Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-30
Increase of Accommodations.


way of thirty seconds. and II there are
not enough cars to do this more should
be furnished. However. where two
lines of cars have tracks in common for
part of the route this cannot be accom-
pltshed unless cars can be added to each
line from spurs beyond the point where
they leave the common track. The OBJ
lection to this ia. of course, that it
would necessitate longer walk by part
Of the passengers.
We can. however, use double-deck
cars. thereby nearly doubling the seat
ing capacity of the cars.
tn, The skip-stop." which has been al
1uded to lately in the Washington
papers. is not new idea. but has been
recommended for years for New York,
where the north and south blocks are
only two hundred feet long. but in
washington the blocks are consider
ABLY longer and the inconvenience
therefore. would be greater: still it
might be well to try 1t.
- There can be extra car lines con-
structed. of course. but these would
take time and cut up the city consid-
erably during construction. and seri-
-ousiy interfere with other traffic
Bus Line Suitable.
Buses. however. are usually well
suited to Washington. and probably
could be provided more quickly tina n
3 new tracks could be laid and street
cars constructed. If these are used
The trees on the streets on which the
buses ply would have to be trimmed up
I over the roadway, so as to clear the
buses. which should be double -decked
Is they are on 5th avenue. in New York
The trimming of trees on all streets is
thing which should have been Iona
long ago. as they are SO low in noany
cases they interfere with general traf-
nc These should clear the roadway
from curb to curb to the height of six
teen feet. and the sidewalks to a hefght
Of eight feet ~
II mas been proven, however in New
orK tnat 1t is not feasible to run buses
Tor a hye-cent fare, but 1 believe thai
ss could be done in Washington during
me congested hours, provided they were
allowed to charge 10 cents during the
remainder of the time The fare might
be cents from TO 10 am. and frou,
70 pm. and 10 cents at other times
i. Taxicab Service.
Again, Washington is a CITY ide.uv
suited Tor hrst-class and ample taxi
CAB service. In New York some years
ago we found. on careful investigation.
Shat the hotels were selling the priyi-
tyeges to taxicab companies of standing
n:etreets next their buildings, and were
fSsceiving total of more than $500, 900
y year for renting the public highway
This now has been fully done away
With and all cab stands are open TO all
public cabs.
Inc last stronghold OF the cab COM
spenies now has been taken. and all ca bs
*aAowed to operate on New York streets
unjust be public cabs and under public
feegulatfons- Until month ago the
cabs from private property. such as
fk1iiway stations. etc, succeeded in de-
sying the public and plying for trade
without cab license and at high rate
tof fare. on the ground that they We're
private cabs and operated from private
premises. but this. too. at last has been
f0vercome.
At the beginning of the fight cab
companies maintained that they could
not operate at a reduced fare. and this
was quite true considering their high
seAlaried officials and overhead charges.
we then Investigated the expense OF
cunning one cab. and that was made the
| basis Of the fare. which is 80 cents for
She first drop of half a mile and 10
SCENTS for each extra quarter of a mile.
That this has been ample for the pur-
pose has since been proven by the fact
that new companies have been started
operating at still lower fare. There
y no reason why cabs should not be
tun as cheaply here as In New York
perhaps cheaper. since they can move
quicker from place to place on account
Of less congestion. rent for garages is
less and wages are somewhat lower,
and the wear and tear of the cabs must
be considerably less on account of the
better condition of the streets.
lHSIe WOuiu uUuOuDteufy DC umpire
employment for several times as many
fAxicabs as there are at present in
Washington IL the fares were as low
rs in New York, and il there were
taxicab stands located at convenient
places. especially furnished with
teiephone communication.
T. Utney Lines.
Jitney service should never be per
United in a well ordered city except In
an emergency. as it is hard to control
II. and is unfair to the regularly au-
Worried transportation lines IL allowed
/ 20 parallel them.
A genuine transportation emergency
Z however. actually exists now in Wash.
1ngton, and therefore II is proper ant
most desirable TO register immediately
ali suitable vehicles that can be made
available for jitney service. but only
{ 70 license their drivers after strict e4-
Iemination for fitness.
The use Of Utneys, however. II
mould be understood, must terminate
fWhen the emergency ceases to exist.
believe IL all things herein suggest
"a are adopted Immediately the trans
fPortation problem in Washington will
0e quickly and progressively remedied
Flowers for New Years.
NUDES homegrown flowers and artistic
f0eeOratfOuS are aiu,ays adrafra hta 1914 Z.