The Washington times., 1929-08-28
'P.U. c. Ct. IS
HANNA'S
VIEW

The 10-cent carfare battle
,may result in changes in the
working hours Of thousands of
" Government clerks, it was in
~Ndicated at hearings before the
Public Utilities Commission
= today.
Maj. Gen. Mason M. Patrick,
chairman of the commission, ques-
toned John H. Hanna, president
of the Capital Traction Company.
eat length as to what benefit would
be derived from the installation of
staggered system in Govern
ment departments.
Hanna replied that any such
{ change in the opening hours of
Government offices would be of
great benefit to the local transpor-
tation system and to the public.
Shelve Fare Plea
The commission firmly put aside
the application of the companies
for higher fares at the hearing to.
day to make thorough investiga-
ton of the benefits which might
= be derived from rerouting cars of
the Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company and the Capital Trac-
tion Company.
, All three members of the com
mission took turns in firing ques.
tions at Hanna, who succeeded
William F. Ham, president of the
Washington Railway and Electric
Company, on the witness stand
shortly after the hearing opened.
Col. William B. Ladue, engineer
member of the commission, opened
the bombardment of questions. He
told Hanna to explain what benefits
would be derived from such routing
changes as switching Chevy Chase
} cars of the Capital Traction Com
pany straight down Connecticut
hAvenue to the heart of the city in
stead of the roundabout way they
now follow.
Hanna said that he could think
of no advantages to be derived from
piecemeal re-routing with the two
companies operating under different
management. There is no question
however. he said, number of
changes beneficial to the public and
the companies could be brought
about if the companies were merged
and a thorough study was made of
all the routes.
General Patrick asked Hanna II
he had worked out any plans for
D handling the enormous burden of
traffic which viii be thrown on the
car companies when the Federal
Government centralizes its activities
b in the triangle.
Although he has given the prob
lem considerable attention, he has
been unable to work out any def
mite plan to handle the situation,
Hanna said.
Problem Bad Here
Washington street car transporta'
ton problems are far more difficult
than in any other city in the United
. States. Hanna said. This is because
the majority of workers here try
TO get to their offices between two
minutes of 9 and 8 o'clock" he
pointed out.
~ Then Patrick took up the benefits
which might be derived from a
Staggered system. Even a Is
minute change in the reporting
hour of a part of the Federal Gov
ernment's office force would be of
material help, Hanna said.
1t lis probable that the Public
Utilities Commission will still be
trying to solve local transportation
problems when Congress convenes.
Members of the Commission would
not hesitate in asking for the in
J stallation of the staggered" system
of reporting if they thought it
- would help solve the problem.
Hanna questioned the authority
of the Commission to bring about
{ the changes in routing that have
been suggested.
IF we were hard,put, we could
rest upon Congressional authority
given us in the Public Utilities law
unless some one was to attack it,
Colonel Ladue said.