Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-11-11
Zones for Street Car
Fares Suggested

To the Editor Of The Star:
Inasmuch as the taxicab war has
been instrumental in bringing the
naughty and heretofore unreasonable
street car corporations to their knees
and beg for mercy and relief. 1t seems
to me that now is the time to talk
business straight from the shoulder.
In the Thursday November 81 is
sue Of The Star, Mr. Roberts, the as.
sistant counsel for the Public Utilities
Commission, is hitting close to the cor
rect solution. Then r. B. Keech, peo-
pies counsel of the District of Column
bia, in the Sunday issue November
81, in an outstanding, mastery dis
cussion. clearly and forcibly presents
the only solution of this veXatious sub
ject, i. e., establish and operate a 5
and 10 cent zone.
All persons interested must remem-
De,. that Justice and fair dealing from
| both sides must prevail or the result
| will be piffle.
If the street car corporations will put
their property in good condition, rem
der first-cl service and establish a
and 10 cent fare they will have no
more worries about DIVIDENDS ana
peace will reign throughout Washing
| ton. Now let us consider those three
requirements.
First. the condition Of the property.
In front of my home, situated at l34O
| Pennsylvania avenue southeast, the
street car tracks are like unto noun
tain trail or a rolling sea wave. Low
joints and fiat wheels make the pas
sengers sea sick. A ride on the Sew
enteenth and Pennsylvania avenue
southeast Ger from Eighth to Seven
tenth streets southeast will prove this
statement.
Second, the service is worse than
the roadbed, if that can be possible.
II we are uptown and want to come
hcme, and that situation confrontS US
at least once a day, sometimes O1tener,
we have to stand and wait in the mid
die of the street anywhere from 10 to
80 minutes, cutie often in the broillng
sun or pouring down rain or piercing
| cold wind. while traffic of every de-
| scription is rushing by within inches
| of us and not one thing to protect US
but the kindly regards of the traffic
drivers. When our car does come
rambling along down the avenue, it IS
! like as not to have sign displayed
saying "car fulr' and pass us by. Then
we have to wait all over again until
a car does come along on which we
may be able to climb and after being
held up by the conductor for token
or a dime we have the privilege OF
| LldIlBllS VII W SULdp II VIC arc 1oiA
enough to reach one and also provtd-
ing there are enough straps. Can the
street car operators blame the pas
sengers for seeking some other means
| Of transportation?
Third, the fare should be based upon
, the service rendered by the street car.
If passenger travels 10 miles 1t stands
to reason, without any argument, that
he should be made to pay more than
the passenger who only travels 5 miles.
That is an axiom. Do the street car
corporations of Washington practice
that system? The street car corpora
lions demand that the taxicabs install
meters. Why not let the street cars
install meters also? 1t would be quite
easy to install system whereby the
conductor would know, when a pas
senger wanted to get off car, just
how far he had travelled and how much
money he should pay for the service he
had received A system of this kind
would insure honesty on the part of
the employees, increase the number Of
patrons and guarantee a profit to the
| operating company.
C. G.. DEGMAN.