Evening star., 1936-05-20
D, c, COMMITTEE
. URGED TO PROBE
TRANSIT SYSTEM
Hull AssaiIs 0vercroWding
of Cars and Busses in
? Plea for Inquiry.
ACTION WILL AWAIT
CHAIRMAN'S RETURN
Roberts Says Parking Ban in
Downtown Area Would Speed
Traffic.

penouncing what he termed the
"hoggish proclivities" of the Capital
Transit Co., Representative Hull, Pro-
eressive, of Wisconsin. today appealed
to the House District Committee to
make a thorough investigation OF
Washington's mass transportation
system:
Hull particularly criticized over
crowding on street cars and busses. He
said If a vehicle in Wisconsin was
crowded with hogs the way some OF
the cars and busses are packed in
Washington, somebody would be SUBJ
ject to fine"
The investigation, Hull said, should
be made with a two-fold purpose in
view:
l. To determine whether the Capt.
tai Transit Co. is fulfilling its part
of the contract to provide adequate
service.
2. If not, to determine what steps
can be taken to improve service.
Awaits Chairman's Return.
Representative Carpenter, Democrat,
of Kansas, who was presiding at the
committee meeting. declined to au-
thorize the proposed investigation in
the absence of Chairman Norton. Hull
later announced he would place his
request before Representative Patman,
Democrat, of Texas, chairman Of the
Streets and Traffic Subcommittee of
the District Committee.
Hull proposed the investigation after
pointing out he had made study OF
the transportation system and found
The service growing worse" The street
car service, in particular, he declared,
''gets worse and worse"
He told the committee if the transit
company will not improve the service,
the Government ought to bring in
some busses" and operate them.
Representative Schultz, Democrat,
of Indiana agreed with Hull that the
transportation service is inadequate.
The transportation company has been
petted and spoiled until it Is pam
pered," he declared. 1T has certainly
got away with everything"
Tells of Rerouting.
Carpenter explained that the trans
portation system is somewhat disor-
ganized at present because Of the re-
routing growing out of the merger,
but agreed the busses ARE altogether
too crowded. He said he, too, believes
something should be done to improve
service"
We'll" continued Hull, II want to
do something to let the transit COM
tion. I came in from Chevy Chase
on a bus about $50 o'clock last night
and 20 passengers were standing"
Peoples Counsel William A. Roberts
explained that the Public Utilities
Commission had conducted hearings
in January on the transportation serv-
Ice and said he placed more than 100
witnesses on the stand who were
unanimous in their opinion that the
conditions were "atrocious"
AS result of those hearings, Rob-
erts said, the commission issued an
order limiting the capacity of the
busses-the first time it had ever been
done in Washington.
Urges Parking Ban.
Roberts also told the committee that
transportation conditions would i'm
prove If automobile parking in the
downtown congested section is pro-
hibited. Under the existing situation,
he said, there is a vicious circle
slow transportation has caused Gov
eminent employees and business men
to drive their own cars to and from
work, thus adding to the congestion
and slowing down the mass transpor-
tat1on service to an average of less
than miles an hour Abolition of
parking, he declared, would increase
the service to an average of about 8
miles an hour and increase the busi-
ness of the transit company.
Roberts explained there are two bills
pending before the committee which
would aid in improving conditions,
one authorizing the construction of
municipal garages and the other au-
thorizing a study to determine the
feasibility of subway construction, but
that no action had been taken on
them because they lack "administra-
tion support"
After the transportation discussion,
the committee, rapidly ordered favor
able reports on seven bills and tabled
one that would authorize the commits
sioners to refund enormously paid
taxes to various oil companies. The
American Oil Co. is said to be entitled
70 $4,000, the largest amount.
Bill on Narcotic Sale.
One Of the bills approved would
regulate the sale and distribution Of
narcotics. Hearings on this measure
were recently completed by q special
subcommittee headed by Schultz.
The others follow:
Il A bill authorizing the furnishing of
steam to the District government from
the Central Heating Plant; bill in
creasing by $20,0 an allotment to the
District rehabilitation service; a bill
placing the supervision of wrestling
under the Boxing Commission; bill
to codify the law on sales; bill nam
ing the four new streets In the Mall
Maine, Oklahoma, Missouri and Ohio
avenues, and bill authorizing Steuart
Bros, Inc, to construct petroleum pipe
lines in the vicinity of Thirteenth
street southeast and the Anacostia
River.
Schultz urges approval of the wres-
tling bill because there is no super
vision over that sport. "Wrestlers can
new srunt and sroan and throw each
other out of building" he declared,
"and no one can do anything about it."