Evening star., 1936-10-25
EXPERTS NEARING.
FINISH OF SURVEY.
OF STREET CARS.
Data to Guide Commission
in Replacement. Pro-
gram.
ELGEN FOR AT LEAST
FIFTY NEW VEHICLES
Schedule Of Improvements. for
Next Year Being Prepared
by Transit Co.
BY DON S. WARREN.

BY DON S. WARREN.
Experts of the Public Utilities Com
mission soon will complete tecil-
nical examination Of the entire fleet
Of street cars of the Capital Transit
Co., showing how many should be re-
placed Immediately, Commission
Chairman Riley e. Elgen announced
yesterday.
Such a survey, now being directed
by Fred A. Sager, chief engineer for
the commission. is expected to serve
as a guide to the commission for a
possible order for a systematic an
nual program Of replacement Of the
oldest, most worn-out equipment, as
proposed Friday by Chairman Elgen.
In a statement to the company, El-
gen bluntly suggested that the street
car ownership could afford to finance
a systematic program Of replacement
of old rolling stock. and proposed the
purchase of not less than so new
cars by the middle Of 1887.
E. D. Merrill, vice president and
general manager of the transit COM
pany, said yesterday his firm was
considering a program Of improve
ments for the next year. but that It
had not yet been completed and he
had no statement for publication.
Belief that the company would seize
upon Elgen's proposal as a means of
suggesting further extension of the
company,s feet of one-man cars was
voiced yesterday in some circles at
the District Building. In reply, ElgeS
and Commission Vice Chairman Rich
mond B Keech both said:
I'VE will cross that bridge when
We come to it."
Both said the commission had no
pre-conceived policy of permitting the
company any unlimited expansion Of
one-man cars. Decision on the num-
Der of one-man cars, they said, would
rest on factual data as to the need
for new cars, the financial ability of
the company to buy new two-man
cars and other conditions.
Elgenrevealed that Sager was max
ing q close physical examination OF
each car operated by the company.
A report is expected within two weeks.
While Elgen proposed a five-year
program, starting with the purchase
Of at least so new cars by the middle
of 1887. he said the commission would
be guided as to the final figure by
the facts developed in Sager's survey.
Suggestion to Elgen.
The suggestion Of so new cars per
year was made to Elgen. he said. by
records indicating that as many as
43 cars now in service have served
their normal lives. that the company
to date has collected from the riding
public sufficient depreciation reserve
funds for their replacement by mod
ern new street cars.
He is not committed finally to that
figure. however, although convinced
that the company must soon prepare
a program of annual replacement of
the worst Of the Oldest cars in service.
Sager now has record of when each
of the existing cars was placed in serv-
ice. What he. is doing is to examine
the physical structure, the motors, the
brakes and other facilities of each
vehicle to determine how soon it must
be taken out Of service.
Many believed that the commission
had left the door open to further ex-
pansion of the number of cars in one
man operation when it recently per-
mitted the company to convert to one
man operation the 20 new streamlined
cars 1t has purchased since merger OF
the two old street car companies. At
that time the commission said that
any further extension of the one-man
fleet would have to be by provision
of cars Of the modern type.
Elgen and Keech both said yester-
day the question of additional one
man cars would be considered on the
question of the financial ability Of the
Capital Transit Co.
Elgen declared, further. that II the
company proposed new street cars OF
the one-man type, he would seek an
expression of public sentiment before
reaching a conclusion.
One-Man Cars Hope.
Some critics have suggested that
the company, apparently. hopes
eventually to convert all its more than
600 street cars to one-man opera
ton. Figuring the saving IN labor
costs to the company at about $4,000
per year for each car. the company
would save some 81 100000 per year
If all 600-plus cars were on one-man
operation as opposed to 100 per cent
two-man operation.
One suggestion was that II sucn
a move were adopted, though 1t Is not
expected, the commission might f1nd
itself in position to consider a re-
duction In street car fares.
The issues may come to climax
soon, since the company has re-
queSted higher fares, through an in
crease in the token fare and an in
crease in the price Of the weekly pass
from 81 to $1.25.
Action ON this petition has been
delayed until the commission staff
completes study of the fair value
Of the street car properties. Engineer
studies have been finished, but Com
mission Chief Accountant B. M.
Bachman now Is completing study
of "original costs" of company prop