Evening star., 1920-01-29
CONGRESS BLAMED
FOR DUAL CAR LINE
SYSTEM IN D. C.

| SYSTEM IN D. C..
Continued from First Page.)
pany. 1t should be relieved from the
cost of new paving, Mr.. Ham said he
done the Washington Railway and
Electric Company. which has the most
trackage in territory where new
pavement is and will be required.
In explaining how important an item
| this is. he said that on one of its lines,
| which has always been run at a loss
| the company was recently forced to pay
$4,000 for paving between 4th and 18th
streets on Rhode Island avenue north
| east.
Representative Benson. democrat, of
Maryland, brought out a statement
from Mr.. Ham that he believed the
property owners in suburban territories
who are given standby service which
should. through the taxes they paid to
the District government, carry the cost
| OF pavement for the roadbeds Of that
standby service. rather than the car
| riders.
Representative johnson engaged
MIR. Ham in a discussion in regard to
the new Calvert Street bridge, Mr..
johnson stating that it was admitted
that this bridge would be built al
most exclusively for the street cars,
and he asked If the street car COM
panies using the bridge ought not to
pay big proportion of the cost. Mr..
Ham said that as resident and rail-
road man he thought the whole ex-
penSe should come out of the govern
ment.
His line does not use the bridge. he
said, but it had originally been built
by the street railway company, and
| the public had had the use of it all
these years He thought the munich
pality might well replace it.
Rassy RaRss ASKED and E,ectre tae
Company was exclusively holding
| corporation. Mr. Ham explained that
1t owns and operates a total mileage
of 176 miles, about 130 of which are in
/ the District.
In explaining his belief that there
is no possibility of a merger until
Congress passes authorizing legisla-
/, tion, Mr.. Ham said that Congress
had directly prohibited a merger
when it was planned several years
ago. The public utilities act of 1913
carried the La Toilette amendment
which. he believes. was proposed for
the particular purpose of killing the
| then contemplated merger of all the
| street railways in Washington and
suburban territories under a charter
1 8
| explained that the then Engineer
Commissioner Maj. Judson. consider
! ed this a stock -jobbing scheme. The
utilities act was passed so that there
should be strict regulation of public
| utilities and to ease the duties OF
| the District committees in Congress,
which had been passing upon fran
chises and related matters.
I Chairman Mapes asked il it would
be possible for one company to sell
L
plish a merger. Mr.. Ham was in
doubt as to how titles could be given
when both companies are mortgaged,
and Representative Wood, democrat,
of Virginia. questioned whether the
| franchise could be transferred. 1t
was brought out in this connection
that a sale would require great deal
| more money than a merger.
Merger "AnimatiOn Suspended"
! Chairman Mapes asked il there ever
| had been a serious attempt on the
part of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company to bring about a
merger Mr.. Ham explained that they
were in situation OF suspended ami
nation, because no plans for a merger
: could get anywhere util the Public
Utilities Commission had announced
| its valuation of the property. He said
| no plan for a merger had been sub
mitted to the directors of the two
| companies.
| Chairman Mapes asked Mr.. Ham his
opinion as to the practicability Of con-
| tinuing to increase fares SO that out
! lying lines could pay dividends and one
Of the street railway companies in con-
sequence receive revenue to which it was
| not entitled, and at least one-half of
! the community pay increased car fare
that was not necessary. Mr.. Ham said
that as the situation now stands the
public does not expect to get car ride
! Co. nfc
Mr.. Ham read into the record the rates
! in other comparable cities. The rate on
the Boston elevated, which controls the
| traffic situation in all Of eastern Massa-
chusetts is 10 cents. In Pittsburgh.
i1O cents, with tickets ~ cents: in ST.
cago and Kansas City, 8 cents. tickets
l7h cents; in Montreal, Cincinnati,
Omaha. Council Bluffs and Balti-
more the rate is Z cents. In a number
of these places there is an extra charge
for transfers.
In making the emphatic statement
that I'VE can't go on" as the financial
situation now stands. Mr.. Ham said:
IT'S money that makes the mare
go. and this particular mare has gone
about as far as she can CO."
In reply to questions as to how the
company had reached such a financial
empasse. Mr. Ham said:
1.-The war did this to us. We were
| strong financially and physically at
the beginning of the war. We main
tanned our credit to such an extent
that in December, 1918, we had no
difficulty in selling 100000 worth
of bonds to buy new cars to improve
the service. and we could have sold a
half a million more"
1t was in reply to questions by Rep
resentative johnson that Mr.. Ham
said the company could continue OPP
Grating by cutting off some of the
lines in the suburban territory.
But the commission" he added,
believes 1t is for the welfare Of the
community that the integrity of our
lproperty be maintained"
Representative Reed of West Vir-
ginia asked if a merger could be
brought about at the present selling
lprice of the stocks and bonds. Ger
tainly not" replied Mr.. Ham. Mr..
Reed insisted. But If you go out Of
business, as you say you are likely to,
the owners Of the stocks and bonds
Twill have to take what they can get"
Mr. Ham replied that he beiieves that
in the interests of the public the in
tegrity of the system will be main
tanned.
| Chairman Mapes questioned Mr..
Ham as to whether it was practicable
Ito put into operation zoning system
Lon the outlying lines. Mr.. Ham said
lhis company has made such sug-
gestion. but he admitted that general
liy such a system was unpopular.