Evening star., 1952-06-23

Chairman James H. Flanagan
to criticism OF PUG handling of
transit affairs in the recent
Lands report:
The primary function of the
Public Utilities Commission of
the District of Columbia is to
insure safe and adequate utility
service for the~residents of the
District of Columbia at reason
able, just and non-discrimina-
tory rates.
The James M. Lands report,
under the caption Recent Fare
Increases" on page %. states:
Recent fare increases have
been granted to the company in
1947. 1948. 1850 and 1852. Dur
ing these years the cash fare
has increased from 10 cents to
Is cents; tokens which were sold
at 3 for Is cents now cost 40
cents; and the weekly pass has
risen from $125 to $2.1O.
1T cannot be fairly said that
any one of these increases was
not necessary"
Under the caption Future
Fare Increases" on page %,
the James M. Lands report con-
tains the following statement.
With the rising cost of llv-
ing, future fare increases must
be expected"
A close study of Section II
of the James M. Lands report,
pages 81 to AZ, inclusive, does
not disclose single specific in
stance of lack of safe and ade-
quate transportation service for
the residents of the District of
Columbia. This section of the
report is replete with the same
generalizations that have con-
fronted the commission from
time to time.
The problems facing mass
transportation in the District
of Columbia are we'll known to
my commission, and the statis-
tics relating to service are COM
piled continuously both by the
company and by the commits
sion. Costs Of operation are
analyzed by my commission to
a much greater degree than the
analysis set out in the Lands
report, and are used as an in
tegral part of every investiga-
ton conducted by the commits
sion in relation to rates or serv-
ice.
Schedules and headways are
under constant supervision by
the staff Of the commission.
Attempt is made to handle
all complaints expeditiously. I
would appreciate details as to
lack of prompt attention to
such complaints.
With regard to maintenance
of equipment and safety of op-
Grafton, it is matter of public
record that Capital Transit
Co. has received first-place
awards in both of these phases
of operation. in competition
with other cities of the United
States of comparable size, for
number of consecutive years.
Obviously. if the fare in
creaSeS which my commission
granted were reasonable, then
the many charges contained in
the Lands report are without
merit.
In view of the foregoing. it
Is my opinion that any further
discussion of the confusing and
baseless theories and charges
contained in the James M.
Lands report is academic.
However, as I realize that the
members Of this committee may
be interested in my reply to the
other phases of this report,
am pleased to submit my COM
ments relative thereto.
Much is made of the point
that the Public Utilities Com
mission should now inform the
public Of the true earnings Of
the Capital Transit Company,
as interpreted in the James M.
Lands report. Every significant
figure discussed in the Lands
report was taken directly from
orders printed and issued by
this Commission. (Copies Of
Orders Nos. 1885 and 3199 are
attached hereto.) These or
ders were based upon facts. in
voluminous detail, which were
entered into records made at
public hearings. These orders
were distributed to every citi-
zens' and civic association in
the District of Columbia, to
regulatory authorities, to a
number Of interested individ-
ualS. and to each member Of
the Senate and House Commit
tees on the District of Colum-
bia. Let me emphasize that
last point. A copy of every
order issued by the commission
relating to rates established for
utility service has been dis
tributed to each and every
member Of the Senate and
House Committees on the Dis
trict Of Columbia.
There has been no secrecy
surrounding the earnings of the
Capital Transit Co. In all my
years Of regulatory experience I
have never consciously sup
pressed or concealed relevant
facts to which the public are
entitled, and it is not my in
tention to do so now.
The company's reports to this
commission have been prepared
in accordance with classified
systems Of accounts prescribed
for transit companies. The an
nual reports of the company to
its stockholders have contained
accountants certificates by
reputable certified public ac-
countantS.
If I have been guilty of errors