Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-25
ssWhat Do We Get for
Two Cents More Fare %
40 the Edltor Of The scar:

To the Editor of The star:
In return for the extra 2 cents per
ride which each passenger must pay IN
| the future, would like to know what
J the street railways of washington In
tend to give the riding public--n any
thing. Under existing conditions we
must travel in slow, old-faShioned cars
unable to make two traffic lights IN sue
/ cession and Keeling along from SIDE 10
| side like drunkards. It requires an
| hour, frequently more, to get from the
| suburbs into the city. The cars toooIe
along at 5 or 10 miles per hour, ana
about the only ability motormen seem
to have is changing the bell, ms tney
/ do at every available opportunity. for
instance, a machine pulls out from the
curb 200 feet ahead. There's no danger
of the trolley hitting 1t. 1t coulont
catch up to an auto 200 feet away II
| the operator broke his neck trying. Yet
( the motoTman fiercely slaps on MS
! brakes, jumps up and down on the gong
; like maniac, and acts as II gIeae
| catastrophe has been narrowly aVerteo.
Silly? Sure it is! But ride the cars
, and see how true 1t is.
| Here are some cold, hard facts for you:
In Baltimore q 10-cent fare has re-
Gently gone into effect. In return Tor
f, this the United Railways have pur-
chased $50 brand-new cars with all
modern improvements. Further, they
are remodeling their old cars for greater
speed in starting, running ana stop
ping. The new cars and alterations 10
/ those now in use will cost $3.50, 600
| this year. New tracks are being laid
and some routes heightened.
The Market Street Railway OF San
/ Francisco, operating on scent 1are,
with jitney competition, constructs and
puts into operation two new cars eacn
month. San Francisco is q city OF nils,
long and steep, yet within the last five
/ years this railway has increased ltS
speed IL per cent and reduced its acci-
dents 81 per cent In addition 1t has
increased the wages of its employees and
/ operates a special car for school chill
dren free of cost.
| The Brooklyn & Queens Transit Cor
/ poration has purchased 100 brand-new
cars, the City of Chicago has new cars
with twice the power OF old ones, the
/ city of-but why enumerate them? The
list would be too long.
In the meantime, where does Wash
| ington stand? Well, so far as I've been
able to find out, just about at the bot
tom. This city Is still running cars
which were built 20 years ago and
should have been junked 10 years ago.
cite as examples the Chevy Chase and
the H street northeast car lines. Their
| speed Is p1IlIuIly SLOW. n NUMBER Oh
| times I've Missed a car and raced 1t
to the next corner and caught it. And
/ let me state right here-Tm no sprinter.
! Nevertheless, I'll guarantee to walk
three blocks for every four a street car
i travels in the downtown section of this
city in busy hours.
| The newest cars we have are the one
man cars on Wisconsin avenue, owned
! by the Washington Railway 81 Electric
! Co. The latest type one-man cars can
! maintain schedule nearly as swift as
| the two-man cars. The Brookland one
man cars are very poor examples. AS
for the Capital Traction Co., it's been
anywhere from z to 10 years since
they've bought new rolling stock; they're
! too economical. In silent testimony
! whereof witness the attempt they made
! last year to reSurrect some of the Sum-
mer cars of quarter Of century ago.
! Slow as their modern CD cars are,
these miserable hulks were even slower.
Please note well that they did not put
them out again this year.
4 And yet we're to pay 10 cents to ride
in these quaint examples of Victorian
craftsmanship Well, wait until the
! Decent rate does go into effect--what
a harvest the taxicabs will reapl
| In the menatfme let us wait for a
| public answer from the two companies
to this question: What will we get for
our extra cents?
| WILLIAM DOYLE JOHNSON.