Evening star., 1951-03-09
Capital Transit Plans
To Fire 3 Workers
In Economy Move,


missing about 80 employees in its
maintenance department in ar
economy measure to save more
than 100000 in wages, it was
learned yesterday.
E. c. Giddings, vice president oi
the transit company, said:
1--WE hope to institute more
economies as we have in the pas
IN order to offset the increase ir
our operating expenses which
were incurred as result of oul
increase in the power bill"
The Public Utilities Commission
has just approved an increase o.
about $230,000 in the annua
power bill which the transit com
pany must pay the Potomac Elec'
trio Power Co.
Further Reductions Denied.
Union sources reported tina
Capital Transit also plans to re-
duce its working force by anothel
40 persons if it is allowed t.
eliminate the eight suburban
lines in nearby Maryland. as i
proposes. Mr.. Giddings said thi'
is not the case, that 81 operator.
would be affected by the elimina
tion of the lines.
1--WE are short of operators ane
they will find plenty of work il
the rest of the system" he de.
clared.
Mr.. Giddings said the possibility
of further reductions in the work,
ing force by failing to fill vacan-
cies that occur is possibility. Ee
said the company is searching
for places to effect economies.
Edmund L. Jones. company at.
torney, when testifying yesterday
before the Interstate Commerce
Commission, denied the company
was skimping on its maintenance
as union officials have charged.
Expenses Cut SIS Million.
The December report whiel
Capital Transit filed with the PUG
shows that the company last veal
was able to reduce operating ex-
penses by SIG million under the
previous year, a reduction of Sc
per cent. Union officials have
charged these savings were made
at the expense of maintenance OF
the buses and streetcars.
Mr.. Giddings defended the COM
pany's move to fire the 33 en-
ployes-a move which will be
completed by March 15-by say
ing the company would be criti-
cized if it kept people on the
payroll for whom we have nc
work"
He said the operating mileage
in 1850 was 40.7 million, while the
pervious year it totaled 43.5 mil
lion. This represents reduction
OF 612 per cent, he added.
At the close of 1850, he said
the company had total of 4.27C
employees as compared to 4,975 al
the close of 1949. This includes
both union and union en-
ployes.
From union sources it was
learned that members of the union
totaled 1886 on February % this
year, compared with 1859 on
August 81, 1949, a drop of 773
members. a
140 Actually Laid Off.
Starting with an economy drive
in January, 1850. it was said about
140 men were actually laid off,
while the remainder Of the re-
duction represented failure to fill
vacancies and in more recent
months the company's inability to
find enough drivers.
The union sources estimated
the company's outlay for the me-
chanical department was cut II
per cent early in 1850, but some
OF the economies proved too Sc
we're and had to be modified later
The paint force at one bus
garage was reduced from % to
only eight men, but in the last
six months, the force has been in
creased to around Is. Most OF
the jobs eliminated in the com
pany garages were cleaners ano
painters. Mechanics helpers hac
to turn to washing buses, thus
throwing an increased load on the
mechanics.
Inspection Periods Heightened.
Greasing of buses was done
every 5000 miles instead of every
1000, minor inspection was made
at 5000 rather than the former
1000 and major inspections pre-.
viously made every $4,000 miles
were eliminated except in case oi
actual breakdown of the vehicle
the union sources said.
This was modified later. The
2,000-mile greasing and the 1000.
mile minor inspections were re-
stored, but the major inspection.
remained for breakdowns only
However, it was said the company
did not increase the mechanical
forces to care for the'partially re.
stored schedule and mechanic.
were reported trying to meet it
but sometimes unsuccessfully.
Streetcars, for. many years in.
spected once a month, were ord.
cred inspected every two months
in the early 1850 economy, and sc
lar as union sources know, ne
attempt has been made to restore
that schedule.
LOST