Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-27
The Plight of the Car Lines.

The Plight of the Car Lines.
The able executives of the street car
corporations can always be counted
upon to furnish convincing testimony
regarding the bleak outlook confront
ing their lines. They are experts in
the art of describing hair shirts and
pointing to what is commonly known
as the brink of disaster. The state
ment from the Capital Traction Co.
replying to the Public Utilities Com
MISSIONS suggestion that other meth
DDS than boosting fares might be tried
to scotch dwindling revenues is q case
in point The Capital Traction Co.,
with skillful marshaling of facts and
figures, declares that higher fares have
not caused diminished patronage, but
that the blame rests on such factors
as taxicab competition, industrial de-
preston, low school fares and other
conditions that are not confined to
Washington, but have made themselves
felt on the street car industry as q
whole.
These facts are doubtless true. 1t is
also true that the street ear companies in
Washington have never shown any great
interest in any method of staving of
ruin except the expedient OF boosting
fares.
The loss Of patronage, whatever
causes it, is the wolf on the doorstep
Of the car lines today. But back In
1918, when Washington was jammed
with war workers and the street cars
were so smothered with riders that
Senator Norris was advocating removal
Of seats as unnecessary obstacles TO
straphangers, there was another but as
Ditiful q story as we hear today. At
that time the street cars were teetering
on the brink of disaster because OF
higher operating costs. Wages had
been raised, materials were scarce and
costly and steel was welded into shells,
bombs and battleships, instead Of into
plows and rails. The companies were
asking for . straight fve-oent fare as
an emergent rescue device and solemnly
abjuring the Public Utilities Commission
not to get their petition for higher fares
mixed up with such fantastic proposals
as universal transfers, which was
bridge that could be crossed when 1t was
reached. They got their f1ve-cent fare
and the Public Utilities Commission ex-
pressed the pleasant thought that it
would serve to increase revenues, and
permit the companies to improve service
and possibly grant free transfers.
But it did not. Soon the car lines
were back again, with figures drenched
in tears mere bitter than those which
bathed their petitions the year before.
Higher operating costs had been met
only partially by the latest fare boost
and, Of course, the matter Of free
transfers was so absurd that 1t could
not be discussed in any gathering OF
intelligent men. This time the petit
tons were based in part on the fact
that the flood OF war workers, which
had placed such q strain on the oper-
ating costs, was receding. Population
data were discussed at length. The
11ye-cent fare was wholly inadequate.
Another emergency must be met and
ut once and by the only method known
TO man, which Is to raise the fare.
II it has not been increased operating
costs, it has been lack Of patronage
II it has not been lack Of patronage, 1t
has been something else. And at no
time have the companies been willing
81 1f Haa MI lSr
worded higher fare petitions by such
extraneous discussions As merger Of the
lines, universal transfers, zone systems
or other methods that might attract
more customers.
The sad thing about the polemical
discussion between the Public Utilities
Commission and the street car cor
poratlonS Is that 1t promises to get
nowhere. Both sides are right. in their
arguments and their figures. But what
Is going to be the end Of it7 To blame
the taxicabS for loss Of patronage Is
perfectly natural, but nobody ever paid
much attention to the walls of the
buggy manufacturers when automO-
bAANo AANAN0oNas lag oSANES M hAASS
have new conditions to face. and moth
ing is to be gained from crying about
them. They are either going forward.
II they are going out. If they are les
ing popularity. they will not increase
it by making the service more expen-
siye. Every time the fare Is raised,
the gap seems 70 widen between what
they need and shat tney get Throw
ing more pSnnies into the cash box
is throwing good money after bad. No
body seems 10 profit.
The street car companies know how
10 fight. They have won many a good
battle for higher fares. Such energy
directed into the unexplored field Of
popularizing street car service ought to
show results. II 1t does not. the car
companies win soon be writing vale
dictories, instead Of petitions for higher
fare.
When noyelists quarrel they are likely
to show more talent for vigorous dia-