Evening star., 1936-09-24
UNLIMITED USE
Of 0NE-MAN CARS
SEEN BY ROBERTS
Bases Fears on Utility Com
mission Statement Grant
ing Increase.
ISSUES STATEMENT
FROM HOSPITAL BED
Company Permitted to Convert 20
New Cars and Acquire 20
Second.Hand Units.


Action by the Public Utilities Com
mission permitting the Capital Transit
Co. to convert its 20 new streamlined
cars to one-man operation and to buy
like number of secondhand cars to
replace old single-operator units,
means the commission has adopted
policy Of allowing unlimited expansion
Of its one-man service, Peoples Coun-
sci William A. Roberts declared today.
Protest against the commissions de-
cision, announced late yesterday, was
issued by Roberts from Georgetown
Hospital, where he is recuperating
from an appendicitis operation. He
said he would consider a court ap-
peal, but his action would be deter
mined largely by the attitude of civic
+ organizations.
Cites Basis for Fears.
Roberts fears Of unlimited expan-
| sion Of one-man car operations we're
based on a section Of the commits
sion's order, which reads:
"TheA commission believes that,
under existing conditions, any addi-
ton to the aggregate number of one
man street cars should be attained
through addition Of cars of the most
modern type, capable of attaining
speed at least comparable to the aver
age speed Of two-man equipment, and
giving adequate, safe and comfortable
| service"
Roberts said:
THE commission apparently has
adopted policy of allowing unlimited
extension Of one-man cars. The sole
consolation is that additional one
man cars must be Of the new high
speed, stream-lined type, but, in the
absence Of an order requiring imme-
diate purchase Of this type equipment,
there is no sign there will be any re-
suit but a reduction in service to the
public"
Roberts also said he protested,
when the new streamlined cars were
bought about a year ago. that they
would be used eventually in one-man
service, although the commission had
specified their design for twosman
service. The cars are so designed
they can be used either way.
New Service in 10 Days.
Officials Of the company said the
new streamlined cars probably would
be turned into one-man service in
about 10 days, and that trained one
man operators would be selected for
their operation.
The company said it had not yet
determined If 1t would buy 20 second
hands cars from Providence, R. l.,
to replace the Oldest one-mAn cars
now in service. The company had
sought to buy these cars for addi-
tional one-man operation, but that
part of the petition was denied.
The company now has II one
man cars, and with the conversion
of the stream-lined units. the maxi
mum number will be 81.
Meanwhile, another protest over the
commissions decision came from
Sidney Katz, chairman of the Civic
Affairs Committee of w. P. A. Lodge
No. 139, American Federation of Coy
ernment Employees, who declared the
added work and responsibility placed
on a single operator Of a street car
was not in accord with proper So
cial objectives.
Opposition Is Voiced.
| Expansion Of one-man car service
was opposed by spokesmen for the Fed
Grafton Of Citizens Associations, other
civic groups, by organized labor or
CARNATIONS and others at public hear
ings before the commission several
months ago.
Protests by Roberts and William
NICK. Clayton, chairman of the
Public Utilities Committee of the
Federation Of Citizens Association,
both were overruled by the COM
mission. Clayton had argued that
an act Of Congress of 1892 held that
only two-man cars could be operated
on the system, then consisting Of horse
cars. The commission held that ap-
piled to horse cars, but not the type of
| equipment used today.
In justification Of its decision on
the merits Of the case the commission
said:
Testimony appertaining to the ex-
perience Of transit companies in other
cities indicates generally that for speed,
safety and comfort, one-man cars and
one-man operation are substantially
equal to two-man cars and two-man
operation.
Held Equally Safe.
"The experience Of the Capital Tran
sit Co. In the District shows that
one-nlan operated cars are at least as
safe as two-man operated cars; that
the comfort features of the two types
are equal: and that, taking each Of
the two types Of cars as q whole, the
difference In speed is approximately
one mile per hour in favor Of two.
man cars. Cars Of the Presidents
conference type, operated by one man,
would Offset that difference"