The Washington times., 1918-01-29
IMPOSE
HEAVY FINES
ON TRACTION
COMPANIES
By BILL PRICE.

: Imposii on of heavy fines upon the
straction companies of the District FOR
Failure to comply with the orders OF
sthe Utilities Com1ifrion as to running
"a maximum number of cars each day
sand a stricter attitude toward these
companies, generally, may be the re-
ssult of deliberations of that body
within the next few weeks.
Although the putting into operation
s"f the recommendations of John A.
sEeeIer. traffic expert, is expected 20
help matters on the Capital Traction
Zine, IL there is prompt compliance on
.the part of that company. a feeling
:has been growing among members Of
.the Utilities Commission that the
celebration shown by that body and
.the public to the shortcomings OF the
.street railway lines is being taken
advantage Of. federation, the history
grf the commission shows, is always
followed by indifference on the part
.Of utility concerns.
=. The utilities law OF Congress which
created the Utilities Commission plsc-
ed in the hands of that body great
power to enforce its orders and direc-
tons by enabling it to impose fines.
Tor every failure or refusal Of a util-
~ company in the District to obey
the orders and directions of the COM
IIission a forfeit Of 5000 is imposed.
The act Of any agent or employe of
the company is the act of the COM
pany itself. Every day during which
there II failure to comply constitutes
q separate and distinct violation.
Companies Would Owe Thousands.
Had the Utilities Commission en-
forced the law as to the failure of
the companies to run the maximum
! number of cars directed in the last
seven or eight months these concerns
would now be owing the District gov
eminent many thousands Of dollars
The reports of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company show thatit
has not maintained its scheduled num-
Der Of cars for many months, with
possibly the exception of an occasion
al day. That company alone. since
last March, when the strike took
place would be in debt to the District
for fines, not less than $4,000 to
100000.
The reports of the Capital Trac-.
ton show an almost daily failure to
run all cars scheduled, but the num-
Der, IL reports are accurate, has been
small The fines could, nevertheless,
have. been accruing right along.
GFumbIInE About Changing Schedules.
Mr.. Beeler's recommendations as to
the Capital Traction are going TO re-
quire q radical readiustmen4 of
schedules, owing to the elimination
Of stops, that ought to put the cars
through on a quicker schedule. One
of his next reports will deal similar
ly with the Washington Railway and
Electric lines, causing further sched-
ule changes.
There are already reports that
street railway companies have doubts
about whether they can radically re-
arrange schedules to comply with the
recommendations that the Utilities
Commission are practically sure to
cdopt almost in full. The Beeler ex-
perts, with long experience in street
railway problems say that they made
their recommendations comparatively
easy Of execution in order that there
l7ight be little delay in giving the
public relief
The temper of the Utilities Com
mission will be to insist that the
street railway companies lose no time
IN Beltln8 down 10 strict compliance
with the new orders.
The Beeler recommends tons will not
be formally taken up by the Commission
until the Police Department has time to
rake Recommendations relative TO auto
mobile and vehicle traffic in the con-
zested area Of the Capital Traction lines
beginning at Fourteenth and II streets
and running west, sOIth. and east TO
Fourteenth and Pennsylvania avenue.
Traffic police are working on these
problems now. in view OF Mr. Beelers
declarations that vehicle traffic interferes
seriously with the operation Of street
cars in that region. When the Beeler
Recommendations as to street cars are
made effective. new traffic regulations
for automobiles and vehicles generally
must also go into effect.
Beeler experts today studied the
situation in the area mentioned, and
found great interference with car
traffic by all sorts OF vehicles. Auto
mobile drivers and horse-drawn
vehicles paid little attention to the
changing OF steer car bells. Rather
than turn into the piles OF snow the
vehicles stuck to the car tracks.
The new traffic regulations are ex-
pected to divert all vehicles from
Fifteenth street and New York ave
nue. over other streets. except where |
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