Evening star., 1918-04-01
IS MUNICIPALITY
O0NN RAILWAYS?
Only as Last Resort etter,
National Control During War
0nly-Best, Private Owner
ship Under Strict Govern
rnent Regulation.
TO REGULATE, NOT TO OWN
TO REGULATE, NOT TO OWN
THEODORE W. MOVES.

-
THEODORE w. MOVES.
Editorial Correspondence OF The Otar.)
Conditions NJ d.,,o,.,,x.t,ono NJ .erv.
,.s - usss ~, .,s -. -. 80 - a.. 80.
street railway strike strongly tempt
tne capital community to change Its
ples,ous peueis anu conv,c.ions "a
spes' ~ .ne puon'o o"i'eisnip VI as''-
ins eoh slleee ANYWAYS.
The tremendous addition to Washing
tons population. duo to the war. has
-. 80. :. as,.-ss~ -, :.
s.ce' !use. 40 ~ mas ofoAen uo"n INC
local housing facilities and. In part, the
telephone service. The vastly increased
demand for transportation service has
pressed upon a street railway system
inadequately equipped and manned to
meet even neaca.t,ma damands and as-
ra,..,Iv asnoni,-.d a. w..h;ngton
pec1aiiy oeIhoIa aiiAeo III Washihs ION
aftermath OF an injudiciously handled
.+-fka 80
80 b. Il. a. a:
Oiu-tlrnerA And heWoemers n1Hs INV
ding pubaid AANA S3 ke sun Tered from
Exisae poor ii ~ lsaxes been nAik-
iured. Many of thes4 su1erers have
hee,1 pushed to- tieir: liyr,it OF Endurance
and are ready to declare that Conditions
could not possibly he worse and to as
sent to the Proposition; "Anythink for
a change even nublic ownershin!S
Z.
Reoulatioy1 Not Ownershin
-. -. : = - =.
However, local public sentiment. de-
|liberately and thourhtfully formed IA
= -
iAelS III hu ~ oe ehApeu In ac-
cordance VA the following estab-
lished ante-A Num principles:
1. Change from private to pablie
ownership WIN be made only .. hast
resort in the c0nvietion of Its absolute
|necessitys and only after. demonstrn-
tion Of the fmpossfbility OF securing
satisfactory service. under private osvn-
ership, strictly regulated In the public
interest.
PEELED. this control win se exercised by
crssitv. snd Tar the rerie1 of tse ~
only.
3. Municipal ownership under the
H0nse committee Dill II NOT, ON the
whoae, desirable In the eommunfty fn-
terest, either temporarily n q war
measure or permanently.
l. The community will utilize every
device to secure reasonably satisfac-
tory service under private ownership
before resort in desperation TO nnhIic
ownership. In this labor in the yuhIic
Interest fha natienf. co-oneratjon nf the
nuhltc utiJfties commission ana oil tho
na rtie. In interest is raasonahIv 80
pactad Tha sEir"ston .,,S ~. ss-as 90
TENS wifi he tesfed' More csrs ana
nnre tracLs viii he .acur.d s.,aia
,ne ,nore sitns sstnM wiz pe h nscurea. supple
a,.thar;,ed yfniaar.sI t,ns Will I'll, pc p
autnorizeo. oLiseIsal transfers VIII De
auop. cc-cPeINve nIisauoa OF
S w;n 2. =. ede dev,ssa 1 rith may rart, nss'ems
co-ordinatlon OF schedules, 50 that
supernuouA duplicating runs may be
eliminated and maximum Of transpor-
tatf0n service DO secured from every
car In the two systems. And finally,
perhaps, following the economy and
improved emctency Of unifcatiof OF
operation. the absolute merger Of the
two street railway systems may Be ne
gotiated and authorised by law.
National Control Durinr War.
l.
2. II the war rush. OF newcomers to
Washington in response to the nations
transnortation @ aystem 90 thaf re nc iocai ca
ciencv r. imna ired fherebv tha gnysn,, ..,-
as f Id m
In respect to the ;ts steam na1 railroads The
Conditions which have caused the the
breakdown: and will assume the the
primary obligation for remedying the
ter ETH BY aaearns Il e tha
the expense Of an up-to-date and ade-
quate wartime equipment. or by TAX
ing over directly control of the street