Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-10-04
Proposed Fare Plan
Hit by Citizens Of
Bradbury Heights \
Collision Is Denied
By W., M. & A. Head at
Association Meeting

Opposition to the proposed joint
plan of the Capital Transit Co. and
the Washington, Marlboro & An
napolis Motor Lines for serving
nearby Maryland communities I'M
der a new scale of fares was regis
tered last night by the Bradbury
Heights Citizens Association.
Meeting in the Bradbury Heights
Methodist Church, the association
heard I. w. Potts of the associations
Public Utilities Committee fay the
proposed change and accuse the two
companies of banding together to
defeat the best interests OF the
Bradbury Heights Association.
Mr.. Potts charged that the two
companies had quietly arranged the
plans and that the fare system sub
mitted recently to the Public Utlh-
ties Commission was unjust, unfair
and discriminatory.
Altman Denies "Collusion."
DENYING accusations by Mr.. Potts
that the companies had banded to-
gether and had worked secretly, l..
L. Altman, president of the W., M.
e. A. Lines. stated that there has
been no collision between the COM
panies. I have no secrets to hide
from this association. This plan
was not conceived by the W., M.
& A. Lines. I do not think that
this is the place to discuss the pro-
posed plan, since it is at present
before the Public Utilities Commits
sion. The time to act was at the
hearing. when representation was
possible.
Also heard at the meeting were
members of Seat Pleasant and other
MARYLAND civic associations who held
a mass meeting Wednesday night to
debate action on the proposed trans
fer system. Representing the Mary
land Park Citizens Association. Mrs.
Grace Close stated that the problem
of the Bradbury Heights was similar
to the other associations and that
the only way to combat the utilities
was to Join in the common fight.
William A. Duvall, president of the
Fort Davis Citizens Association, said
that the plan hurts some people
and aids Others" but that the cit
liens of Southeast Washington feel
that the Public Utilities Commission
hasn't given enough time for the
citizens to oppose the proposal pre-
sented by the Capital Transit Co.,
five days being too short notice"
Unknown to Mr.. Altman, opposi-
ton to the plan was presented by
Roy A. Chew, president of the W.. M.
& A. Employees Association, who
asserted that a universal transfer
would cut his company's business in
half, throwing many deserving work.
ers out of employment. Such
plan. Mr.. Chew said, would set the
community back 10 years, aside from
damage to the company.
Resolution Adopted.
The association adopted a resolu-
ton submitted by Frank F. Ran
dolph, calling for opposition to the
plan on four main points: Elimina-
ton of express service to downtown
washington was an unreasonable
inconvenience" the complicated
payment system with higher fares in
the return direction was an adverse
discrimination" double fare for
children on both lines was both
unjust and highly discriminatory, :"
and the entire change in schedules,
service. fare structure and transfer
system at Barney Circle was a
"retrogression in scheduled service
rather than compliance with the
petition for Improvements submitted
by the Bradbury Citizens Associa-
ton"
Mr.. Randolph asked that the
commission require express system
to downtown Washington, make ex-
press service available to residents
of Seat Pleasant and nearby citizens
with universal transfers to and from
the Capital Transit lines and force
the Capital Transit Co. to extend
its lines to meet these conditions in
case the W., M. & A. Co. refused
to adopt the demanded changes.
Henry w. Austin was elected presi-
dent OF the association for third
term. After the election of Mrs.
Helen Monar as vice president,
further elections were postponed.