Evening star., 1928-04-29
BY BEN McKELWAY.

In the balmy days before the war o
reporter was assigned to cover a street
railway presidents flight in an airplane.
That was story then. Airplanes we're
rather new, and those who went up in
them were devilish and daring fellows
In this case there was the possibility of
big story. indeed. II the street car
magnate fell out of the airplane, it
would be OF extraordinary interest
Nothing, In the mind of the city editor,
could be quite so momentous as the fall
OF street car magnate from an air
plane, and If this particular magnate
thus came to grief the newspapers
readers, judging from the content Of
their letters to the editor, would regard
1t in the light OF q judicious act OF
Providence
1t happened, as it often does, that
the reporter was late. The magnate had
enjoyed his 10 minutes in the air and
left the flying field when the reporter
arrived. Cleaning pertinent facts from
eye-witnesses, the reporter returned to
the office and wrote o colorful account,
in which he casually described the
magnate as having worn a derby hat
and as having clenched between his
teeth big, black cigar The day fol-
lowing, "a courteous note Of protest from
the magnate informed the editor that
he had never smoked In his life and
had never owned derby hat.
The incident is set down here because
the reporter showed Enthusiastically
human trait when he dressed the mag
nate in a derby hat and put q big.
black cigar between his teeth. The re-
porter, having never seen, but having
often heard of this magnate, envisioned
him as wearing :, derby and between
the puffs of big black cigar saying,
ITO he'll with the public" He thought
that was how street car nlagnates made
a living. The thought in the back OF
his head was planted there by tradition.
which always associated street car mag
mates with pictures OF hard-boiled,
paunchy individuals, wearing diamond
stickpins in their cravats and thick gold
watch chains across their tunmies.
smoking big, black cigars and bribing
the mayor for franchise with nickels
stolen from the poor.
* r.
Some Of the opposition to the merger
plan now under consideration arises
from disagreement over the methods Of
valuation and arriving at the amount of
actual money invested, with a proper
rate of return therefrom. Another sort
Of opposition springs from an Unborn
suspicion on the part of the public that
every move made by street car COM
pany Is directed toward extracting all
loose change from the pockets of street
car riders. Standing on windy corner,
waiting for car. develops this frame
OF mind and makes the daily car Gus
toner suspicious and cynical person,
easily moved to raging and frothtng at
hyy xxfan
chooses for his subject The Traction
Octopus"
The general principle of q merger
however. has been pretty thoroughly
sold to the street car riding public OF
washington. This is an age Of mergers,
and the prospect of free transfers and
better routing has had its effect. In
addition, there Is a kindlier, more SYM
pathetic attitude toward the traction
companies. Companies which once had
their way. which ruled the streets with
out question. have been thrown rather
violently from their pedestal by usurp-
ing automobiles. Instead of laughing
between the puffs of their big, black
cigars at the poor passengers. the street
car companies now coddle them. They
paint their vehicles in daring colorS
provide soft and voluptuous seats and
lure the rider with promises of carrying
him safely through dangerous trafnc
Instead OF icily advising the public to
go jump into the lake, the street car
officials 60 out and address public meet
ings, bare the troubles of their souls
and grow eloquent on such subjects as
cooperation. teamwork and service.
The once hated street car companies
are even engaged at times in works of
altruistic endeavor. It Is q kindlier,
Sweeter world.
y
The present merger plan, as amended
and approved by the Public Utilities
Commission and the citizens organiza-
tions, Is now under the scrutiny of one
congressional committee and before it
survives must undergo the scrutiny Of
another, If. in view of the detailed
examinations. II does not pass Congress
at this session, its failure might be in
terpreted as = rather striking reflection
on the newly-created Public Utilities