The Washington herald., 1921-06-15
King Says Voluntary
Merger Would Not
Bring Relief.
HAS BILL TO DIRECT
SERVICE EXTENSION
Would Divorce Power
Plant from Property
OF w. r. E. Co.

The street car companies of WASH
inEton can be forced into a merger
and the fares Substantially reduced
according to Senator King, of Utah,
a member of the senate District
committee and sponsor for the King
bill now being considered by that
body.
Senator King is of the opinion
that any merger to accomplish those
things for (which an amalgamation
of the roads is desired must De
brought about by legislation
voluntary merger would not, ac-
cording To the senator. be effectual.
The proposals voluntarily submit
ted so far have not warranted Sc
rious consideration. Senator King
intfmated. and hope that a solution
would come from this source has
languished. 1t could hardly be eN-
pected that the Washington Rail-
way and Electric company would
voluntarily submit to such drastic
measures as would be necessary in
order to establish a uniform rail-
way service in the District. recre-
ated on a basis of actual value and
for the purpose of a reduction in
the rate of car fares, he said.
Would Distribute stock.
To accomplish this. Senator King
pointed out, it will be necessary to
permanently divorce the Potomac
Electric Power company from the
Washington Railway and Electric
company by distributing the shares
of the capital stock of the Potomac
Electric Power company to the hold
ers of the stock of the Washington
Railway and Electric company. 1t
is proposed to authorize the attor-
ney general to institute appropriate
proceedings to effect such distribu
tion in the event that the w. r. &
Z. shall refuse to do so.
1t is Senator Kings plan that the
Capital Traction be required to
operate its cars from the Un-
ion station through G street be-
tween Massachusetts, avenue and
18th street northwest, and to make
connections on G street with the
present tracks on 7th, 1+tfrsnd 18th
streets northwest. They would be \
required to operate cars on Wis
consin avenue from VI street north
west to the Pierce Mill road and to
make the necessary connections |
with the tracks in Wisconsin ave- |
nue. at NJ street. 1t would be nec- |
essary to operate cars on Georgia |
avenue northwest to Walter Reed !
hospital and make necessary con- |
nections with the tracks in Georgia |
avenue at eth and U streets north |
west. and to operate on 18th street |
northwest from New York avenue |
to the department Of agriculture. |
the bureau Of engraving and print |
ing. the wharves. and the Washing |
ton barracks. and to make connec-
tions with the tracks running south |
from that point in 14th street.
Would Extend Service.
The Capital Traction company |
would be required. under the plan |
proposed by Senator King. to con-
struct new tracks through VI street |
south from 7th street southwest to |
a connection with its present tracks |
in Sth street southeast.
The Washington Railway and /
Electric company would be ordered /
to extend its tracks from New York
avenue and 5th street northwest.
through New York avenue to a con-
neCtion with its present tracks at
Massachusetts, avenue and 7th
street, and that the suburban lines
of the W. IT. & E. having a ter
minaI in G street. near 18th street
northwest. be ordered to remove this
terminal to New York avenue near
18th street northwest.
The Washington Railway and
Electric company would also be re-
quired to extend its tracks on II
street northwest from 14th street
to a connection with its present
tracks in New York avenue and the
cars from II street northeast, hav-
ing their terminal in New York ave-
nue. near 18th street northwest,
should operate through II street
northwest to Georgetown.
To straighten Line.
Senator Kings plan provides for
the removal of the sidewalk adjoin-
ing the patent office on both G and
streets and the tracks at these
two points Strengthened. King char
acterizes the existing conditions on
G street as stupid. emphasizing the
fact that this street, the most i'm
portant traffic route in many re-
spects in the District, has no
through street car service and that
the tracks in this street are of lit :
tie or no use to the W. r. & E
with its parallel lines in d, E, F
and II streets and New York ave-
nue.. This, Senator King claims, is
demonstrated by the fact that the
W. r. & E uses G street princi-
pally as a terminal for the suburb
an service.
The first move to improve the
street car service in Washington, in
the opinion of Senator King, should
be to extend the Capital Traction
service from the Union station to
the treasury through G street To
all the important departments ana
institutions which are not now
reached by lines of that company:
that permission be granted to the III
Capital Traction company to ex-
tend their lines TO all points over
the tracks Of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric company other
than those points mentioned that,
In the opinion of the Capital Trac-
lion. would beneht the service.