The Washington herald., 1918-04-02
Traction Uni6cahon.

Capital Traction companies. yesterday.
The corporations now stand in the open
advocates of uni6cation. The actual initiative in
working out a tangible, concrete plan for a joint
operation has from them 1t is clear that
they have recognized that they must keep pace
with the times, surrcndcring private interest to
public emergency; and that the last roots OF
actionary resistant spirit to the requirements OF the
new Westinghouse it has been fashioned in the
past few months on the anvil OF the mighty Ameri
can war machne-must be torn out OF their coun-
sells completely.
So far as we have been able discover,
voice will be raised against the general plan OF
unified management that is proposed When
Messrs Hamilton, Hanna and Guy, representing
the Capital Traction Company and Messrs. Allies,
Truesdell and Ham, representing the Washington
Railway and Electric Company get together over
the conference table, as they will within three
days, they should be able to make announce
ment of their plan in short order, and the details
can be worked out in conjunction with the Pub
lie Utilities Commission which naturally will
have to approve the entire proposal before any
progress can be made upon it. That it will do so,
we have no doubt. Mr.. Brownlow quoted
last night as saying that he would unhesitatingly
approve any phase of the project that seemed in
the public interest
There are two essential features OF the highest
public interest involved in unhcaton:
I. Universal transfers.
, Rerouting OF cars and remodclng OF lines.
Universal transfers have been a stumbling block
in Washington for than decade; neither
company willing to accept the obvious cur
talment OF earnings that would result from them.
Nor was their logic without justification. They
stood on their legal rights and the stipua!ionS
ei their charters
The day for true corporation craftsmanship,
however, has arrived; and we take it that one OF
the first implications OF joint management OF the
two companies will be the establishment OF
universal transfer system. 1t is to be hoped that
the companies will be able to effect such ccono-
mics and such new efficiency in joint operation
to counter balance the loss OF revenues involved in
the universal transfer system.
The possibilities involved in welding these two
traction systems into a unified and in. rated whole
are too big to be considered here. They should be
OF the highest advantage the local public; should
do 10 eliminate congestion than any other
agency could possibly do. For instance, just
suggestion: Suppose the Fourteenth street line OF
the Capital Traction Company should be permitted
to the Washington Railway and Electric tracks
from Pennsylvania avenue, at Fourteenth street,
north to New York This would eliminate
the clumsy swing of this line along Fifteenth street,
and would clear the throat OF the local traction
situation at Fifteenth street and New York avenue
OF much OF the present intocrabe congestion.
There are dozens OF other details of remodeling OF
lines that could be adopted with obvious advantage
to the public and to the companies themselves.
Curiously enough, there is nothing in the reso-
lutions adopted by the boards OF directors OF the
two companies yesterday indicating that unhcaton
regarded merely a temporary, or war,
measure. In other words, whatever Improvements
result from it will be made a permanent basis.
1t looks as if a day had in fact arrived in the
public utilities situation in this Capital City OF ours
l.. Il tt,o
porations may be of interest to those residents OF
the city who are comparatively to Washing
ton. The Capital Traction Company is thirty
years old-having been formed under an act OF Con-
grcss passed June %, I888-and is the consolidation
OF the Washington and Georgetown Railroad Com
pany, which was established in 1862, and the Rock
Creek Railway Company. which was created in
1885, 1t has issued $I2oooooo Of capital stock, has
a funded debt OF $56II 900, and in 1915 had gross
earnings OF S2eSo,c5o and net earnings OF $I,IS2,-
647. 1t is paying ) per cent on its stock.
The Washington Railway and Electric Company
has a much more involved history. Unfortunately,
in the early history Of Washington, horse car lines
sprung up like mushrooms everywhere, without CO.
ordination, having relation one to the other
Apparently it the easiest thing in the world
to get franchise to the public streets in those
days. The present system is the result OF the
amalgamation of no less than eleven companies
the Metropolitan Railroad, the Columbia Railway,
the Anacosta and Potomac, the Georgetown and
TennaIlytown line, the Brightwood line, the Wash
inston Woodside and Forest Glen line, the Wash
ington and Rockville line, the Washington and Glen
Echo Company, the City and Suburban Railway of
Washington, the Potomac and Electric Power Com
pany and the United States Electric Lighting Com
pany.
The merger OF this congeries of neighborhood
lines was a huge task; but it accomplished
in 1909 with obvious benefit to the Washington
public The Washington Railway and Electric
Company now has issued $6,sooooo of, common
stock and So, 100000 of preferred. 1t has funded
debt of $I647I,3so, not including the funded debt
Of its subsidiary companies including the Potomac
Electric Power Company. In the past few years,
: under the King administration, its dividends have
been forced up to IA and even ~ per cent quar-
terlx,-bus that is story which need not be gone