Evening star., 1948-11-16
Letters to The Star
In Defense of the Transit Company

In Defense of the Transit Company
To the Editor Of The Star:
I'm really irritated ut this point, after read
ing with deep interest the letter to the editor,
written by Genevieve T. Howell, which ap-
that 1t is high time someone, preferably q
native Washingtonian, said few nice things
about the Capital Transit drivers.
Miss Howell should join with the ranks Of
those Of US who have to depend on public
transportation with . system, by calling the
schedule department of the Transit Company
and then setting her clock and giving herself
. chance to see how easy 1t Is not to miss .
bus. I've seen lots Of the other type. They run
to catch q car or bus, don't even look at the
destination sign and then give the operator q
bawling out because he goes to "14th and @
sts." instead of MT. Pleasant" (this for ex-
arnple). Meanwhile they have slept until the
last horn blows, have their hair up in pin
curls, wrapped in q scarf, no hose. nat dirty
shoes, impressed unkempt clothes and expect
to get to work on time, sign in, then finish
dressing on Government time.
They get on the car on Monday morning
flash $40 bill hoping against hope that the
driver cannot change 1t and that they will
get free ride downtown. I'd dare say they'd
pull that trick with the same bill all week If
they could.
feel that we have one of the finest trans
portation systems in the country, but since
haven't had the pleasure Of going to Kansas
City, have to exclude that city as q COM
parison, but II felt as loyal to 1t as Miss
Howell does, I'd try to return there and live
. peaceful life, without any emotional upsets
because Of another citys transportation.
think people should take into considera-
ton the fact that any job in which one has to
handle the public is not an easy one and in
the case of the fare increase feel that it is
justiiable. They should also realize that the
operators Of these public vehicles had nothing
whatever to do with it. I've always found the
drivers very courteous willing to cooperate
and more than willing to discuss the operat
ing schedule with the passenger when asked
about 1t, regardless of the passengers approach,
which in some cases that I have heard has
been extremely rude. feel little more con-
sideration should be shown to our operators
in view of the fact that they are human too
although not enough Of the public realizes It,
The fact that am the mother Of Capital
Transit bus driver doesn't mean that feel
differently about them than did before he
worked for the company. I've always felt that
they deserve lot more consideration from the
public. BETTY L. KRUGER.
TO the Editor Of The Star:
In your issue Of November II Genevieve
Z. Howell compares the services and fares Of
the Capital Transit Co. with those Of the
Kansas City Public Service Co., to the detri-
ment Of the former.
It might be Of interest to your correspondent
to look up the record Of the Kansas City COM
pany for the past IS years to see how often
1t has been in receivership, undergoing re-
organization, or borrowing from the RFC be-
cause its credit was too poor to sell securities
privately. JAS. G. EDWARDS.
For Mediation, Not Coercion
70 the Editor Of The Star:
Replying to Ex-newspaperman's letter Of NO
vember 6, I, also, am student Of the editorial
page and frequently disagree with some Of
the opinions set forth by well-informed per-
sons. appreciate the fact that it is his pre-
rogative to do likewise Thank God 1t Is one
Of the rights that help to keep this great
Nation free. Let's not lose sight Of the fact
that the Taft-Hartley Law was the result Of
long study, by some Of our well-informed men
both Democrats and Republicans.
highly approve of all the gains the little
man can get to improve his standard Of living
Il am one Of them But these gains should
be gotten by mediation and compromise, not
by force or coercion. The West Coast shipping
tieup is IN excellent example Of who pays the
bill for these radical strikes-the little man.
He has now lost about two and . half months
pay and will probably wind up with . settle
ment for about the same rs management offered
before the strike. DELMER q. WRIGHT.
In Defense of Pollsters
RI ha n
The editorial which The Star carried No
vember entitled bad Day for the Pollsters'
came dangerously near throwing out a very
valuable baby with the bath water. Your writer
quite correctly objects to the tendency in some
quarters to place q halo Of infallibility on the
heads Of the pollsters, but on the other hand
he certainly owes 1t to his readers to place
election predictions In proper perspective.
In evaluating the pollsters' debacle, there are
several points which might be kept in mind:
l. During the past IL years, modern polling
techniques have been employed in forecasting
3o2 elections in eight different countries. Tho
average error for Ill these elections has been
80 per cent. Note that this does not mean
that the pollsters can always pick the winner
in q close election, but 1t does mean that the
man who follows poll results is more likely to
be right than the man who relies on any other
source. It should also be remembered that
election polls represent . very, very minor part
of the pollsters' work.
2. Contrary to popular impression, the poll
sters do not claim to have achieved an exact
science. During the past year alone more than
so studies have appeared in professional
Journals analylng various sources Of error in