The Washington times., 1919-08-22
The Kutz Street Railway Plan
By EARL GOODWIN.
Will Offer Complete Development of the City, II !
Serious Consideration of the Community.

Commissioner Kutzs suggestion that the city purchase
the tracks and underground equipment of the two street
railway systems and then lease them to the street
panie to be under vastly improved conditions deserves
every serious consideration 1t deserves just much con-
sderaton the excellent merger proposal foremost In
the minds of many of the big Washington who have
the interest of the community at heart The two plans
should be weighed side by side.
The Kutz plan to have more in it for the
ULTIMATE development of the city than any plan pre-
sened during the present crisis in street railway affairs
In the first place. all agree that without good street
railway service will not have development of the ctv
When speak of the future of Washington we ought to
bear in mind that this Capital going to be the Capital
of the world and that ought stop at predicting
population of half million, but that should build our
ultimate plans on city OF Million at least. All Europe
ms looking to Washington the hub of the civilized world
which development beyond the dreams any man
had before the European upset the old balances and
made order of things.
The present difficulties of the street railroads will not
permit of extensions But if the Government will buy the
rails and underground equipment and extend them Just
as the city extends streets and lighting facilities and
sewers, will have fair promise of extending the street
lines into those sections where people would naturally
go to solve the growing problem of congsted housing
Here is one example, There should be a line across
Rock Greek Park From the Brghtwood reservoir on Six
teenh street the park Upshur street there could
be and should be line. Not until such line is built
will Rock Creek Park be accessible to the people of all
Washington it should be- But neither street railway at
present would build such line Commissioner Kutz who
would build such line and lease it to street railways
at fvecent fare better This extension or any
other extension any existing street railway benefit
to the WHOLE community, whether the individual tax
payer rides in a street automobile.
When the Public Utilities Commission hands down It's
valuation of the Washington Railway and Electric it is
probable the figure involved will be in the neghborhood Of
fifteen million dollars. The two roads together will present
valuation for raemaking purposes of less than thirty
million dollars. Of course, valuation for ratemaking
would be different from valuation for sale exchange,
but is not likely that the Kuz proposal would involve
the city in anything like -milondolar pur-
chase, has been suggested.
Whatever the city would pay for the roadbeds and cleo
trical equipment would be for PROPERTY that would
accrue to the benefit of ALL the community We would
step into of development exactly the civilized
world experienced when it cast off the old custom of turn
ing the highways to private corporations to be kept up
by togat charges The matter of annual on such
property would be forgotten in the consequent growth
of the city and the created values of the land.
Looking forward few years, it must be apparent to
anyone with any kind of vision that will need develop
ment with broad sweep The who can carry through
the right plan for perfect development of the street car
system here will be worthy of monument more lasting
than bronze For that beg all of the Washington
business study the Kutz plan and give it every con-
sderaon because it appears to to be of the most
important and farseeng suggestions ever made for the
ultimate good of the National Capital