Evening star., 1923-11-23
6O-DAY AUTO TRUCE
WITH MARYLAND is
ASKED BY DISTRICT
Continued from First Page.)

be no delay in favorable action by
the Senate. unless oDStFuctIVe taclics
are employed"
Senator Ball has no inclination, he
said. to prevent the Mcclellan resolu-
| tion or any other measure looking to
correction Of the traftlo SITUATION
from coming up for action. "All /
want" he said, 'is to have 1t brought
up on it's own merits as an independ-
| ent proposition. To my mind that
is the only. way to get safe and sane
| legislation"
! Senator Ball is himself having a
/ study made of the condition of street
! railway properties all over the coun-
! try-their costs Of operation. what
! they pay employees. their returns.
what they charge for transportation
| and the percentage Of exchange (or
! transfer privilege)-a careful analy-
sis of the real conditions in the opera
| ton of street car companies. With
! these data before him he hopes to have
an accurate picture of what can be
done in Washington under efficient
supervision.
Senator Ball says that efficiency and
i economy demand that there snou!d be
| but one agency furnishing transpor-
| tation through the streets Of the Ma
tional Capital.
There was time when competi-
ton was essential to good service
| he remarked. but with the Public
al
l. ity to go most closely into the affairs
of the street railways and get at
their real costs, their returns and
| their margin of profit this element
| Of competition is no longer neces-
sary. The more different companies
YOU have the more overhead ex-
pense there Is and that increases the
cost to the car rider. ahe pointed out.
| But to order a compulsory merger
of the two street car companies with
sxH i0YD
not be fair. The bus lines should
be compelled to pay the same rea-
sonable tax, Senator Ball believes,
and is of the opinion that no, merger
in Washington would be erective
tation agencies using the streets
| were united under one head. He
is seriously considering legislation
along this line.
Text of Letter.
! The text of the Commissioners let
ter to Gov. Richie, signed by Com
missioner Rudolph. follows:
| LAS you are no doubt aware, there
Twas introduced in the last Congress
Of the United States bill providing
for a gasoline tax for the District
| of Columbia, which contained a pro-
vision authorizing reciprocity with
tration tags for motor vehicles is
sued in the District of Columbia
would be honored in the state of
| Maryland and vice versa.
| This bill provided that it should
| become effective January 1, 1924, on
which date similar legislation adopted
| in your state becomes effective. The
bill in question failed of passage.
| 1.-The Commissioners have reason to
| believe that efforts will be made by
| interested members of Congress to
enact legislation similar to that which
| failed in the last Congress, and that
| this matter will be accomplished in
the early part OF the calendar year
| 1924.
It has occurred to them that it would
be a matter Of courtesy both to the
motorists of Maryland and of the Dis
ltrict of Columbia. If, in view of the
pending change in legislation, that re-
| ciprocal arrangements be entered into
between Maryland and the District of
| Columbia whereby during the months
of January and February, 1924, Mary
land will honor 1924 registration tags
of the District of Columbia and the
I District of Columbia will honor 1924 tags
of Maryland.
1.'If the legislation. which will be in
troduced in Congress which meets
december 8, fails of passage before
| March /, this temporary reciprocal
arrangement could be extended by
mutual agreement.
1.-THE Commissioners would be
pleased to have you indicate your
view as to whether this arrangement
can be- ConSummated."