Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-08-07
MERGING
Street CAR LINES
Commerce Chamber Adopts
ResoIution-Raise for Fire.
s men and MaiImen Urged.
TRACTION PLAN OUTLINED

Merging of the Washington Rail
way and Electric Company and the
Capital Traction Company into sin
gle system: increase of pay for mai
clerks, mail carriers and other en-
ployes of the post office and salary
increases for District flremen were
the important matters discussed al
r last nights meeting of the board OF
directors of the Chamber of Com
merce.
Robert N. Harper. chairman Of the
noteholders' protective committee
holding 27.500 shares of common
stock of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company, urged consoilda-
tion of the two street railway sys-
! TENS. declaring it to be in the best
interests Of the District. the general
public. the railways and holders OF
the securities.
Chaplin Brown Opposes Merger.
Opposition to the plan was voiced
by Chaplin Brown, who declared 1t
would be unfair to saddle pros
porous company. enjoying the good
will of the travelling. public, with the
accumulated defects and liabilities OF
a company which apparently is not
in such good standing. Following the
presentation of MIR. Harper's state
ment and general discussion the
chamber adopted a reso. luton advo-
eating the proposed merger The res
olution. presented by Albert Schulz
tets, was to the effect that the best
interests of the community demand
that a merger of the two systems
be effected along equitable lines.
The plan outlined by Mr.. Harper
provides for stock issue OF *21.-
1000. 900 on the consolidated prop
!. critics, the new stock to replace ex-
listing securities of the two companies
on a basis to be determined later.
E. c. Graham. in discussing the ques.
ton, asserted that immediate reifer
must be granted to the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. which
has been carrying the burden OF lines
extended into sparsely settled suour-
ban localities.
Report as to Mail Service.
Charles w. Darr. chairman of the
committee on Improvement of postal
facilities, presented report which
declared that delay in mail deliveries
was due to the failure of Congress to
increase salaries to such a point as to
make the postal service attractive to
capable men, this failure handicap
ping the service in it's efforts to OBJ
tain the class of men needed.
The committee finds that If there
10 room for improvement in the ,collec-
ton and distribution of the mails. 1T
can only be brought about by grant
ing postal employees salaries common
surate with the great responsibilities
these men have to the public" the re-
port of Chairman Darr's committee
stated.
"If present conditions are permit
ted to continue. the report went on,
1--WE shall soon find that the private
concerns now in the market for train
ed men, whose minds have been edu-
Gated to study, to concentrate and to
learn. will employ them, and the de-
partment ultimately will find itself
without sufficient numbers Of expert
mail clerks to conduct the business
of the department"
Chairman Darr praised the work of
the Post Office Department, saying
that, in his opinion, considering the
lack Of experience Of many of the
men who are handling the mails In
this city. the work Is being handled
in splendid fashion.
Urges More Pay for Firemen.
Isaac Cans submitted a resolution
urging increased salaries for District
dremen, saying that the members of
the fire department were as much en-
titled to an increase as are mem ers
of the police department. The reso-