Evening star., 1924-03-14
QUOTES CAR DATA
Of OUTSIDE CITIES
Traction Vice President Tells
Senate Committee Costs
Are Higher Here.

Operating and maintenance costs oi
the Capital Traction company as
compared to such costs in other cities
were discussed by vice fresiaei'
Hanna pf that company at nearing
today before the Senate Dtstrlct SUD
committee on public utilities, conSlu-
sring the Mcclellan five-cent street
car fare bill.
Mr.. Hanna showed that these costs
were much higher here than in cities
where they have overhead construc-
tion instead of the conduit system.
He showed, for example, that the con-
struction cost Of the Capital Traction
Company today per foot OF track is
s31.5O, while in Baltimore, where the
overhead system is used. the COST per
foot of track is between Sly.5o ana
$3.50, and in Minneapolis the cost IS
about $ll 80.
Mr.. Hanna pointed out also that the
cost of the underground construction
at crossings particularly where the
car lines turn from north ana SCUM
to east and west, is approximately SIX
times the cost of such construction
for overhead wires.
Traffic conditions in NaShinet ton'
MIR. Hanna declared. are worse t'at
in any other city in the country. ne
cause there is but one business mere
the governments business, whlch pe-
gins at am. and ends AT t:"u p.h'-
MIR Hanna said this resulted IN q
tremendous demand for transporta-
lion at certain hours in the morning
and afternoon. In other ClleS. ne
said there are different classes oi
workers. who go TO thelr places oi
business at hours ranging from an. an
TO Q, who leave their business over
a similar p.riod of time il the after
noon.
Conditions In other Cities.
Senator Mcclellan declared that
such congestion of transportation on
street car lines is found in practically
every city of the country At certain
hours of the day because all "ofk X
erS go TO work in the morning anu
return in the afternoon"
MIR Hanna called attention to the
fact that in Pittsburgh they nav. Z
ten cent fare. and added that the con
ditions were not as bad from Trans
portation point of view III fittSpui = II
as they are here
Charts showing the number of
passengers carried in fifteen minute
intervals past 18th and streets
northwest during the day and the
number of cars passing at such in
III
mittee. From S:45 am. to . ain.
24O0 passengers were carried. a
count showed, and in the next fifteen
minutes only $50. Another count
showed that from 4:30 to 4:13 pm.
$500 passengers were carried. while
half hour earlier only 600 were
carried.
The number of cars used at the
peak hours of the day. Mr.. Hanna
said, was 270, while in the middle of
the day only 40 cars were used. He
pointed out that such conditions
made economic operation of the sys-
tenn very difficult. Either it was
necessary to put cars on the street
pay men for a time when they were
not needed.
Mr.. Hanna put into the record at
the request of Senator Mckellar ta-
bles showing the total expenditures
on track reconstruction work from
1919 to 1923, showing accounts TO
which the cost was charged. II was
shown that the total amount 50 eN-
pended in the fve-year period was
1888, ,406.3S, charged as follows: To
maintenance, $1SS, 5000; to deprecia-
ton, S679, ,243.4I; to capital account,
$S54,26651.
Mr.. Hanna told the committee that
the difference between operating costs
for 1920 and 1923, amounting to a
saving of 100000 in 1928 as com
extent to certain economies put into
effect rather than to any reduction in
the cost of materials used OF this
amount, he said, sl33, 600 was saved
S116,000 was saved in expenses for
power, and S69, GOO in the maintenance
of way and S25,00U in the Inainte-
nance of equipment.