Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-08-09
LACK OF TERMINAL
MAY FORCE ROADS
FROM WASHINGTON
Arlington and Fairfax Line
Abandonment Seen as
Possibility.
VIRGINIA INVESTORS
LOSS SET At $4,000
Slump in Value of Homes Along
Route Forecast Unless New
Station Site Is Given.

II the District refuses to permit the
location of a new terminal north of
Pennsylvania avenue for the railroads
which will be forced from the terminal
at Twelfth and ID streets by the Federal
building program, the Arlington 81
Fairfax Railroad Co. will be compelled
to abandon its lines in Arlington and
Fairfax Counties. it was said today by
julius II. Parlelee. director Of the
Bureau OF Railway Economics and di-
rector OF the railway company.
Abandonment of the line, Mr.. Par
melee said, would completely wipe out
investments totalLng $50, 900 which have
been made in the line by residents of
the two counties and will cause severe
property loss to many home owners I'm
which are not served by adequate high
ways.
Line Not Replacable.
Because the line operates across open
country far from motor highways, Mr.
Parmelee said, its service cannot be
replaced readily by either automobile
or bus service, and its failure would
hurt many residents of the two coun-
ties who depend on the line for trans
portation into Washington, where many
are employed.
"a large part Of the communities
served by the Arlington and Fairfax
Railway" Mr.. Parmelee said, "are not
located on or near highways, where
motor bus service could be supplied
were the railway line abandoned. Many
the line OF the railway and would suf-
fer serious loss
1T would be inevitable, however, I'M
less the company can operate cars
across Pennsylvania avenue into the
district where its patrons can. easily
reach the Government Offices and the
department stores and shops"
If the railway is abandoned, he said,
the value of hundreds of homes along
its lines will be decreased greatly. and.
without better roads to some of these
communities. many homes would have
to be sold so that these families could
locate near other transportation sys-
TENS.
would Congest Trafic."
whether by bus or automobile" he
declared, their shift 70 another agency
OF transportation viii further increase
traffic congestion in downtown wash
ington. The investment Of $50, 900 by
the residents of Arlington and Fairfax
Counties viii be completely wiped out.
because the salvage from the railway
| property will not be sufi1cient to pay
the first mortgage, and holders Of the
second mortgage bonds win suffer total
| loss"
The Arlington q Fairfax Railway Co.
which regards the Twelfth and ID
streets terminal as its most important
terminal, though 1t also uses terminal
! at Rosslyn. Is the successor Of the old
Washingto Virginia Railway, whose
| properties were sold under foreclosure
| In 1927.
Electric rain service on the company's
lines in the two Virginia counties has
existed for 80 years, Mr.. Parmelee said
When the Washington Virginia Rail-
way Co. failed, Mr.. Parmelee explained.
group of men and women residents Of
the two counties living along the lines
| raised more than $4,000 In cash.
bought the railway, placed first mort
gage on it and have been operating the
| line since 1927.
Deficit In 1880.
The Arlington & Fairfax Railway Co.
earned q total revenue Of $234,050 in
1890; handled 2,404,686 revenue pas
| Sengers at an average fare OF 9.45 cents
per passenger; paid $l23, 1928 in salaries
and wages; paid the Potomac Electric
Power Co. total of $685. for power
purchased; paid an aggregate of $9,067
In taxes, and ended the year with q net
deficit, after interest charges had been
paid, of $5984.
None of the officers or directors Of
| the company, MIR. Parmelee said, has
ever received compensation for their
services. The local Virginia investors,
| who took second mortgage bonds in re-
| turn for their cash investment of $780,
900, have averaged less than 2 per cent
per year on their investment.
ITO a very large extent" he ex-
planned, "the Arlington Is Fairfax Rail-
way can be regarded as community
enterprise, operated on an economical
and eftlcient basis, and serving the pub
| lie on an almost non-profit basis"
The company owns "a miles OF line,
but its own trackage stops at Arlington
Junction, Va. From that point, 1t
operates over the tracks of the Mount
Vernon, Alexandria & washington
| Railway Co., across Highway Bridge
to the terminal at Twelfth and ID
those tracks.
THE value of the railway and its
service to Washington" Mr.. Parmelee
said, lies in the fact that it brings
into and takes out of the Capital City
q large number of Government en-
ployes, other workers, and shoppers.
More than 5000 workers and shoppers
are daily brought into washington by
the company. and are returned to their
homes at the END Of each day.
Special shoppers tickets are sold at
reduced rates on Tuesday and Friday
Of each week.
"S00 Passengers Daily"
During the 81 minutes between 500
and S:57 am. on week days, Mr..
Parmelee said, the company runs 10
cars into the terminal at Twelfth and
ID streets. discharging an average of
between 400 and 500 passengers. These
are in addition to passengers who leave
the cars at the Bureau of Engraving
and Printing, Department Of Agricul-
ture and other stops between Highway
Bridge and the terminal.
Between 4:20 and $40 pm. IL cars
Of the line leave the terminal and by
actual count q day or two ago carried
510 passengers. They were followed on
the same day by another car leaving at
$50 which carried so additional pas
sengers.
Ofncers and directors OF the COM
pany, Mr.. Parmelee said, have drawn
up several alternative plans for guild
ance when the company finally Is forced
out OF the Mall Triangle. Unless the
line is granted terminal space north Of
the avenue, however, he said. these
plans are virtually worthless, and. in
his opinion, the line is doomed 20
failure.
A proposal that the W., D. a. A.
terminal, 1t Twelfth street and New
a. -. -. 49,