Evening star., 1941-06-17
Capital Transit Claims
Facilities Will Meet
City Growth Till AZ
Equipment on Hand
And on Order Cited
In Reply to Navy
By NELSON M. SHEPARD.

The Capital Transit Co. replied
today to Navy Department criti-
cism of the lack of adequate trans
portation facilities for defense work.
ers in Washington by claiming it
has enough rolling stock on hand
and on order to meet the anticipated
increase in the number o. Govern
men employees as far ahead as June
80, 1912.
Barring the possibility of actual
wartime demands on Federal en-
ployment, President E. D. Merrill
said reasonable and conservative"
estimate was pay roll Of 191 900
employees in the executive branches
by that time. Traction officials
use figures for the executive
branches as a key" in basing their
own estimate of transportation
needs, it was explained.
Compared with the latest figures
given by the Civil Service Commits
sion for April, 172,s76, the estimate
over 1900, which would about reach
rock bottom" in the estimates
which are quoted in most Govern
ment circles.
Suburbs Affected.
The Nays criticism of trans
portation for the 10000 employees
now occupying the Navy Building
in the congested West Potomac
Park area was directed mainly at a
lack of rapid transit to and from
the suburbs. The Capital Transit
Co., of course, serves only the Mary
land suburbs.
The situation came to head last
week when Secretary of the Interior
Ickes blocked temporarily, at least,
a drive by the Navy Department to
obtain q 2,0O0-car parking lot on
the Washington Monument grounds
for its employees.
Secretary Ickes and Secretary
Knox apparently have opposite
views on the use of automobiles as
methods of transporting Govern
ment workers to and from their
offices. Interested in conserving
gasoline and protecting the National
Capital parks from such raids" as
the Navy proposes, Mr.. Ickes is cam
paigning among his own employees to
get them to use the local utility
services or else pool" unoccupied
space in their own private cars.
Knox May Speak Up.
Secretary Knox, on the other
hand, was represented as taking the
position that every worker has the
right to use his private automobile
If he wishes. and it is up to the
Government to provide him a con-
venient parking space. Absent from
the city when the controversy be-
came public, Mr.. Knox is expected
to return today and may take up the
cudgel on behalf Of his own expand
ing staff.
Transit officials said today they
were willing to hold an emergency"
conference with any group of Fed
eral and District officials to con-
slider transportation needs in the
event of actual wartime condi-
tions. All parties are agreed that
such an e~entuality would dras-
tically change the transportation
situation as well as present esti-
mates of Government pay rolls.
The functionless Public Utilities
Commission of the District cannot
be depended upon in any such i'm
mediate study, but Mr.. Merrill said
the transit company has always
conducted continuing studies of flu
ture traffic needs.
so New Buses Ordered.
The company now is operating
214 more vehicles in the morning
rush hours, 19 more streetcars and
1l9 more buses, than it did a year
ago, according to official statistics.
Thirty additional streetcars and so
additional 70-passenger buses are
now on order, the company having
an option to buy so more buses
which can be exercised to June 30.
If the extra buses can be financed
and the o. P. MS Priorities Board
can give the assurances, there is
every probability that these extra
buses will be ordered.
The question of priorities for new
traction equipment is one of the
most serious facing transportation