Evening star., 1924-03-25
M'KELLAR ADVISES
MID-CITY CITIZENS
Association Indorses Five-Cent
Fare Rate After Senator Assails
Eight-Cent Charge.
SCORES UTILITIES Bt
BODY
Charges Companies With Placing
Fictitious Values.

"I take pride in this city-my cap
ital,' Senator Mckellar said. 81 have
always been deeply impressed with
its beauty and its progress, and I
want to see it continue making it.
self more beautiful. 1t should be the
handsomest capital city in the world,
and l hope this hope will be real
lied. intend to always favor every
Dit or legislation providing for the
city's betterment and advancement,
and / intend to do all / can to make
Congress more liberal in it's appro-
priations for the physical develop
ment of the District"
Mid-City Citizens Association went
| on record at it's meeting last night
in the Thomson School, favoring
! 1ve-cent car fare for the District of
Columbia This was unanimously
voted after the membership had
listened to Senator Mckellar of Ten
nessee assail the local traction COM
panies and the Public Utilities Com
mission for what he frequently re-
ferred to in his remarks as 'gouging
the Washington public"
The Mid-City Association did not
act hastily. for the matter had been
discussed at two previous meetings,
and special committee appointed by
the association to report upon the
question recommended Endorsement
| of the tive-cent fare.
The association also voted TO give
! it's support to Senator Mcclellan in
| his fight for fare reduction and at
| the conclusion of his address he was
given rising vote of thanks and was
made an honorary member, the first
| honorary member TO be elected by
| this association.
Takes Pride In City.
| Before launching upon his subject
| of fare reduction Senator Mckellar
| said he wanted TO say to the citizens
| of Washington that he is a friend of
| the city despite newspaper accounts
! to the contrary.
! This body 'aIld operate III tic in
| terest of the citizens and not the COM
panies. BY basing it's ideas regarding
car fares upon what terms fair re-
! turn upon the investment. the com
mission has been unfair with the Dis
! trict's population.
! After giving much study to the
/ street car subject l am convinced that
the fare is too high. The Capital Trac :
! tion Company frankly admits that
much. As a matter of fact, the people
of this city are getting three-cent
! ride for an eight-cent fare"
/ AT the same time | want to correct
| certain conditions existing here which
| l know are wrong" Senator Mckellar
matter of public utilities is wrong. es-
pecially as il relates to the supervision
| of the street car companies. Much of
! the blame can he placed at the door of
| your PuDnC JlllltleS COHlHlSSloH
! For ReducinE Fares.
! STRONGLY enough, this body was orig
| inally created by law for the express
/ purpose Of reducing fares. The street
! car companies at first fought this com
| mission. but since they have discovered
l how helpful il has been to their interests
! they are now fighting for it.
! senator Mcclellan opened his attack
! by narrating IA history of the two To-
! cal companies. describing in some de-
! tail the manner in which they were
organized, reorganiZed and financed
| He accused both companies OF plac-
/ ing fictitious valuations, due princi-
| pally, he declared, TO the watered
stock issued by both companies.
Following a report from tie execu-