Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-01


discussing the problems confronting thr
street car companies OF WASHINGTON. The
merit dTttcfe uiH appear tomorrow.
Discouraged over the failure of thu
Public Utilities Commission to put ap
end to the cutthroat taxicao competi.
ton. William F. Ham, president of toe
washington Railway &c Electric Co.
does not believe that any serious steos
can be taken by the car company AZ
this time to regain lost business BY
making car riding more popular.
Mr.. Ham. in an interview with
representative of The Star, took the
position it would be nothing short Ct
folly to spend thousands, perhaps sew
eral millions of dollars. for new anf
modern equipment to improve service
With the future of the traction situa.
ton so uncertain. Shouts the UtiItiee
Commission, however, give definite as
surance that 1t will undertake to regil
late the taxicabs as a competitive fac
tor In the mass transportation bust
ness, then his company plans to make
an honest effort to get the public bach
into the street car riding habit.
Right now, though, the traction ON
Gals are not in a happy frame of mind
Their attitude might be called pessi
mistic, and the taxicabs that are eve.
increasing in number are to blame. A,
so have the revenues of the car com.
panies fallen almost in proportion.
$4,000 w. r.. and E. Loss.
In the case of the Washington Rail.
way & Electric Co., 1t lost SAG, 900 dur.
ing August: in September the loss was
the same. For the first II days of DC.
tober, when the last check was made
the loss averages $1,812 day, or, fig.
uring that for 81 days in October, the
loss will amount to $4,000. That 10
an alarming loss in revenue
The Capital Traction Co. shared a
similar fate. It's losses in July wers
$3.984, in August $4,000, in September
$48, 900.
1t is a matter of history that for 20
years-ever since the automobile began
to assume Importance in urban traffic
the electric railway industry has beer
struggling through various stages of ad.
juStment. There have been times In
the past when the leaders of the indus.
try were inclined to waver in their
faith in the future, and when convic.
ton was strong in the public mind that
street cars were obsolete, or at least
obsolescent.
The industry first survived the Wild
cat jitneys. Next the motor bus was
hailed as the modern cure-all for mass
transportation ills. Then came increas-
ing costs of operation and fare adjust.
ment which the car companies wealth.
cred.
What has been true of the industry
as whole, also has been true in Washs
ington. But now the Washington com.
panieS are faced with a new menace Il.
the cheap-rate taxicabs
Regardless of their pessimistic out.
look, Mr.. Ham and others are unan-
imous on one point-that the street
railway lines are here to stay. A city
of the size of Washington, it is pointed
out, cannot scrap its car lines and de-
pend on motor buses, or even taxicabs,
for mass transportation.
Situation Called Trying.
Mr.. Ham admits his company is pass
ing through trying" situation. but he
is confident there will be decided inn
provement as soon as the Utilities Com
mission breaks the existing strangle-
hold of taxicab competition.
Solution of the taxicab problem,
| though it be the major item toward
| restoration of street railway operations
to a profitable business, is not the only
| factor involved, according to Mr. Ham,
He insists that the companies must
have the cooperation of the regulatory
agencies, which, he declared, is lacking
! now. The lack of this cooperation, he
! said, is big handicap in the proper
and profitable operation of the strees
railways, but it is something over which
the companies have absolutely no con-
| troll.
For instance, Mr.. Ham declared, II
the car companies go to Congress for
remedial legislation for their ills, they
get the big stick" If the companies
go to the commission for assistance,
instead OF receiving sympathetic con-
sideration. they must fight and fight
hard. Should the companies be fortu-
nate enough to win point, the COM
mission, he declared, endeavors to create
unfavorable public reaction. He cited
the fight of the companies for a 10-cent
cash fare as an Illustration. The COM
mission, he charged, did everything
possible to make the 10-cent fare I'M
popular with the public.
This lack Of cooperation, according
to Mr.. Ham, also extends to the Com
missloners and the traffic authorities
Regulations which vitality affect the
operating schedules of the car lines, hs
said, are adopted without regard to the
car companies. Likewise, he declared
trafic lights are installed, without con-
sideration for the effect they might
have on car schedules.
Motorists Disregard.
LII hQQlIlOn 10 all OF LnlS. MI. Ham
points out, the motorist shows little If
any regard for the street cars. He
drives on the right of way. ties up or
delays the cars and nothing is done
about it. In other words, the motorist.
IN Mr.. Hams opinion, is given primary
consideration, the street cars are sec
ondary; all this in sharp contrast TO
conditions some years ago, he cited,
when street car had the right of way
over all vehicles with the exception of
ambulances and fire apparatus.
Eliminate these handicaps and reg
ulate the unregulated taxicabs, and Mr.
Ham believes the street car business
will return to the place 1t deserves IN
the commercial life Of Washington. He
thinks the public too, will return to the
habit of car riding If it is made more
attractive, with new and more modern
equipment, and schedules are speeded
up by the elimination of unnecessary
traffic lights and other obstacles
But Mr. Ham insists If present con-
ditions continue, his company will be
forced to make a reduction in the cost
of operation. Those reductions in
cost" he said. may be such as win i'm
pair the facilities of the company as to
structures and equipment They may
be such as Will call for lessening OF
services rendered the public. or they
may require wage reductions or all
If 1t Is recognized by the commits
sion and the public that there should
be continuance of the operation of
mass transportation agencies, whether
80 Asr~a =. a.