Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-07-29
Taxi War Points to Need
Of Street Car Merger

! To the Editor Of The Star:
With cut-rate taxi fares in vogue in
Washington. the street car companies
are in for a terrific fall The difference
in the quality of service given will just
about ruin them, and we already see
the railways sobbing loudly on the
shoulder of the Public Utilities Commits
sion about the unfair competition of
those naughty taxicabs-and, please,
can't they be spanked and made to be-
have?"
Such situations are ridiculous. No
other city in the world would tolerate
for minute such conditions as are now
put up with il the District. Washing
ton has grown up-it is time the city
donned its long pants and put an end
to this transportation nonsense. In my
opinion, not only are the policies now
pursued by the two car companies do
ing irrepaTable harm to the only sys-
tenn Of transportation suitable for large
cities, but they are also hindering and
warping' the development OF this city
to no small degree.
The dependence Of urban growth
upon transportation is an obvious fact.
Computations made in New York have
revealed that 81 per cent OF its Dor
ough population is concentrated in the
40 per cent area within a half mile on
either side of the rapid transit lines.
Now, O city must grow, and. clearly, 1t
can grow in but two directions-ver-
tically and horizontally. II the transit
city will extend outward; II otherwise,
distinct tendency toward skyscraping
will be shown.
Investigation has also revealed that
the transit policy of city determines
the strength of its apartment house
movement-there Is a direct ratio be-
tween the two. It is unnecessary, in
this connection, to point out how heav-
lily populated the downtown sections Of
Washington now are in comparison with
the suburbs or what numbers Of multi
family dwellings have been erected here
within the last five years. Haven't you
yourself noticed how many high build
ingS-that tend to hide the artistic
beauty of Washington-ar@ being con-
structed?
Studies recently conducted by the
National Capital Park ana Planning
Commission have indicated that, by
merging the two companies and laying
6 miles of new track, 16 miles of old
track could be strapped and $50 right
and left hand turns could be elm
mated. There is a sad lack of co-ordi-
nation between the local street railways,
the bus lines, the taxicab corporations
and the Traffic Bureau which should be
remedied. An example, you say? Kan
Sas City IS good one.
Municipal ownership lies under the
shadow of numerous failures. It has
seldom proved successful and its adop-
ton should be advocated with sensible
caution. Nevertheless, it may well be
noted that, despite an increase in fare,
the revenues of our two street railways
are constantly shrinking and that the
slight gains in profits their statements
have occasionally shown have been
caused, not by larger gross revenues. but
by O decrease in operating expenses.
And we all know that there Is a mini
mum in the reduction Of expenses be-
yond which 1t is unwise to 60.
It has been said in reference to the
methods followed by the Capital Trac-
ton Co. and the Wreco, "0ive them
plenty OF rope and they'll hang them
selves" True enough, but surely this is
just what we wish to avoid. These car
: lines are public property, whether or not
their investment represents private cap
ital, and their failure would damage
this city in q very real, substantial way.
| If they are nismanaged and their serv-
ice is poor, It is UP to us to apply the
proper correctives. Isn't 1t about time
" WILLIAM DOYLE JOHNSON,