The Washington times., 1916-02-10
RUSh-hOUR TRAFFIC RULES

There is frequent temptation in
this town to wish that every public
official dealing with transit prob
lens. and every traction corporation
officer, might be required by law to
ride exclusively on street cars. We
rather guess that if these con-
ditions could be enforced it would
help toward meeting the exigencies
that rush hours impose.
Then atop of this restriction upon
responsible functionaries, we would
be pleased to require that every
Government executive come down
town of the morning with the 9
o'clock throng, being likewise for
hidden to come otherwise than in
the street cars.
At the end of about one week of
that sort of thing there would be a
meeting Of street railway managers,
public utilities commissioners, Cabi-
net officers, heads of big Government
establishments. 1t would open with
some accusations and recriminations,
and maybe have to take adjournment
for a brief spell to cool off. But in
the end-and the end wouldn't be so
very far ahead-it would get some
things done that have been too long
and too much neglected.
A meeting of the sort here sug-
gested would develop and compel at
tention to some practical difficulties
of the transportation problem here.
The great mass of workers in this
town are SO O'Clock people," because
the Government departments open at
that hour, and most office business
of private character is synchron-
lied with the Government Offices. Re-
Gently there has been renewal of the
suggestion that different Government
departments be opened and closed at
different hours; some, say, at S:45;
some at 9, some at 9:15. There is
nothing very shocking or revolution
airy about the idea. 1t might dis
commode a few eople, but the in
convenience wouId be more imagin-
ary than actual, and would have to
do with interfering with long estab-
lished habit, rather than with any,
thing more basic. To spread out the
morning rush, and then to secure a
corresponding dilution of the crowds
at closing hours in the afternoon
would help vastly.
There are two sides to the question
the street railways must answer. 1t
is useless to demand that they run
enodgh cars for an hour, twice daily,
to provide easy, sure, and comfort
able transportation to the maximum
crowds. There is not enough bust
ness the rest of the day to justify
plants and forces capable of reach
ing this peak for so short time.
The real need is somehow to reduce
tie maximum demand by spreading
ouI llt DuSllltSS.
Another proposal has been that
cars be stopped, on certain streets, at
alternate crossings, or perhaps at
only each third crossing. There are
certain manifest objections to this
arrangement. 1t would seriously af-
feet property values at neglected cor
ners and sections of the streets.
Likewise it is not practicable to eX-
pect ordinary business houses to
alter their opening and closing
hours; conditions of competition in
business compel a certain uniformity.
But the Government departments
could be adjusted to the need for re-
lieving bad conditions, and the pro-
posal deserves very serious attention.
Salutation in official Washington
Howdy! How's your crisis today?
England now threatens to show
symptoms of intrepid perspicacity.
Movement on foot to send Kitchener,
soldier, right out to the front.
Even the adversely of war famine
has its compensationS. Now Italy is
killing cats.
1t certainly would have added to
the gayety of nations if there had
! |bpcn concerted international intor.