Evening star., 1934-02-17
HANNA PROMISES
TRACTION CRITICS
!; BETTER SERVICE
Policy of ignoring Riders
Denied at Congressional
Hearing.
STAGGERED HOURS PLAN
DECLARED UNFEASIBLE
Dozen Irate Patrons Score Merged
System-NoiseleSS Cars Pre-.
dicted When Perfected.


A promise to give Washington bet
ter street car service was made last
night by John H. Hanna, president
of the Capital Transit Co., after a
dozen irate car riders had denounced
existing transportation conditions at
a hearing before the Public Utilities
Subcommittee Of the House District
Committee. Several hundred persons
crowded the spacious caucus room in
the House Ofice Building.
Hanna listened attentively as the
Car riders fired a barrage of criticism
against the car service. and then at
tempted to answer each individual
complaint. He admitted. however,
many OF the complaints we're justi-
fed and that the service was far from
satisfactory, hut declared the COM
pany is striving to provide Washington
with a mass transportation system
that will rank among the best in the
country.
ANY statement that this company
is working on public damned
policy is wrong" Hanna declared We
hemently. This company is run
with the prime purpose Of giving sat-
isfactory service, otherwise it could
never make money. 1t is going to
give better service"
Lists Handicaps.
Hanna, denying that he was at
tempting to offer any alibis, blamed
existing conditions on a combina-
tion of circumstances, some of which
he said were completely out of control
Of the company.
Briefly, he outlined these factors as
contributing to the poor service:
l. Icy conditions of the streets
which have pulled plows" in the
underground conduits.
2. Abnormal increase in sickness
among trainmen.
8. Traffic lights on car line streets
4. Double parking in the congeSted
area.
Hanna insisted the company had
sufficient rolling stock to meet pres
ent demands, although some of it is
becoming obsolete and will be re-
placed as soon as street car manufac-
turers develop modern car of the
noiseless type with quick acceleration
He predicted such a car would be
developed before the close Of the year.
EIgen Agrees.
Riley E. Elgen, acting chairman of
the Public Utilities Commission, also
admitted car service is far from salts
factory, but declared the commission
would leave mo stone unturned to give
Washington the best service possible "
He said a marked improvement would
come as soon as the car lines are
Terouted.
The hearing was conducted by
Representative Black, Democrat OF
New York, chairman of the Public
Utilities Subcommittee. The other
two members of his committee did not
attend. Richmond B. Keech, peoples
counsel before the Utilities Commits
sion, and William A. Roberts, assistant
corporation counsel assigned to util-
ities, sat with Black at the committee
table.
The attack on the car company be-
EO1l dG bllC OuOSEb VI lllE
when Edward j. Roche of the Central
Labor Union denounced the service
as vicious" and "deplorable" He
also criticized the use of one-man
cars and said it had been surprising
TO him that the necks of passengers
who ride on them had not been
broken.
Since adoption of the weekly pass
system, Roche declared the company
had assumed an attitude of we've
got your money, now wait or walk. "
There is no reason under the sun. -
he said, why Washington cannot get
good service"
Michael D. Schafer, president of
the District Department of the Amer
lean Federation Of Government En-
ployes, offered a number of sugges-
tions for improving service. These
included:
Staggered hour plan of opening
and closing Government depart
ments, rerouting of lines, front load
ing of passengers holding passes, ex-
tension Of the skip-Stop system, bet
ter equipment, better trained motor
men, abolition of one-man cars and
near-side car stops wherever pos
sible.
H. G. Clark criticized the system of
marking the designation of cars and
advocated the use of busses in the
congested area. He pointed out that
when one car breaks down, the entire
line is crippled, whereas such a con-
dition would not occur if one bus be-
came disabled
KenilwOrth Protests.
Service in KenilWorth was con-
demned by John S. Driggers, repre-
senting the citizens association of
that community. He said Kenilworth
has a 15-minute service during rush
hours and a Commute service the
rest of the time.
Resolutions adopted by the District
Federation of Federal Employees con-
demning the car service were present.
ed by Edgar Graham, who said his
organization had been disappointed in
the merger of the car lines in so far
ss service Is concerned.
C. G. Degman complained that
some Of the cars now in service suf-
fered with the rheumatic" when he
was born SIS years ago. He demand
ed new deal" from the Car COM
pany.
Margaret c. Bush accused the car
company of being in competition with
the manufacturers of electric refrig-
orators, and said the cars are 50 cold
at times she found it almost necessary
to carry a blanket.
H L. Bushong centered his attack
On the operation of the cars. He de-
elared passengers are shaken up,
sarTed and thrown around in the
Aisles.
Complaints against service also
were made by F. A. Porterfield and
Miss Mary Lewis.
Hanna Answers.
Hanna, in answer to specific sug-
eestions and criticisms of the wit
nesseS, said the company would give
consideration to the proposal to per-