The Washington times., 1919-04-25
By BILL PRICE.


A new angle to the street railway
EituGtion Of the District was de-
Nelopsd today by the announcement
CT the Public Utilities Commission
that e viii hold a hearing on
"Wednesday. May I, at 1890 o'clock,
TO consider the question OF re-
Curing The Capital Traction Com.
pany 60 install street car tracks on
h street northwest, from Ninth street
street to- Potomac Park in the vi
entity OF Nineteenth street." that ad-
GttioHal transportation may be
furnished the OFFICES of the Federal
Sovernment in Potomac Park.
Along with this will go considera-
2ion ef the question OF requiring the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company 20 permit the Capital Trac-
ton TO use its existing tracks on
B street between Seventh and Ninth
ESreets. and Of requiring the Capital
Traction 90 permit the w. r. and Z.
10 uso the proposed new tracks.
This plan, II carried out, is part
OF the old "Beeler7 scheme of looping
up the street railways into Potomac
Park from north, south, east, and
west, except that his plans also pro-
poS0d 20 put in a loop along Florida
avenue from u street across to Con
necticut avenue. One link in the
loop has been completed. That is the
one which allows w. r. and z. cars
over the ut. Pleasant and Georgetown
lines to run over the new tracks from
Seventeenth and H streets to Penn
sylvania avenue. w. r. and Z. cars
are now going into and away from |
Potomac Park over this connection.
Af4ifnde ~ Railways,
The attitude OF the street railways
90 the new proposition is yet to be
made known. II is admitted by rail-
way men that the running OF w, r.
and z. cars into Potomac Park has
rot given as much relief in transpor-
tation facilities during the rush hours
as is desired. There are something
like $4,000 Government employees in
fae buildings in Potomac Park, and
Government officials are calling foI
additional facilities.
The burden OF constructing the pro-
posed tracks a distance Of about eight
blocks is placed upon the Capital
Traction, because IL Is the only COM
pany that can stand the expense. Of
fcials Of that company were dubious |
today. The expense would be very |
ieavy, with no assurance that the |
Governments activities m that quar- |
ter will continue long enough to jus |
t;fy the expense. The extension, 1t is /
claimed, will be Of comparatively |
little beneft to the pleasure-seeking |
public.
June 80 there will be a very large |
decrease in the number Of Govern
Fnent clerks working in the more
permanent class Of buildings in Poto-
mas Park, thereby tending to ease
the transportation situation. On the
other hand it was said today that the
outlook Is that the policy Of the War
and Navy Departments will be to use
their present Potomac Park build
fngs and to slowly abandon the more
temporary buildings in and around
Sixth and streets northwest.
There Ii no prospect Of Government
financial aid for the Capital Traction
In whatever construction it might be
sailed upon to make. In the Seven
teenth street extension the housing
bureau Of the Department of Labor
loaned to the ". r. and z. 3125,O 900 At
per cent interest, secured by bonds.
That bureau about defunct, is no
longer Interested.
Meeting Of Citizens Tonight.
The Federation OF Citizens Asso- (
Citations will tonight conduct a mass
meeting on pending railroad matters
n LuG UodEo LOOUl VI LilG DlSAIlCl
building. 1t will be for the purpose
of ascertaining the views OF citizens
as 20 the zone scheme and further
revenues for the W. r. and z. Presi-
dent Westlake has invited the trade
bodies OF Washington to have repre-
sentatives present.
Something like a clash is develop
fng between suburban and urban res
sdents over the proposed zone sys-
lem. The former are bitterly op-
I Osed, while some city people are {
rierfectiy willing that the suburban.
ftes shall pay the bills IL they there
~ escape an increase in fiat fare
! ates.
There is another class OF people
- the one-fare zone who object TO
zone fares, believing that they will
seriously tend toward stopping the
Of Washington along
l,eautifuI and healthy lines and add
80 congestion in the heart OF the
city.
The federation will not make rec
on the fare question
,.utiI after the Utilities Commission
completes its valuations.