Evening star., 1936-05-02
GENIUS OF PASSES
Officer of Capital Transit Staff Orders
Pictorial Ideas but Pasteboards
Come From West.

TWO 0IOCk Il0es, Hlahc UP CoL4e4Ue1"
able part of that 80.
OF the passes sold, practically 80 per
cent are 81 passes; the other 10 per
cent being the s125 passes. good on
buses as we'll as street cars. There are
also interstate passes for committing
Marylanders. During the week Of
April 10 the company sold 1888 81
passes and 6,97I sl25 passes.
There was considerable advertising
campaign conducted by the company
during the first months of pass-using
to boost their sales. but such advertis-
ing is no longer necessary.
Dougan doesn't suggest the color
scheme of the passes-that is up to the
Milwaukee art department-but espe-
cial care is taken each week to make
very definite changes in color from the
previous week TO aid the conductors
and motormen to distinguish the up-
to-date pass from the old one.
DoUGAN has three favOrite passes
! one of the Capitol against blue
sky. dated January 27-February 2.
1885; this years cherry blossom pass,
April to II, with its Japanesy print
ing, and the recent Pan-American
week pass, April 1919, showing the
two hemispheres.
/ He says every one in the company
is interested in the passes and that
/ he is not entitled to particular credit.
A good many people do notice the
pictures. he says. They speak to him
about them, some even phone him, and.
when the passes we're new, few wrote
in. The Star called up once about
a particularly nice robin redbreast.
He likes thinking them up, he says.
There has been agitation from time
to time for the issuing of pass
holders, but the company says its men
Just don't have the time to distribute
them. And there has been some dis
cussion of printing advertising on the
backs, but it would detract from their
appearance and so far the company
has said, No" Employees of the COM
pany have their regular employe
passes. without pretty pictures. but
they ride free just the same.
And now for your information-a
glimpse into the future. The May
passes will include two of Glen Echo
(the company owns the park. you
know, one of its speedboats and one
of its pool; a particularly fine photo
graph of Rock Greek Park and base
ball pass. June will include picture
of Constitution avenue, the KiWanls
pass mentioned earlier), one of gleeful
kids throwing away their school books.
and. of course. a June bride!
This long distance planning has its
drawbacks. Last year he planned a
Boy Scout pass for August, for the
great Boy Scout jamboree, but infan-
tile paralysis came along and Cancelled
the meeting. 1t couldn't cancel the
passes-they we're already printed-so
thousands of pictured Boy Scouts pa
raded on and off Washington street
cars. in housewives pocketbooks and
business mems wallets, although the
real boys stayed home. Last year, too,
Mr.. Dougan picked April IA as the
time for the cherry blossoms about the
Tidal Basin, but the blossoms crossed
him up and came out brightly and
beautifully on April l. Just their own
little April fool. This year he guessed
again. but correctly this time, almost
bringing the blossoms out with the
pass, or vice versa.
WHATS to be done with old street
w car passes? Well, quite a con-
siderable number of Washingtonians
collect them, judging by the requests
made to the company for copies and
sets of old passes. The company itself
has some thousands more than II
needs each week, ordering surplus
to allow it to give out books of passe;
to all its conductors.
: These extras it keeps and it fills al
requests that it can for old passes
One little old lady. Government en-
ploye. collected an entire years issue
So brightly y-colored passes-and ar
ranged them in poster effect spelling
c. T. c. for Capital Transit Co. She
took it to Mr.. Dougan, who admired
it properly, and displayed it for
while in the company's downtown
: Office window.
. The company couldn't give her
y free pass as thanks, though. i
= couldn't even give President Roosevelt
= one. If 1t wanted to, under the law
S In fact, Mr.. Hanna, president OF th'
e company. had to buy some Of the mrs
e issue in order to give them as compl
ments to public utility oficialS.