The Washington times., 1917-11-27
More About Street Cars
By EARL GOODWIN.


certain number Of people must be transported from one
part of the city to another every morning and every evening"
the present facilities inadequate there should be found
way to provide further facilities No be accepted
because more people coming here for the county
work all the time and very street transportation
Washington viii be big war item 1t is important and
ay essential that the people engaged in the nations
business should be able to get to their tasks time
People who are outrageousy ammed into oyercrowded
streets cars twice day wonder whether there any way
to better conditions They told that there is public
utilities commission The subioned letter is sample of the
reaching the writer on the subject of utilities and
the utilities commission:
oosatousI railway situation: a. Either the
you our p. % y IL. r.. ::.. ss.. net ~. '
nsnt shovns ,a' authority
dc ls M a ..s.a ES ~ a DO: : not u. .s : % % %
D q A' public utilities :. ne s. %. . ss % other + y
thing. az. clearly .va.u. .. very truly
Uus. street 1902 Irving serst aoFhsase
Mr. Hoagand undoubtedly has reference to that feature
with which he in contact daythe crowded street
cars.
Should he read the long and comprehensive public ut
ties law ne would find that the second section provides
THAT every public utility doing business within
the District OF Columbia required to furnish service
and facilities reasonably safe and adequate and in all
respects Just and reasonable"
Just at present that paragraph sticks out like
thumb.
The Public Utilities Commission is given considerable
power and is also given considerable work to do The law
long one, but In general 1t requires the street car
panes the electric light company the telephone company
and all utilities to give good service at reasonable rate Of
pay There certain improvements which could be made
In the law but in general the law gives the commission
siderable authority.
''The commission shall have power after hearing,
and notice by order in writing, to require and compel
every public utility to comply with the provisions Of this
section"
The first Job the commission had to ascertain the
valuation Of the street companies and then figure
sonabe return the investment to be able to set the
proper fare to be charged to the public One railroad the
Washington Railway and Electric Co., made it harder than
was necessary for the commission to get all the facts How
ever this work is about done and the commission is about
TO announce its conclusions.
As sure the this morning if the valuation
by the commission Is lows the Washington Railway
and Electric Co. wants you to believe Its watered stock is
worth the millions its directors would have you believe 1t
WORTH the entire matter viii be taken to the courts where
many weary months viii be spent in wrangng between high
priced experts Already two hundred thousand dollars
of your money has been spent by the commission IN getting
its facts and it would not be surprising if all this work had
to be done over again court at the cost
THIS is an old story But there thousands of new
residents of Washington who wonder why the National
Capital is cursed with so perverse a system.
The Public Utilities Commission reality the District
Commissioners backed by office force of experts.
It is an open question whether not Congress made
error in clothing the Commissioners with the powers of
pubic utilities commission but nasmuch placed added
burdens on men already with their hands full it would
that an Independent commission would have beer better
way to handle the street railroads.
But this seems clear:
The railroad situation not solved by the creation Of
commission The situation grows every day The
real answer is Government ownership.
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