Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-01-28
TRACTION MERGER
BYCONGRESSIONAl.
ORDER EMPHAS|zED
Commissioners BroWnIoW
and kutz Believe Mandate
Is Necessary.
DOUBT THE LIKELIHOOD
OF VOLUNTARY ACTION
Adoption of "Stagger" Hours by
Government and Merchants
Thought Advisable.

Merger of the street railway sys-
TENS in Washington by order of Con-
gress was still further emphasized as
probable result of the hearings now
in progress. at the session before the
! ouse District committee today
Engineer Commissioner Kutz and
commissioner Brownlow, in reply
! to direct questions from Chairman
| Mapes of the House District COM
mittee- said they believed that ulti-
| mately a merger is necessary; thai
they favor it, and that they believe
condemnation proceedings will be
necessary to bring ii about.
! Chairman Mapes of the House District
committee, in questioning Commits
sioner Brownlow regarding POSSIBLE
ity of the bill now under considera-
ton being likely to induce a voluu-
tary merger. brought out that the
Apresent unsatisfactory traffic situation
has existed for years with merger
frequently discussed but but no likli-
hood of its ever being effected by
voluntary action.
Chairman Mapes strongly indicated
during the hearing that soon he will
/ suggest that the committee turn aside
/ from serious consideration of his own
bill. drafted by the District Commits
sioners. and start work on another
measure designed for mandatory
! intTSeE Oh tHe tTdCtlOn lines.
Favor "Stagger'' Hours.
Adoption of "stagger'' hours for the
opening of government departments
| and business houses was urged By
! both the Commissioners at the hear
! ing today. Commissioner kutz en-
planned that the Public Utilities Com
! mission had written a letter to Presi-
dent Wilson asking that stagSer
! hours be made a matter OF cabinet
consideration. This letter was re-
| ferred to the various executive de-
| partments, and the chief clerks re-
| ported that il would cause consider
able inconvenience
THE action of the departments was
purely selfish" Commissioner kutz
said Later in the hearing Commits
sioner Brownlow brought out that the
peak-load of street car traffic In WASH
ington is higher and sharper than IN
any other city. He said that great re-
| lief to the public can be given through
stagger hours, and that he believed II
the government departments cooper
ate that the business houses Will fol-
! low their example. He said. however.
that when thie --was-aftempted some
months ago there were petitions signed
by practically every government EN-
| ploye protesting against the stagger
I hours He said he thought the real
opposition to that started in the
homes, where if there were three gov
eminent employees in different depart
ments 1t would probably mean three
different breakfast hours.
Discusses Capital Traction.
At the opening of the hearing today
Commissioner kutz modified his state
ment made yesterday in which he said
| that the greater earning power of the
Capital Traction Company was due
solely to the superior location enjoyed
/ in the streets of Washington. He
said today that the Capital Traction
/ Company enjoys a greater popularity.
measure of which is due to the feel
ing that has existed since the strike
on the Washington Railway and Elec-
I trio lines several years ago. He said
! he feels that the good will of the Capt.
tai Traction Company is greater than
that of the Washington Railway and
Electric. He--again empha sized that
the Public Utilities Commission is now
confronted with an application from
the Washington Railway and Electric.
| to which the Capital Traction is not
party, to increase the fare to cents
| straight.
! Commissioner Kutz told the commit
tee that, estimated on the present fare.
/ the two companies. if taken to%ether.
would earn per cent. and any further
increase asked now would rot be need
ed if the systems were operated as one.
President Hams emery.
Later in the hearing w. +. Ham.
president of the w. r.. & T.. asked
Lieut. Col Kutz If he believed a 6
per cent earning was sufficient for
! the two companies operated as one
He replied that il an act were passed
merging them. he would like to hare
written into it that the earnings OF
! the consolidated companies be not
/ less than per cent. Mr.. Ham en-
/ deavor to get Commissioner Kutz to
admit that this indicated that even
! if the two companies Were merged,
the present rate of fare, which he esd-
mated would give them per cent on
their investment. would not be sufff-
| cient to allow them to pay a profit.
Col. Kutz refused to admit this.
Chairman Mapes asked Commits
! sioner Kutz if he thouht there was
any preference on the part of the
public to use one line rather than the
other on account of superior standard
of service. Commissioner KutZ said
that the Capital Traction had lived
up to the standard better than the W.
/ r. and r. Chairman Mapes asked
/ which system has the most clients.
and Commissioner Kutz said he had
! just started an inquiry to ascertain
this and also to determine the number
/ of delays and accidents.
! Improvement Is Noted. -
/ Commissioner Kutz and Commits
; sioner Brownlow both stated that the
/ street railway service is being inn
/ proved on both lines and that both
| companies have done all that they
could under very trying circumstances
| in cooperation with the Public IT'LL
| tiles Commission.
In reply to a suggestion from Chair
man Mapes that there was consid-
! cradle complaint on account of tie
ms. Commissioner Kutz said that
| tie-ups are inherent to underground
| traction systems
Chairman Mapes said that criticism
had been made that the bill under
consideration seems to be generally
for the benefit of the two street car
systems and that little of il is for
The benefit of the public. He asked
Commissioner KutZ to state frankly
what is hoped to be accomplished by
the bill.
The latter said that if the public
will sQuarely face the problem now
before the Public Utilities Commits
sion. with the application for in
creased rates. the public viii see
wher,, its interests lie.
situation LIS Discussed.
He said that as matters now stand
the commission must authorize an in
crease in rate to the Washington
Railway and Electric Company. Then
II must either authorize the same in
crease to the Capital Traction COM
pany, which has not asked for II, or
establis a different rate on each sys-
tenn, which would thoroughly ais
ho 70 flo system in the DIS