Evening star., 1934-08-26
BY JESSE C. SUTER.

~ RONOUNCED objection was
voiced by civic leaders last
Wednesday against starting
4 rerouting hearings by the
Public Utilities Commission
September 10. 1t was contended
at the conference called by w. A.
Roberts, peoples counsel, that not
enough time had elapsed since the
various rerouting plans were made
public to permit citizens to make
an intelligent study of them. Fur
thermore, as all of the civic organi-
sations have been inactive during
the Summer there has been no op-
portunity for transportation and
public utilities committees to get
the views of the membership as to
the proposed route changes. Presi-
dent Yaden forcefully expressed
the opinion of most Of those in
attendance when he remarked that
since we have been waiting at least
20 years for rerouting of a unified
transportation system it will do no
harm to wait another month.
Col. A. B. Barber, chairman Of
the Board of Trade Transportation
Committee, indicated his commit
tee was not yet ready and said
consideration of the rerouting
plans should be deferred until
completion Of the tabulation of the
origin and destination survey.
There was a fair representation
of the various neighborhoods at
the conference, but a number of
associations were not represented.
1t was apparent to every one that
Mr.. Roberts had mapped out
entirely too large a program for
one evening. The session conttn-
ued till midnight and there was
scant opportunity for a number Of
people to discuss features in which
they and their sections were par
ticularly interested. Mr.. Roberts
sought TO get the consensus to
guide him in his presentation Of
the peoples case at the hearing.
In this connection he asked Spe-
cifically as to the attitude toward
abandoning the car tracks, within
Vic >AOb1 NV OAA CANAAOA VA bObA4 WIZ
Connecticut avenue and Wisconsin
avenue lines. No one advocated
these changes and the peoples
counsel announced he would be
governed by this disapproval.
President Richardson of the
Congress Heights Citizens Associa-
ton asked that the present routing
to that section be retained as being
the most satisfactory they have
ever had Some of the proposed
new routes met with the approval
of representatives from the two
ends of the lines, but experienced
d1f1culty when the downtown part
OF the route was reached. From
many sections a desire was shown
to have q route which would put
them where they want to go with
out the trouble of change of cars.
President King of the Conduit
Road Citizens Association insisted
that the people Of his section were
as much interested in better serv-
ice as in rerouting. Each time he
discussed rerouting as affecting his
section he spoke OF the undulating
trackage and also of a car recently
losing a wheel on that division Of
the line.
BY far the most earnest and ag-
gressive delegation present was that
from Sixteenth street highlands.
These gentlemen advocated sub
way system which Mr.. Roberts
estimated would cost many millions
Of dollars. Their idea is based
upon the belief that this will event.
ually be required to serve the heavy
trafiic demands, not only Of the
District, but the rapidly developing
sections in Maryland to the north
Of the District.
President Yaden promptly de-
clared his opposition to any such
plan, the cost Of which would have
to come out Of the pockets Of the
District people, no matter how
financed. Chairman Clayton joined
in this opposition and declared that
costs Of modern transportation sys-
TENS should not be permitted to
require the increase of the present
real estate tax rate above the pres
ent $3.50.