Evening star., 1936-01-11
Public Ownership Is Cure
For TRANSPORTATION Ills
To the Editor OF The Star:

To the Editor OF Ihe star:
Obviously there is but one final and
satisfactory solution OF the transporta-
ton problems of the District of Colum-
bia and its suburbs. Whether busses,
street cars OF Subways, the current con-
troversy as to service, equipment and
fares is not only perennial, but by ex-
listing methods unsolvable. A brief sur
vey of the basic factors underlying the
attitude OF the public on one hand and
the position of the managers and stock
holders of the Transit Company on the
other, reveals a fundamental conflict
which by its very nature makes q salts
factory solution impossible under the
present set-up.
The people want service. They are
not interested in whether the Transit
Company does or does not earn dividends
on it's investment. When they have to
stand, as at present, on numberlesS street
corners and see bus after bus 60 by with
bus full signs they are bound to COM
plain, and these complaints grow louder
and more determined each day. The
people demand transportation that will
take care of Washington's distinctive
situation-l00,00 900 people or more to be
moved by some means from residential
sections to the Government buildings in
less than two hours. They demand fur
ther that the equipment used be safe,
swift, comfortable, properly ventilated;
that the fare be reasonable and the units
manned by courteous, decently paid
personnel:
These altogether reasonable demands
entail an enormous capital investment.
vast sums for operation and maintenance.
If all demands are adequately met 1t is
reasonably certain such a course will
leave the merest pittance. If anything
at all. to pay interest on the capital
investment.
The stockholders and officers of the
Transit Company are therefore in an
unenviabe position. The government
of the District of Columbia has agreed
to permit them, a private corporation the
use OF the streets to furnish tranSporta-
tion to the public. Being private corpo-
ration, it is obvious they must earn
reasonable return on the funds invested
or such investment becomes worthless
and the purpose for which the Transit
Company was formed ceases to exist.
The object of the Public Utilities Com
mission is to see to 1t that the Transit
Company meets its contractual obliga-
ton to the public. Obviously, too, II the
Public Utilities Commission, through
overzealousness for the interest of the
public or too technical an interpreta-
ton of their duties, requires tranSpor-
tation service more costly than the re-
ceipts Justify. including reasonable re-
turn on the investment, the result would
be a confiScation of the property OF the
owners, and a violation Of the spirit OF
the contract between the two parties
concerned since such contract could not
have contemplated the destruction OF the
companys investment.
Toward such conflscation the existing
trend appears to be headed.
No corporation can or should be re-
ouired to undertake to render a public
service at the price of the loss Of its in
vestment
There is. therefore, under existing con-
citions, no possible solution which will
be wholly satisfactory both to John Pub
lie and Jane Stakeholder. Another
answer must be found. This answer lies
in ownership by the District of Column
bia of the entire transportation system
serving the District and nearby Mary
land. Let the stockholders of the Transit
Company be paid a fair and reasonable
sum for their securities in bonds bear
ing reasonable interest. Let Congress
enlarge the scope of the Public Utilities
Commission and give it complete execu-
tive authority over local transportation.
Let the present trained and efficient
personnel of the Transit Company be
retained in toto to operate the system.
Immediately the present unsolvable con-
flict will disappear
The people can then get just the kind
of transportation they want and will
pav for. They will not be under moral
obligation to make the system pay divi-
dends, but can require and secure serv-
ice capable of meeting Washingtons
needs: a service worthy of National
CAPITAL which is destined shortly to be
one of the greatest cities of the world,
as it already is one of the most beauti-
full and livable
ROSSEL EDWARD MITCHELL.