Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-22
BUS COMPETITION
|. FLAYED AS UNF AIR
Highway Traffic Group at
Alexandria Hears of
Need for Laws.

| Special Dispatch to The Star.
ALEXANDRIA, Va. July 22.-De-
nunciation Of the unfair competition"
Of Unrestricted and unregulated" oper-
alton of buses and trucks, resulting in
hazardous condition for public traffic
| on the highways of the State and
country" was voiced by seven speakers
| at mass meeting OF the Association
| for Regulation of Commercial Highway
| Traffic here last night.
The need of State laws restricting the
number of hours operators OF buses and
trucks may work and of Federal inspec-
| ton Of all of the running parts of
| trucks and busses to make the high
/ ways safe for public traffic" was pointed
| out by E. C. DAWSON; secretary and
tres surer of the International Associa-
ton of Machinists. He stated that in
designations have shown that many ac-
cidents have been caused by fatigue of
! operators working long hours.
Buses Impose on Public.
Dan S. Hollenga, business manager of
the local Chamber of Commerce, drew
attention to the fact that while rail-
ways pay for their own right of way.
| buses and trucks III the State were
Using the $50, 900 miles of right of way
which the people built and paid for.
while jeopardi2ing the safety Of the
| people at the same time.
I'VE are not primarily interested in
! competition" said Mr. Hollenga. Hon
est competition makes the wheels of
/ business so around But we are inter-
ested i'll unfair competition: and we
| want safety and comfort on our high
ways for all citizens OF the United
| States"
Mayor Edmund F.. TIGER cited the dan
ger of anything that will tend to break
down the transportation facilities of
| the country He stated that bus and
| truck operation should be restricted
and regulated in the same manner as
| railways.
las long as trucks are going to stay
every effort possible should be made to
put them under regulatory powers" he
said.
Railway Men Spend Less.
Showing that the present condition
| in regard to railroads affects the mer-
chants of the city as we'll as the rail-
! road men, Mayor TIGER pointed cut that
4, there was a decrease OF 1926, 900 in the
amount of money spent by railroad men
in Alexandria in 1880 in comparison
with that spent in 1929. The sum Of
| s4450,000 was spent in 1929, against
! S4,l25, 900 in 1880. and the first six
months o. 1881 show a greater decrease
! than the entire IL months of the two
previous years, he stated.
Fred L. Link, representative OF the
r.. F. &, P. Railway. said that buses
and trucks are removing the cream OF
| the traffic and leaving the skim milk
| of transportation for the railroads. He
stated that the gross income of his road
| had been cut so per cent in the last
year.
Railways Assured Of Aid.
| Stating tina. merchants and business
men of railroad towns have not realized
that by patroniZing and encouraging
/ truck competition they have brought
about a smaller pay roll for their many
railroad customers. o. W. Strohkorb,
! legislative representative of the Broth
erhood of Locomotive Engineers and
| Firemen. showed the effect OF truck
competition uDCn the merchants of a
railroad citv Ike Alexandria.
c. Page Waller. president OF the Re-
tail Merchants Association of Alexan-
dria. advised the meeting that the as
ISOLATION was behind the railroad men
| in any action they can take to remedy
their situation Hugh Reid, member Of
! the House of Delegates from Arlington
! County. said that if the motor bus was
displacing the railways on fair terms 1t
should not be interfered with: but. he
added. he believed there were certain
elements of unfairneSs in the present
competition in regard to labor condi-
/ tions and safety restrictions.
4, The meeting was presided over by t.
lie. McEwan. shop accountant OF the
! Fruit Growers Express Co.