Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-02-23
NOONAN PLUNCES INTO CRUSADE
FOR LOWER CAR FARE FOR PUPILS
European Trip Cut Short
to Make Fight in Mer-
ger Situation.
Maps Made at Own Expense
Show Need Throughout
City.

John J. Noonan, whose independent
advertising broadside against "bie
utility syndicates' created extraordinary
interest during the fight on the "Wil.
son" merger of the traction lines, has
laid plans for a similar crusade In be-
half of another minority-this time
composed not of small stockholders
of the street railways, but of small
customers
The small customers in whose de.
Tense Mr.. Noonan has stepped forward
ington.
Interrupting a tour of Europe when
he learned by cable of Developments
in the traction situation favorable to
the cause of reduced fares for students
Mr.. Noonan caught the first boat home
and arrived in time to fire his opening
gun at a Senate hearing last Friday
AS ammunition in his newest drive
Mr.. Noonan has marshaled an impos-
ing array of figures and facts calculated
to break down opposition to lowered
rates for school children and, to use
his own words, "even to move hardened
senses of Wall Street"
1.-THE fight already is won!" Noonan
declared yesterday during an inter-
view in the document-Strewn study OF
his comfortable home in Cleveland
Park.
1--WE got them licked already. Look
at this stuff I've got together here
He indicated pile of typewriter
papers, press clippings, printed con-
greSSional reports and miscellaneous
data on the big desk before him. Then
he unrolled a big map.
Map Shows Schools.
See here. This is a map of the city
with all the schools marked in red
Those circles there are mile zones
This shows you how far some of these
tots have to travel to go to school. Over
here in Congress Heights, for instance,
some Of the youngsters go two or three
miles to their classes"
At his own expense, Mr.. Noonan
has ordered more than TOO of these
maps made, one of which will be given
to each member of Congress.
II understand that more than 1000
children pay fare both ways In going
to and from school," he said. Some
of those boys and girls are from needy
families. Their parents are in want
They can't afford to pay carefare like
that. don't see how some of those
people get along at ALL
Incidentally, I've dug up a lot OF
statistics on what it costs to live in
Washington, and on the health condi-
tons among the under-privileged
classes
Dropping the map, he picked up a
newspaper clipping.
This shows what I mean. DR.. Fow-
Ter says here that 81 per cent Of our
$1,000 school children have physical
defects. About one-third of them are
anemic, undernourished. Yet they
compel these poor little ones to pay
money to the street car companies that
they need to feed their thin bodies. It's
an outrage.
1t was plain that John ]. Noonan's
Irish was up"
Born in Xenia. Ohio, SIS years ago,
Of sturdy stock from the old country,
John j. inherited a spirit of aggres-
Siveness and determination that has
stood him in good stead in many a
battle. And he has been through num-
erous struggles during his colorful
career. Now that he has reached the
point where he no longer needs worry
over where the next weeks wage is
coming from, he feels the urge to mix
In as champion Of others yet engaged
In the struggle.