Evening star., 1944-02-02
Boyd Quizzed
On Christmas
Accidents
Transit Official
Puts TotuI at IT;
All Held Minor

AS hearings resumed today before
the Public Utilities Commission on
increased fatalities caused by buses
and streetcars, Capital Transit Co.
officials were questioned closely by
Gregory Hankin, commission men,
ber on the large number of acci-
dents on Christmas Day, when the
streets were made slippery by snow
and rain.
Ernest E. Boyd, transportation
superintendent, told the PUG there
were so bus and q streetcar acci-
dents on Christmas, but that as far
as he knew all of the accidents were
of a minor nature. He said it had
proved difficult ito corral" laborers
on the holiday for sanding opera
tions. Asked by Mr.. Hankin why
the company found it necessary to
call on private gravel concern for
additional sand, Mr.. Boyd said the
company did not have sufficient
space to store the sand necessary
to cover their routes.
Mr.. Boyd also told the commission
that streetcar collisions at switches
were due to human errors" rather
than to mechanical failures, and
another official testified two opera
tors recently were suspended six
days each for civilian at a switch.
Award Lapel Pins.
Under questioning by the PUG,
Mr.. Boyd said the only recognition
for year of safe operation was
lapel pin:
Alexander Shapiro, personnel di-
rector Of the transit company, told
the commission that when operators
are involved in fatal accidents they
are not allowed to operate street.
cars or buses until the coroners
verdict has been given. In the case
of serious personal injury accidents,
they are not permitted to operate
vehicles until an investigation has
established responsibility. Mr.. Sha-
piro said however, that during the
investigation they are allowed to do
other types of work, but not as
operators"
Mr.. Shapiro revealed at the hear
ing yesterday that the Office OF
Defense Transportation and the
United States Employment Service
had asked the company more than
a year and half ago to lower its
employment standards and that it
was finally necessary to request the
USES to lease up on sending unfit
persons"
Halls Present Management.
The present local management Of
Ithe employment service is differ
ent," declared Mr.. Shapiro. THE
present management is most CO.
operative"
Mr.. Shapiro also said that for the
last two years there had been a
"jittery condition" among employees
because of worry over the draft,
concern over relatives in the armed
services, whether they would get a
pay increase or not, and others had
"homesick" wives
| Mr.. Shapiro described the manner
in which employees are selected and
trained, beginning with the time an
application for employment is filed
until the operator is given an as
signment. Applicants, he testified,
are given a personal interview.
Commute intelligence test, which
has been modified lately; a medical
and eve examination, and a road
test.
Tells of Personnel Tests.
Investigation of personnel now Is
made while they are in training
rather than before because of the
competition for labor. Mr.. Shapiro
said. Applicants must now be fin-
gerprinted. records of local police
and the Federal Bureau of Investi-
cation are examined and. once they
are employed the company has its
own inspectors and investigators,
he continued.
To bolster the argument that care
is still maintained in training de-
spite the manpower shortage, Mr..
Shapiro said IS per cent Of those
accepted in l943 were disqualified
and IA per cent were dropped in the
90-day probationary period after
training. He said that 1t takes
three weeks to train a bus operator
and 80 days a streetcar operator,
adding there was trouble in the
second year with operators because
there is tendency for overcon-
fidence."
Safety Put First.
I'VE try to drill into our men
safety first and schedules last"
Mr.. Shapiro declared.
Mr.. Shapiro also brought out that
in 86 coroners verdicts in streetcar
and bus accidents, the verdicts were:
fault of deceased, 33; accidental,
30; operators held, Is, and no in
quests held, 18. In the Sc fatalities,
it was found 18 victims had alco-
hol in their blood, four others had
alcohol on their breath and six had
unusual physical defects" such as
poor hearing or one eye.
OF the eight negligible homicide
cases in courts involving operators,
seven resulted in acquittal, Mr..
Shapiro said.