Evening star., 1937-06-18
FARE PROBE TOLD
NEW CAR NEEDS
Expert Says Company to
Face Purchase of 2O5
in Three Years.

AoI tue CdplLdl 4I1uSlt 20. Cn0C ZUo
Of its $50 street cars-or 80 per cent
Of the total-should be replaced
within three years was before the
Public Utilities Commission today As
1t resumed hearings on the company
petition fer an increased fare.
The witness, Edward A. Roberts.
New York City consulting engineer,
was to be cross-examined today by
Hinman D. Folsom, commission coun-
sci, as soon as direct testimony was
completed. Roberts Il . witness on
the value and condition OF the COM
pany's property.
Roberts placed the average condi-
ton of the $50 streets cars OF the
company at 62.9 per cent. This il
interpreted as meaning he believes
the cars have = value that Is de-
preciated 37.1 per cent.
Age Nearly 80 Years.
The 205 cars he said should be re-
placed within three years were found
to have an average age OF 2s.2 years,
or slightly more than 1l8 cars which
the company has scrapped during
the past three years. according to
exhibits he presented to the COM
mission.
Under urging by the commission
the company several months ago
placed orders for IS new stream
lined" type of modern cars. E. d.
Merrill, president OF the transit COM
pany, said this would permit so or
more OF the older cars to be retired
from service, since the new cars will
be larger than those to be scrapped.
The statement Of the company wit
ness, therefore, was In confirmation
OF the stand taken by the commission
that there should be q replacement
program providing for the replace
ment Of at least so Of the Oldest cars
each year. With the retirement Of
50 old cars this Summer, q total OF
205 could be retired within the next
three years, rs Roberts said should
be done.
The company is expected to turn
Roberts testimony into an argument
for the proposed increase of the street
car token fare from the present rate
OF four for 80 cents to four for IS
cents.
A battle over the question Of re-
placing old cars also is expected BE-.
cause the IS new street cars already
ordered will be one-man cars and will
be used to replace old two-man cars
The Federation Of Citizens Associa-
tlons Is fighting an increase In the
number Of one-man cars. On the
other hand. Merrill claims the replace
ment Of two-man cars by one-man cars
Is the only way the company can gain
profit by spending funds for new
rolling stock.
William NICK. Clayton. spokesman
Tor the federation, has charged that
the company's intention was to con-
vert its entire feet of street cars to
one-man operation. His claim is that
one-man cars are not as fast or as safe
IN operation as two-man cars. pro-
vided the cars are equally modern in
design.
Roberts statement revealed that 50
OF the 205 cars are OF the long.seat
design, and that 10 Of these have
been In service 80 years and ~ of them
for ~ years. Ten others, Of the cen.
ter-entrance type, he said, have been
In service "a years. One Of the 2o5
cars, he found, had been in service
40 years. Twenty-three others are of
the open-side Summer type and have
an age Of 50 years.
Sees Appearance IS Drawback.
During his testimony, Roberts voiced
the belief the age and the obsolete an
pearance Of such cars mitigated against
the company's welfare because street
car patrons do not like to ride in old
style equipment, particularly since the
new "streamlined" cars offer a sharp
contrast In appearance.
Roberts explained that he had made
personal inspections OF but examples
OF the various types Of cars in serv-
ice here and had based his estimate
OF the condition Of the equipment pri-
marily on records of the life" Of var:-
ous pieces Of equipment.
Then you could have made your
estimate just about as we'll sitting In
a hotel room At Atlantic City instead
OF coming down here" asked Riley e
Elgen, commission chairman.
Yes" responded Roberts.