The Washington herald., 1921-06-05
Citizens Oppose Plan as
Substitute for Trac-
tion Merger.
Revoking CHARTERS T..
ONE METHOD URGED
Action by Congress to Fix
Fares Favored by
Federation.

Increasing the cost of electricity
IN order to reduce the fares on the
street cars of the Washington Rail-
way and Electric company is merely
a question of which pocket shall
il be extracted from, is the opinion
of J. s Beach, a delegate of the
Park View Citizens association to
the Federation of Citizens associa-
tions-
Il am strongly opposed" said Mr..
Beach, to any plan of merger that
will accomplishe as little as this.
1T would be manifestly unfair to
the users OF great quantities of
electricity. TO whom the street cars
are a very small item, and of very
little benefit to anyone"
Chicago Revoked Charters.
Elisha 3. Carrier, a member OF
the Federation of Citizens associa-
tions, compared the traction situa-
ton in Washington with that of
Chicago from 1917 to 1910. During
this time, said Mr.. Carrier. the serv-
ice became so poor that it was con-
sidered necessary to bring about a
merger of the street car lines.
After a reasonable length of time
in which the railways made no ap-
parent effort to bring about con-
ditions even conducive to a merger,
the city of Chicago revoked the
charters of the several companies
and leased the right of ways, in
cIuding the tracks, to operators who
conducted the lines on cost basis.
rrTI s1N 1Nxr
and is in striking contrast to the
service given prior to the merger.
Calls Proposal Ridiculous.
That such a proposal as that
made by the president Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric COM
pany Is ridiculous is the opinion of
both A z. Shoemaker. of the
Northwest Citizens association, and
H S. Ridgely. of the Chevy Chase
Citizens association.
w. B. westlake, president of the
Federation of Citizens associations,
unqualiiedly favors the repeal of
Sbe several charters of the street
railways and electric power COM
panies in the event of the failure
of a voluntary merger on'the part
of the railway companies.
Opposed by Federation.
The federation, said Mr.. West
lake, records its continued opposi-
ton to the application of any ex-
cess profits tax plan as applied TO
public service corporations and re-
cords its bitter and uncompromis-
ing hostility to any merger plan.
either voluntarily or involuntary,
that would place the Capital Trac-
tion company under the control.
nanagement or direction of the
Washington Railway and Electric
company.
The federation according to Mr..
westIake suggests to congress that
the physical valuations of all the
DufIic service corporations operat-
ing in the District having been
completed. that congress should
now resume its right and power
Of fixing fares and charges Of pub
lie service corporations operating
in the District of Columbia until
such time as a service at cost sys-
tenn is put in operation
Ask Fare Cut Hearing.
The Capital Traction company,
having expressed its desire and a
willingness to reduce fares on its
lines. the federation westlake says
asks a hearing from the public
utilities commission for a lowering
Of fares on that line. The fedora
ton is also in favor of an inde-
pendent public utilities commission
for the District of Columbia to re-
Iieve the District commissioners of
this work. and in order to provide
a commission which will devote its
entire time to the public utilities
matters.
The attitude of the federation is
clearly shown in the resolution
adopted May 81. according to West
lake, in which il records its firm
opposition to- any independent mer-
ger of the Washington Railway and
Electric and the Potomac Electric
Power company.