The Washington herald., 1922-10-24
Ye Kings Jester at Work.
THE princes and dukes Of the esteemed Capi
tai Traction Company have noted the dis


comfort OF some of the District of Co.
lumb:a peasantry during long shaky rides. Ever
eager. their kind always have been, to serve the
interests OF the common herd" they have taken
steps eliminate this condition. They have in
troduced into the interiors Of their rocking horses
pies OF pamphlets illustrating the latest advances
IN exquisitey delicate jokesmithry practiced by
pages and secretaries at the castle, The morning
and evening newspapers published in Washington
the company chiefs think. are too dull-they
something which will absorb the minds of
their victims so completely that the jumps and
hurdles will be passed unnoticed
"A good laugh and a long car ride-all for
token such. understand, will be the
phraseology of the company's next advertisements
How unjust the il-natured accusations
times heard to the effect that the Capital Traction
Company has public be damned policyl While
riding down town this morning picked up
Of these joke pamphlets. 1t Sw;ft-like effort
to convince the readers against their convic-
tious Lat they were bunch OF ignoramuses.
tet be just the Capital Traction Com
peny officials. They may be torture experts but
they are jolly, good fellows in the nquisition
chamber. Many merry qup escapes from their
months they adjust the rack The victim on
the gallows hardly hep but laugh at the jokes
I've hangman cracks he fixes the knot against
= tine juguar vein. How blessed is a community
with such "freiherren and grafcn" as these in the
castle the hill
They only arc humorous but logical
--hIster this:
y street car company without passengers
wouldn't amount to very much, it appears
TO and the relative number of car riders
f.. have from month to month is OF the very
- greatest importance in considering changes in
farc.
E-,.,
the Capital Traction Company carried I4IS,267
fewer passengers than for the same seven
months in Io2I decrease OF 3,3 per cent
COMPARED with the months of 1920 the
dccreasc Sol. 66 per cent
Those vanished passengers didn't go to
our esteemed contemporary. the jolly
old buses, the falling off be tossed
aside contemporary the usual summer
droE. ii isn't the usual summer drop. It's
:atinR oil in the dull months this year from
the same months in previous years And this
DESPITE the TACT that know that our service
has improved
There isn't anyone we've run into VINO
knows just why this drop came neither the
commission. nor company officials. perhaps
Mr Clayton But anyone who wishes to be
curate would hesitate to predict whether there
IS {" be permanent reduction in our total
number OF passengers carried. or no.
So do not believe that fare reduction
under such circumstances should be made We
do not believe that any commission or jury of
business men would order reduction in
the face OF such condition. aside from the
many and extremely important reasons against
it, which have been here mentioned
Why has the patronage OF the esteemed Capi
tai Traction Company fallen off during the dull
months OF from the average kept during the
dill months of 1922 Simply because germs of
-'hsloyaty have been sown by pernicious agtators
in the breasts Of the serfdom The ungratcful
FesssHtss has grown to dislike the appearance of
thc bue-uniformed collectors dangerous
icanine towards democracy is discernible among
the submerged thousands-a tendency which must
be curbcd with iron heel or some IRRESPONSIBLE
Voltaire will arise among the people and question
even the divine right of traction niaenates In
fact, already has been limited that these fellows
do not hold charter from the King of Heaven
The patronage has fallen off, in plain words
because Washington people are disguised They
have purchased automobiles or are walking Thcv
refuse to endure any longer the discomforts OF a
car ride when any other means of travel is avail
able. We know OF workers who walk several
miles each morning rather than pay an outrageous
price for voyage that will make them sea-sick
They have found that in many instances they
actually time by walking. They are done
forever with the germ-hlled rocking horses.
~ One way is open for the Capital Traction Com
pany to the rest of its patronage and, it il
possible, actually increase its revenue. Improved
service and lower fares will give them longer
lease life in the District of Columbia People
who refuse ride for cents will ride for cents
,--ior time at least
The traction officials know that they must
Come to this eventually. They knew that their
rarons know it. They know that it embod,cs
OF the most obvious principles in economics--fa-
m1far 10 the average school girl. Yet with their
own exquisite humor they try to prove tina; il