Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24
Waiting for a Merger.

1nOSS WHO favor q merger Oh TIE
transportation lines in Washington,
and these include the general public,
the Public Utilities Commission and the
street car and bus corporations, must
have experienced some disappointment
on learning, through an interview with
Harley P. Wilson in The Star, that his
own renewal of efforts in behalf of q
merger is in some degree contingent
upon assurances that 1.-The new plan of
unification will be handled expedite
ously." For it is aificult to understand
how, under present conditions, any such
assurances can be given.
Congress in the past has jealousy
guarded its right to sanction merger
Of the lines, and there are no indica-
tions of change in policy from that
quarter. The failure by Congress to ap-
prove a merger agreement drawn by
the corporations resulted in the failure
the original merger proposal from the
viewpoint of protecting the interests of
thu public have never expressed any
gT,set regret over its failure. It seems
to be pretty generally conceded, out
side of the corporations themselves,
that it was good thing that the first
merger agreement did fail.
In the meantime, circumstances have
altered the conditions under which the
corporations may hope to tackle the
81 ~ ,, -,
approved. They have gone into court
and obtained higher rate of fare, when
the prospect of being able to stave on
q higher rate Of fare was one Of the
chief arguments originally used in be-
half of merger. 1t has been estab-
hshed that higher fare has not solved
the difficulties facing the car lines
Every time balance sheet Is drawn it
becomes more apparent that the street
cars must follow some other course
than at present pursued If they hope
TO recoup the losses in patronage al
ready sustained. The opinion Is justi-
ned that when the corporations seek q
merger next time they win be seeking
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The merger shoe, in other words, is
on the other foot. The public was eager
for the first merger proposal, for 1t held
out some offer, however intangible, Of a
lower rate of fare and better and more
convenient service. With something to
promise, the corporations had some
thing to bargain with.
What have they to bargain with now?
In the last rate hearings the Public
Utilities Commission, with q merger
plan of It's own, introduced the subject
Of merger as a possible alternative to
higher fares, and for its pains had such
talk labeled by learned counsel for the
companies as speculative and hypotheti-
cal. All of which it may have been.
But II it was then, it is now. And with
mere speculative and hypothetical bene-
Ats TO result from merger, it stands to
reason that the public, with nothing to
gain and having already lost, viii be
prepared to drive good bargain II there
is an opportunity to do so. Congress
has no intention Of delegating its power
70 examine the bargain.
OF course there should be a merger
Of the car lines. It Is wasteful and
inefficient not to combine the citys
transportation agencies and under CEN
tralized authority and unified control
use them for the convenience and the
greatest benefit Of the public. But the
companies cannot hope that either the
public or the Congress viii come on
Bonded knees and petition them to
draft merger plan, assuring them that
it will be quickly approved. The atti-
tude of the public and Of Congress now
Is. rather, What have you to offer, and
what can you say in its behalf?" 1t is
TO be hoped that the companies will
respond.