The Washington times., 1918-01-19

connections to reroute cars and quick
en- service could not be put in, even
with Federal control, under five or
six months.
VIII Recommend Merging.
That the experts will recommend
consolidation in some form later on is
practically certain. That is really the
only thing they see, under present war
conditions, that will absolutely prom
Use relief for a few years longer.
So, as already stated in The Times,
the first efforts of the experts will
be to quicken and Improve service
over the Capital Traction lines In the
congested center. Recommendations
for this will be ready within a few
days.
Then the injection OF some ginger
into the Washington Railway and
Electric lines will be attempted. The
experts have not decided whether
ginger or dynamite will be best. Their
diagnosticians will work this out
later.
To Hurry "Skip-StOpping."
As fast as possible the experts
want to install the "skip-stop" sys-
tenn, and cut out unnecessary FIRE
stops along both lines, but their re-
ports on this are not to be made
at once. That will come after the
Capital Traction roads are given a
helping hand with the plans now be-
ing matured. The "skip-stop" project
has been advocated before the Utlli-
ties Commission in the past 1t is
the stopping OF cars at every other
street crossing, saving valuable time,
il is claimed. This, with the elimina-
ton of "fire-crossing stops" Is expect
ed to help materially.
To be urged with these plans Is
that of different hours for opening
and closing the Government depart
ments, as heretofore told in The
Times, relieving the strain on the
roads now caused by the peak" load
morning and afternoon.
Surgical Operation Necessary.
All these things, though, are ad-
mittedly temporary. Washington is
growing so fast that the medicines
that are to be given for temporary
relief will have to be supplanted by
a course of stronger doses, or, more
probably, a knitting operation. That
operation is the fastening of the two
roads together with a Slamese twin
cord, better known as Government
ownership. The Utilities Commission
Is to be the consulting surgeon, and
will advise Director General McAdoo
or Congress that the knitting Is i'm
peratively necessary.
Both the street railway lines would
turn to women as conductors II Of
f1clals thought the men on the lines
would stand for Il without quitting.
The Washington Railway and Electric
officials have been thinking over this
a long time, pining for IT, in fact, but
what would happen IL large numbers
of the men quit and the women did
not make good? Labor leaders gener-
ally, whether organized or not, are re-
ported opposed to the woman ioea at
this time.
Union to Make New Demands.
1t is only a short distance ahead. !
anyhow, to a new settlement OF wage
questions on the Capital Traction
lines, and, necessarily also, on the
other line. The one-yesr agreement of
Capital Traction officials with its mo-
tormen and conductors, which settled
the strike on that line last March, will
expire in less than two months.
Reports state that the Garments
union will ask for higher wages.
Their demand in that direction will be
framed before March 1 and must be
by the Capital Traction.
Whatever action it takes will af-
feet the lines of the other system,
which refused to recognize the union
and brought about a disastrous strike
that directly and Indirectly lost II hun
dreds of thousands OF dollars.