Evening star., 1936-07-18
SAFETY Of Imam
CARSP0|NTED0UT
+. BY FRED A. SAGER
Utilities Chief Engineers
Brief Takes Hour at
Hearing.
ROBERTS TO QUESTION
COMMISSIONS AIDE
Economy Of Operation Stressed
by Witness, but Schedules May
Be Slowed, He Says.

Because Fred A. Sager, chief engl-
neer Of the Public Utilities Commis-
sion, testified late yesterday that one
man street cars are safer and more
economical than two-man cars, the
hearing on the Capital Transit Com
pany's petition to extend one-man
service will 60 into its second week
Monday.
Richmond B. Keech, vice chairman
Of the commission, who has acted as
a one-man commission throughout the
hearing, ruled that william A. Rob-
erts, peoples counsel, should have
an opportunity to cross-examine Sager
and ordered the next session to pe
held Monday at 10 am.
Sager. slow spoken and deliberate,
presented a prepared statement Of "a
pages, that required more than an
hour to deliver.
He presented statistics to show that
the one-man car in every year since
1924 had fewer accidents per 100. .0o0
car miles than the two-man car. This
average ranged from 25.6 to 38.6 to'
one-man cars, and from 24.4 to 46.l
for two-man cars.
1T is generally recognized" he said
that the one-man car as equipped
with safety devices is actually safer ir
operation than the average two-man
car"
Conclusion Held Unwarranted.
Roberts objected strenuously tc
Sager's testimony on the ground thai
he was drawing conclusions unwar.
ranted by the evidence, but Keech
ruled that his long statment would bt
accepted.
Sager also testified that the com.
pany under present wage schedules
can save s84l 900 per year by operat'
ing one-man cars and at the same
time not be placed in the position O.
having to lay off men.
The operation of one-man cars vii
slow down the schedule Of regular cars
he said, since actual timing shows tina
one-man cars are about one mile Pei
hour slower than two-man vehicles.
"The evidence clearly indicates" hi
said, that one-man car operation ir
this jurisdiction is slower than two
man operation"
He also testified that it takes Longer
to load and unload passengers of a
sone-man car than for a two-man car
Before Sager took the stand q num-
Der Of transit company employees
taken from duty especially for the
purpose, testified against the exten-
sion of one-man car service.
Lacks Wanted Witnesses.
William F. Simms, president of the
local division of the Amalgamated As.
sociation of Street and Electric Rail.
way and Motor Coach Operators oi
America, and a former employe of the
company, testified earlier in the day
that the extra" list was too small
for him to procure the witnesses he
desired.
At the request Of S. r. Bowen, gen.
eral counsel, the company released
the men Sirnms wanted to testify, in.
Guiding L. E. Weaver, Arthur Smell
Millard F. Edwards, A. A. Lansilhdo
Howard F. Norford and James s
Ayers.
All Of them have had service or
both one and two man cars and unan.
imously they objected to operating
the one-man vehicle on the ground
that it Is injurious to their health
and too much work for one man to do
Their testimony was aimed to off,
set that Of Edward c. Spengman, a
former operator for the company, who
presented an extensive argument
favoring single-operator cars.
Court Battle Possible.
WAliam NICK. Clayton, chairman
Of the Public Utilities Committee oi
the Federation of Citizens Associa-
tions, who has taken an active part
in the proceedings throughout the
week, indicated that if an adverse
ruling Is given to the peoples objec-
tions to one-man cars a court battle
may ensue.
1T all depends" Clayton said, ION
what the federation and the Public
Utilities Committee have to say"
Roberts declined to indicate whether
he would take action or accept the
ruling Of the commission in case the
40 additional cars are authorized.