Evening star., 1918-04-17
D. c. OWNERSHIP
-.
Of LINES OPPOSED
Johnson Report Says Testi-.
mony Does Not ShoW'Cap-a
itaI Wants Them.
FAvuR1
N0N-TAxPAYERS

Contending that there has been mo
testimony to show that the people. of
the District want municipal ownership
of the street railways. and that they
should not have a bonded indebtedness
of s40.000.0oo to sT5.000.o0o saddled
upon them to acquire properties, at
least one of which did not pay any
dividends for seven years, Chairman
johnson of the House District commit
tee today filed the minority report to
the crosser bill for municipal owners
ship and operation of street car lines
in the District.
Chairman Johnson emphasizes the
point that both the Crosser bill and the
majority report, written by Represent
ative Crosser of Ohio. are practioaaE
reprints of an earlier bill and rspc4a
and do not At local and present condi-
tions.
He points out that no hearings have
been held on this bill. but that at hear
ings on an identical bill in the Sixty
third Congress only one of the fifteen
witnesses stated 1t was the desire of q
majority Of the people of the District
to have public ownership of the street
car lines here. Representative johnson
devotes considerable space to showing
the dilemma in which this witness, who
put when asked to give the names OF
persons favoring such legislation.
Non-Taxpayers Favor Bill.
Six Of the fifteen witnesses testified
by request, Representative Johnson
says. Three were Commissioners, an
other. counsel for the Commissioners.
and another, a District employee. OF the
fifteen only four were assessed with
taxable property. representing gross
taxable assessments OF about 1881 OF
upon the other 100000 now residents OF
the District q bonded Indebtedness TO
test out municipal ownership OF street
railways, which experience would be
of no value elsewhere since no other
has anything like the same
system of government
Chairman johnson recalls that the cor
poration counsel of the District, in 19if,
testified that the Washington Railway
and Electric Company had not earned Q
that the intent and effect of passage Of
the Crosser bill will be to compel the
United States to participate at least in
making a present Of these great utilities
to the local municipality. since the United
States government by act Of Congress
guarantees the District bonds
~ Arguments DO Not Apply.
Chairman johnson says that the general
arguments In the majority report against
private ownership Of utilities do not apply
to the District on account of the dtf-
ferant form of government lessenifg
chances for corruption, and the fee In Gle
streets Is held by the national govern
ment.s He criticises the Crosser report as
attacking with vehemence the principle
80 1~$f rf Nrvff f1ffF
proof
Representative johnson says the old
District committee reported to the Sixty
third Congress that these properties could
be reproduced for $25.000. 600. He says
the minority report was signed by seven
members. some of whom. at least in the
ory, favored public ownership. He reaf-
firms the contentious Of the minority In
Its earlier report.
The estimates of cost reproduction upon
which the majority report is based. he
says, are offhand guesses as to what the
cost Of mere physical reproduction OF
these properties might have been four
years ago and before the world entered
upon the present great war. They arc
wholly untrustworthy for present condi-
tons even IL originally accurate. as they
are not, he asserts.
AS proof Of the purely superficial char
acter of the report Of the majority. Chair.
man johnson points out that while II
states that the cost of construction OF the
San Francisco. stated to be sixteen miles
If single track overhead trolley. which 10
he cheapest type of street car track con-
ytruction, is stated to be something less
applying the same method OF computa~
ion to the District lines. the cost Of re-
of 1oS miles Of underground
conduit tracks In the District OF Colun-
.ype in the world. according to the esti-
mates, would figure out but $4,000 per
mile; the cost of 10S miles of overhead.
trolley construction would be $40, ,000, 600.
Differs on Wage Question.
Representative johnson points out
hat the majority report refers to the
average wage of the motormen and
as being about 231a cents
an hour" He says such wages have
not been paid for more than two years.
rhe wages OF the motormen and con-
luctors on the Capital Traction Lines.
le says, have been raised four times
,ince that report was written, and now
-ange from 30 to 35 cents per hour.
rhe wages of motormen and conductors
IN the Washington Railway and Elec-
ric lines. he says. have been increased
i've times. and range from 81 to 81
.ents per hour.
He says that the majority report is
.elying on moral confidence in un-
proven theory without regard to pres
mt facts and IN apparent ignorance OF
present conditions prevailing in this :
,ranch of industry and commerce in
his community.
surely the property holders Of the
District do not desire and are not wills
ng to be taxed additionally in order
o force upon the municipality a sys-
EN- which will result in an even more
ongested travel on street car systems
han at present" Representative john
on says.
The only criticism for the service now
leard, according to the johnson report,
esults from the sudden and unexpected
influx of population and the difficulty /.
Il getting additional equipment to ac-s
the public and skilled labor
o operate it-all consequent upon the
ntrance of this country into the world
var and a strike on one OF the lines
avs, land there Is reason to hope that
he quality of the service will improys
rom now on"