Evening star., 1936-07-15
COST RISE
CITED TO SUPPORT
0NE-MAN-CARP PLEA
Increase of $1,163,2O7 in
Year Reported by Tran.
sit Firm Official.
OTHER COST BOOSTS
LISTED BY HEBERLE
Roberts to Testify in Behalf of
Public's Witnesses This
Afternoon.

go WA AANN4A
Labor costs of the Capital Transit
Co. increased $1,163,20748 between
May /, 1885, and May /, 1886, j. E.
Heberle, vice president and controller
Of the company, told the Public Util-
tiles Commission today as the utility
neared completion of its testimony
supporting use Of more one-man cars.
William A. Roberts, peoples counsel
was to offer testimony from the pub.
lies witnesses this afternoon.
Labor costs have been stressed from
the beginning as an argument for
one-man operation. That and the
safety of slngle-operator cars have
been the bulk Of the argument so far
advanced for the change. which is
vigorously opposed by the Federation
Of Citizens Associations and organized
labor.
Heberles statement showed further
that the cost of materials increased at
the same time by s340, ,453 "a and that
the depreciation account went up
S343. .427.37. At the same time, taxes
decreased S43,82389 This left a net
increase of s1.8O3 ,264.2O in operating
expenses, taxes and depreciation.
Drop in Gross Income.
The companys gross income dropped
$3.50, ,924.O2 and the net income $685.
594.03.
Heberle said this occurred in the face
of an increase in the number of reve-
nue. passengers. which jumped from
140. .590,177 in 1885 TO l60042 6l7 in
1886, making a net gain of 1882, ,440
The total number Of passengers. count
ing those who rode on transfers. en-
pIoyes of the company and other
"dead-heads," aimed 25,342 507 in the
same period
Passenger vehicle miles travelled ir-
creased between the two periods b.
2,448S60 miles.
w. B. Bennett. assistant to the presi-
dent of the transit company, intro
duced a table showing a net increase
in the number of employees of 529 dur
ing 1884, 81 in 1885 and 81 so far this
year.
Bennett earlier had testified that no
lay-off of men will result if one-man
operation is adopted throughout the
system.
Bennett Cross-Examined.
The hearing yesterday ended with
the croSS-examination of Bennett, by
Mrs. Luther r. Maddox of the Colum-
bia Heights Citizens Association.
What is the public to gain by the
change to one-man cars?" Mrs. Mad
dox asked.
BY an addition to the properties
and prosperity Of the company Ben
nett answered, which will allow us
to place in service more and better
equipment"
will it mean reduced fare?"
The company has pending now a
request for the right to increase
fares" Bennett replied.
Bennett testified that three reasons
motivated the company in asking for
the extension Of one-man cars: Eco
nomic necessity, lessening Of the acci-
dent hazard and maintenance Of the
present speed of cars.
Asked if he considered public oppo-
sition a factor in making the change,
Bennett answered:
Public opposition elsewhere has
been found to be without real founda-
ton, and don't think it is necessary
to consider it here"
Favors Complete Shift.
He also testified he favored 100 per
cent one-man operation here. but later
he qualified the statement by saying
that was his personal opinion and not
the opinion of the company.
He compared the use of safety de-
vices with equipment in Baltimore.
Boston, Brooklyn Cincinnati. Detroit,
Indianapolis, Kansas City, Milwaukee.
Newark, Pittsburgh, Providence, st.
Louis and Seattle, and said none Of
these cities now use the safety equip
ment used in Washington.
Accident reports for 1e34-35 showed
that per 100000 miles Travelled, busses
experienced from Ills to 25.75; one
man cars from % to 365, and two.
man cars from 30 20 ST.
do you contend that one-man
cars in Washington traffic are safer?"
Roberts asked.
The figures speak for themselves"
Bennett answered.
The statistical tables also showed
the running time for one-man cars
was better A comparative table on
the Navy Yard line. broken into four
sections, showed better average speed
on each section. An average on four
identical lines showed that in ITO trips
the one-man car made 8.62 miles per
hour and the two-man car $40 miles
per hour.
Bennett, on croSS-e1amination, how
ever, admitted the speed probably was
made up in outlying sections, where
the one-man cars had ample open
space for running with little regard
for traffic interference.
The company official also testified
that the 20 cars purchased from Prov
idence, after reconditioning here, will
cost the company from S4,1o0 to 81, 1900
each, as against $4,000 each for the
new streamlined cars which the COM
pany also wants to convert to one-man
operation.