Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-02-04
QUESTION
TO DECIDE # CAR
LINE |SABANDONED
R. L. May Awaits Answer of
ArIington-Fa Directors
on Sharing Repair.
ALEXANDRIANS NOT
OPPOSED TO CHANGE
Discrimination Against Virginians
on Terminal Rights Charged
to Utilities Body.

Final answer of the board of direc-
tors OF the Arlington-Fairfax Railway
Co. concerning the possibility of that
! line putting up one-half of 100000
for track reconstruction within this city
was all that stood in the way this
morning of r. l.. May, owner of the
Mount Vernon, Alexandria & Wash
ington Railway Co., notifying the Pub
lie Utilities Commission that he will
abandon operations of the Alexandria
street car line within the District.
Mays final decision will determine
whether or not the Arlington-F Fairfax
line will continue to operate within the
city, as the latter line uses the tracks
and terminal of the Alexandria road.
If May reaches decision to abandon
operations in Washington, which he
stated this morning he felt was the
only alternative left to him, he will
abandon operations of the Alexandria
line in its entirety, and make applica
tion to the State Corporation Commits
sion of Virginia to do so at once.
No Alexandria Opposition.
Such a petition is not expected to
meet with any opposition from Alex
andria authorities, as May last night
addressed meetings of the City Coun-
Gil and the Chamber of Commerce of
that city, explaining his position, and
it was the consensus of opinion that
abandonment was the only course left
open to him.
Decision to abandon is expected to
be forced on May by two factors, one
of which was the refusal of the Public
Utilities Commission to allow a re-
routing of his tracks so that he might
cross Pennsylvania avenue at Four
tenth street. and the other the an
ticIpated inability of the directors of
the Arlington Fairfax line to give him
definite assurance that they would bear
one-haf of the estimated cost of APP
proXimately 100000 necessary to re-
construct tracks and provide a new
terminal here.
In the event of abandonment here a
bill will be Immediately drafted and
presented to Congress, May has stated,
to reimburse him for his tracks. termi-
nal and franchise to operate a street
carry with it an appropriation OF ap-
proximately $250,000, it has been stated
by Mr.. May.
One Of Oldest Car Lines.
The Alexandria line, which was
established about 1894, is one of the
oldest trolley lines in existence. The
Mount Vernon division of the road,
which was first constructed, was aban-
doned last March and the right of way
sold to the Federal Government for use
of the Mount Vernon Boulevard. Since
that time only the Alexandria,
ington portion has been in operation.
May assured the civic bodies at Alex
andria last night that in the event of
abandoning the line he would be in
position to provide adequate bus trans
portation to take care of the traffic of
the car line. He owns the Alexandria,
Bancroft and Washington Rapid Transit
Co., which operates the bus line be-
tween this city and Alexandria. APP
proXimately "a new buses, to be OF 80
passenger capacity, will be needed to
take care of the additional traffic.
The Arlington line, it was stated by
P. E. Dewey, superintendent, last night,
would continue operations into RoSSlyn,
making that the main terminal instead
of branch as at present, in the event
of the abandonment of the lower Four
tenth street trackage.
The county line is owned by citizens,
who put up 100000 several years ago
when it was about to go into the hands
of a receiver. Today the line stands
the people about $2O5,OOO, including a
first mortgage.
Discrimination Charged.
Charges of discrimination against
VirginiapS were made against the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commission by A.
K. Shipe, attorney for the railway COM
pany, and DR.. Julius Parmalee, vice
president of the concern, in a statement
to The Star.
the presence of and with the confirma-
ton of DR.. Parmalee, Gen. Mason M
Patrick, chairman, and Harleigh H.
Hartman, a member of the Utilities
Commission, advised the two railways
that they must repair the right of way
from Highway Bridge into Washington
and that they must abandon the
Twelfth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. terminal.
I'VE asked them where we should es-
tablish our terminal" Mr.. Shipe told
The Star, land We were told it was not
the business of the Public Utilities Com
mission to provide terminals. We asked
how soon this program would have to
go into effect, and We were told 'imme-
diately.'"
Mr.. Shipe declared: eff this program
is carried out it places us in a dilemma.
We want to continue carrying our pas
sengers into the heart of the city, and
we see no reason why the people of Vir-
ginia should be Disseminated against
while the Maryland people use the
Washington, Baltimore & Annapolis
electric line.