Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1918-09-09
Adopts Mr.. Jones' Resolution
for Public Utilities Com
mission Report.
WANTS TO KNOW WHAT
STEPS HAVE BEEN TAKEN
Says Conditions Intolerable Now
and Fears They May Be
Worse This Winter.

Made anxious by the crowded condi-
tion of the street cars in Washington
and the apparent lack Of cars to meet
the requirements on the lines now in
existence, Senator Jones Of Washing
ton today introduced and had adopted
by the Senate a resolution calling
upon the public utilities commission to
inform the Senate what orders, II any.
the commission has given to compel
the companies to purchase more cars.
Senator Jones said that with winter
and bad weather coming on he feared
conditions on the street railways
would become infinitely worse than
they are today, and he declared them
to be intolerable now.
Text Of Resolution.
The resolution requested informa-
tion as follows:
'That the Public Utilities Commits
sion for the District of Columbia is
hereby directed to give the Senate
the following information:
"1st-Have any orders been issued
by the commission reuiring the street
rumbia to procure more cars for use
upon existing lines in the District and
if SO, to transmit to the Senate copies
of such orders, and if no such orders
have been issued, to inform the Sem
ate why this has not been done.
Second.-Has any investigation
mi sci tn
termine how many more cars could be
used advantageously by such COM
panies on existing tracks? If so, what
does such investigation show? If such
investigation has not been made, why
has it not been done?
"Third.-Why have not more cars
been secured by said companies?
Fourth.-When are additional new
cars likely to be placed in service?
"Fifth.-What efforts has the COM
mission made to assist the companies
in securing additional cars2 - s.s~-
service required by the commission?
Fail to Reply to Letters
Before offering his resolution, sena-
tor Jones sent two letters to the
Public Utilities Commission asking
it what was being done to obtain
more cars for the street car lines.
To these he has SO far had no reply,
he said.
In the first letter, dated August IA,
Senator Jones said:
ct believe the time has come for
drastic action blythe commission. I
watched the cars on 14th street this
morning between $40 and $40; they
we're running with from two to four
II A~k ThAy xayar NIY YnH
with people standing on the steps and
couplers. Crowds of fifteen. twenty
or thirty people we're at different
stopping points, waiting to get on.
'Down F street in the congested
part Of the city the cars were running
seems to me that there must be de-
cided shortage Of cars or else the
companies are not using the cars to
the present capacity of the lines. IT
this be true, drastic steps should be
taken to compel them to get cars and
whatever assistance is necessary from
the government to enable them to get
cars should be given.
Should Exercise Its Power
,l'I believe the commission should
exercise the power given 1t to compel
these car lines to furnish additional
facilities or it should submit to Con-
gress whatever proposals it deems
to meet the situation as it
now is and is likely to be for some
time to come"
Under date Of September 5 Senator
Jones sent a>second letter to the COM
in which he commented upon
the lack Of cars on the line of the
Railway and Electric
Connnan1x running down Connacfic,,f