The Washington herald., 1922-03-30
A Step to Utopia.
To the Editor, The Washington Herald:

10 the LultOf, 1ue
We have a very unsatisfactory
street railway situation in the Dis
trict OF Columbia. High finance. leg
islators and citizens associations nave
worked diligently to solve the puz-
zIe. The longe. the three dig into
the propIem the higher goes the
car fare. 1t has reached such
pass that the two major street rail-
way companies are fighting eacn
other; a subsidiary company is night
ing both Of them apparently. Con-
gress recognizes the impasse, but Is
at loRgerheads with itself and the
several public utilities; the Pubic
Utilities Commission Is not In hlSh
FAVOR anywhere because OF Its sew
eral unsatisfactory solutions; the
District Commissioners are helpless
to relieve the situation; and the citi-
zens' associations seem to be the
only organizations to offer any APP
preciable help in the matter with
intelligent, even though only tempo
rary and merely palliative, measures.
To such a fine point has the acute
situation arrived that the street car
companies say they cannot sell three
token. for 20 cents. but must sell
six tokens for 40 cents-to sell three
for 20 cents would mean a net year.
" revenue loss to them OF 100000.
So bankruptcy stares the street rail-
way situattsn IN the face IL the sloO.-
900 Is denied the millions OF Invest
ed capital. Truly distressing!
The street railway companies are
in a tremor. The Utilities Commits
/ sion hesitates. Congress Is on the
political fence. Finance Is up tree.
The Federation of Citizens Clubs is
bothering about the 100000.
Fish or cut bait"
A Scent ar fare Is possible. II
Is practicable-practica from every
financial standpoint: and practical
from every operating standpoint. In
fact, all the public utilities OF the
District can be put on an attractive
investment and paying basis. ana
each public utility company can sell
its service at much less than 'ne
pre- sent price. This can be done easi-
sibly $1,000. 900 expended for prelim-
| mary expenses prior to when such
lower rates become operative.
! Buy the public utilities. Form
holding company. Lease the prop
critics thus consolidated to an op-
Grating company properly bonded,
Congress has the power on condemn
and purchase. The investing public
would buy the bonds backed by the
government.
Yes; many things that can't be
done" ar. being done.
Taking the agreed-upon valuation
| OF the several public utilities in the
District plus an approximate $780,
| 100000. would be the total invest
ment. The sSo.ooo.ooo would build
a power dam at Little Falls on the
| Potomac River with not less than
! $4,000 horsepower to operate the
several public utilities. leaving sum
cient power produced to operate the
| small local factories. the stores.
! enough for residential purposes. The
potential power impounded would be
SUFFICIENT reserve for a city OF
1000, 900.
On the investment and equipment
as roughly outlined. the approx
mate advantages would be:
1. Five-cent car fare. with univer-
sal transfers.
2. Less than 81 gas.
3. Electric power at about 4 cents
per kilowatt.
4. water for filtration plants fur
nlshed by the power equipment at
dam.
5. A 1O0-foot-wide bridge across the
, Potomac River at Little Falls about
$500 feet long, substantial and beau
| tiful.
6. An inland fresh water lake
! about 100 feet above the present
river level. extending to the falls
at Great Falls. but In no wise In
juring the beauty of the river shores
or the falls as they now exist. \
future pleasure resort of unparalleled
convenience
z. A great falls at Little Falls
dam rivaling in magnitude and more
beautiful than the famous Niagara
Falls.
8. Lastly. but not least. a somke-
less city. clean healthy and whole.
some. @. W. AYERS.