Evening star., 1920-11-23
QUESTIONS RIGHT
TO AUTHORIZE CAR
LINE ON 17TH ST.
Attorney for Residents Says
Utilities Commission Has
Not Power.
WIDENING NECESSARY
FOR A DOUBLE TRACK
Vice President of Capital Traction
Suggests Irving Street
Loop Plan.

suggests Irving Street
Loop Plan.
The right of the Public Utilities
commission to order the Capital
traction company to build a new line
/ on 18th street from U street to Penn
sylvania avenue was questioned by
Clarence r. Wilson. attorney for resi-
dents of that street. at the track ex-
tension nearing at the District build
ing today. Attorney Wilson contended
that the Public Utilities Commission
mas power only to extend existing
iines beyond their present terminals,
ana cannot order a lateral line be-
tween two existing lines without the
authority of Congress.
1he attorney also called attention
70 the traffic obstacles that would
follow car line on 18th street which
| induced Engineer Commissioner kutz
10 state that the commission would
not authorize double track on that
street without widening it. Mr.. VIII
son then made the point that the
| utilities commission was without
authority to widen streets.
| ME-. Hanna ON stand.
When John H Hanna, vice president
| and general manager Of the Capital
traction Company. was called to the
stand to express an opinion ON the
I Asth sSiSSh pAOPocdis ne ou66CSlcu GIL
entirely new proposition.
He submitted plans for loop
around the square from 1Ath to 18th,
Irving street and Columbia road
northwest. From this loop q single
track would extend down 18th street
to Vermont avenue. down Vermont
avenue to Madison place and thence
connecting with the Pennsylvania
avenue line.
AH. Hanna gave the cost Of such an
9
He said that while 18th street was
the ideal thoroughfare from q street.
car viewpoint il had not been seri.
ously considered by the company. be.
cause the company felt public opinion
| would not agree to that plan.
Mr.. Hanna told the commission that
in his opinion the proposed 18th street
line would relieve congestion on l4th
street to far better advantage than
! double-track line on 18th street, for
| the reason that there are more people
coming from the northwest who desire
/ to go downtown than the number who
go west OF the White House.
! He made the point that it the line
came down 18th street and through
jackson place to PennaylvanjR ave.
nue. q large percentage of the riders
| would have to transfer to 60 east or
! west, whereas with the Aadison place
line those desiring to go to the heart
| Of the city would have only short
| dlStAk3cA TO walk. >
Mr.. Hanna concluded with the state.
ment that while the Capital Traction
Company has no surplus revenues
available, the ordering Of q track ex-
tension would not necessitate the
Capital Traction Company's asking
for a higher fare. Referring to state
ments made repeatedly during the
morning about the surplus revenue
that has been given the Capital Trac-
ton Company, MIR. Hanna said that
this money has been spent right along
on improvements to the system.
The hearing adjourned at o'clock
and will he resumed later in the after
noon
should Not Deter.
Conrad Ii. Syme, who opened the hear
ing by speaking in favor of north
and south line west of 14th street, de-
clared that in view of the unsought
revenue which has been given the
Capital Traction company In the past
year the present high cost OF track
work should not deter the commission
from ordering that company to build
a new line.
Mr.. Syme said it is admittedly bad
principle to let companies increase
their capital investment out Of earn
ings, because that presupposes com.
pany to be earning more than SUI
ficient for a reasonable rate of return.
He added. however. that an unusual
situation exists in the case of the
the commission had to give that line
revenue it did not need in order to re-
lieve the Washington Railway and
Electric. In view of that fact. Mr.
Syme told the commission he believes
the Capital Traction could afford to
build a new line west of 14th street.
even though it would cost in the
neighborhood of 100000.
Mr. Syme further argued that the
recent study by the zoning commits.
sion indicates that 18th street is in.
clined to develop into a business
thoroughfare. more SO than any other
north and south street west of 18th
w. B. Todd, president of Columbia
Heights Citizens Association. told the
commission the people OF his section
want relief from congestion on the
l4th street line, and that they are not
particular as to which street west OF
14th street is selected for the new
Charles S Bundy of Columbia
Heights, painted a striking word picture
of crowded conditions on the 14ln street
line. declaring that all persons who
hoard cars of this line from Park road
down. in the morning rush hours, must
hang to straps He asserted that many
Young women on their way to work in
the morning pay cents for a seat but
get only "a strap and a squeeze"
Judge Rundy estimated that $4,000
nersons live between 10th street and
Rock Creek, north Of Florida avenue. in
arpning for a new north and south line
west of 14th street. George Swanton
of Columbia Heights also spoke along
the same lines.
w. B. Westlake, speaking for the
Connecticut Avenue Citizens Associa-
tion. said the residents of Connecticut
avenue extended are entitled to more
direct service downtown, no matter
what street is selected for the new
line.
r. w. Stone of the Cleveland Park
School and Community Association
presented an argument for more d.
rect north and south line west Of 14th
street.
He asserted that on rainy mornings
he has taken the number of a Potomac
park car of the Capital Traction Com
many. at the north end of the Connecti-
cut avenue bridge and then started to
walk downtown across the Connecticut
avenue bridge.
Frequently he said, he has reached
18th street and Pennsylvania avenue
ahead of the car which left the
bridge at the same time he did.
This ability of a pedestrian to beat"
the car downtown by walking di-
rectly south is possible, he said. be-
cause of the congestion Of cars on
l4th street.
William NICK. Clayton spoke in gen.
1f