Evening star., 1935-10-29
c. 7. c. SHIFTS BUS
LOOP WHEN PUCH
ORDERS ARRESTS
Montgomery Prosecutor Re-
fuses 3O-Day Stay Urged
by State Body.
VEHICLES MAKE TURN
ON WASHINGTON SIDE
Only Those Equipped With Mary.
land Tags Make Full Swing
at Chevy Chase.

Forced out of Maryland by the
ruling of States Attorney James H.
Pugh of Montgomery County. Capital
Transit Co. busses, unequipped with
Maryland license tags and permits.
stopped looping Chevy Chase Circle
today and established new terminal
along the west curb of Connecticut
avenue below the District line.
Threats of Pugh to arrest the driver
of every bus unlicensed to operate in
Maryland who entered the State by
looping the circle caused the transit
company to locate the new loading
zone within the District.
Refuses to Relent.
Pugh refused to relent in his de-
termination to enforce the ruling, de-
spite the action of the Maryland
Public Service Commission late yes
terday in giving its permission to the
busses to loop at the circle without
interference for another 80 days while
difficulties IN the way Of operation
were worked out. A few hours after
the commissions decision he issued
orders for the arrest of any driver
who defied the ruling.
The commissions position was an
nounced after conference with John
H Hanna. president Of the transit
company. and several other officials,
who went to Baltimore to protest
against Pughs ruling. Hanna was
told that the commission would not
issue an operating franchise for the
buses that merely loop the circle
and do not run any farther into
Maryland during the 30-day period.
This move was designed to prevent
the commissioner of motor vehicles
of Maryland from requiring license
tags for these busses.
ForestaIls Commission.
The refusal of Pugh to agree to
such an arrangement. however, vir-
tually tied the hands of the commits
sion and compelled the transit COM
pany to make hasty preparations fer
a terminal within the District. Com
missioner Harper of the Maryland
| could be taken. especially in view of
ruling of Attorney General Herbert
r. O'Conor that the buses must be
registered in Maryland for even an
operation around Chevy Chase Circle.
The new terminal below the circle
has created somewhat of traffic haz-
ard because busses without Maryland
tags are making a U-turn in the arc
to the south of the circle. Those
equipped with Maryland tags are con-
tinuing to loop the circle.
Traffic Director William A. Van
Duzer; his assistant. NJ. o. Eldridge,
and Richmond B. Keech. member OF
the Public Utilities Commission. OBJ
served the operation at the circle dur
ing the rush period this morning.
Van Duzer said he did not believe the
busses would cause any serious traffic
situation at that point as long as a
traffic officer is kept on duty Police
Supt. Ernest w. Brown has been re-
9uested to keep an officer stationed
at that post until the bus parking
problem is permanently solved.
Study to Be Made.
Keech indicated the Utilities Com
mission intended to make study of
the situation to determine whether
rerouting of some of the circle
bound buses might aid in reducing
he congestion of busses below the cir
Gle. especially during the rush periods.
Hanna told the Maryland commits
oot
be "manifestly unfair" to force his
company to equip the busses which
loop the circle with Maryland license
tags and permits. He pointed out
that compliance with Pugh's ruling
would cost the company an addi-
tional $4,000 year for the 70
buses that terminated at the circle.
and that the company would derive
no additional revenue from the IN.
vestment.
Hanna also explained the principal
objection to the buses was the lay
over at the circle. This situation, he
said, would be improved in the near
future under new schedule being
worked out by the transit company
to eliminate a number of the lay
overs.
Terminal Not Possible.
A permanent solution, Hanna point
ed out. would be the erection of a
modern terminal on the Maryland
side of the circle which would serve
both the buses operating in the Dis
trict and those in Maryland. This
..1- L. IA -
carried out at the present time.
Hanna also argued for a terminal
on the Maryland side of the line on
the ground that it would be con-
venience for about 500 bus riders who
live in the State in the vicinity of the
circle. These residents now. he ex-
planned. will he required to walk near
" another block to reach a bus at the