offices are located in different parts of
the city, and these employees go some in
one direction and some in another. This
crowd, under the present arrangement,
is divided up about as we'll as is posi-
BILE. Let US take for example an east
bound Pennsylvania avenue car sched-
uled to reach the Treasury at 4:30 pm.
It will pass the Mills building and the
State, War and Navy Departments a
few minutes before 4:30, too early to
catch any of those crowds, and car
scheduled to reach the latter places at
1870 will reach the Treasury little
after that hour, when a large part of
that crowd will have gotten out of the
way. 1t is quite evident that the street
car companies are not called upon to
carry the entire crowd from the same
49,
direction.
1 have been patronizing the street
cars regularly, running over the most
congested routes for a number of years,
reaching my Office anywhere from $50
to am, and usually leaving about
4:30 pm. and have always found con-
ditions reasonably comfortable. OF
course, it is only natural that traffic
should be heavier between $50 and 3
a. m. and 4:30 and 5 pm, making it nee
essary for some to stand at times. But
if any one objects to little crowding
on the cars, 1 would suggest that he go
to his Office a little ahead of the crowd
and remain there in the evening little
after Office hours. In this way he can
secure the relief he desires without in
the large number of per-
sons who prefer the present office hours
to the scheme proposed by Mr.. Semans.
1t should be taken into consideration
that the domestic and social system of
Washington has been arranged to con-
form to the present government office
hours, which have been in force so
long that every one is well accustomed
to them. The proposed change in these
hours would very seriously disturb the
present arrangement, which no one
wishes to exchange for something not
nearly so good. large number of
the department employees live out of the
city, and are dependent upon steam
trains scheduled to accommodate the
a m. and 4:30 pm. people. These would
be very seriously affected should the
proposed plan be adopted.
But the most important objection to
the plan suggested is that it would
very seriously interfere with the proper
handling of the governments business. I,
The government work is like large |
and complicated machine, out of which |
IA + STA Glory results can be obtained |
only when all parts are working to-
gether tremendously and Simultaneous |
Nv. And it is inconceivable that the |
government will be willing to hamper
it's business for the sake of trying to |
relieve a little street car congestion. |
l am sure that if this |
question of changing the office hours is |
left to the clerks. a very large ma
jority will oppose it, LEO EMERSON.