Evening star., 1953-12-01
Control Urged for D. c. Transit
CONTINUED From First Page.)


mittee to study possibilities of
instituting rapid transit COM
muter service on existing rail-
road tracks which run from
suburban to Washington areas.
These spur lines, he said, could
be used to provide service from
Maryland to Georgetown and
from Maryland to points near
Boiling Field and the Pentagon
area.
These suggestions. he said,
had not been received happily
by the railroads and they did
not seem to be particularly IN
terested.
Small Backs Hyde.
Mr.. Small indorsed views
stated earlier by Mr.. Hyde. He
said he was convinced from
many years of observation of
the need Of a comprehensive
study of transportation through
out the Metropolitan Area. He
added: I'VE should have and
need a commission charged with
responsibility of studying and
supervision of transportation
both in and out of Washington"
Senator Morse questioned Mr..
Small in order to bring out what
he called obvious premises"
These were:
That the economic life of the
District and the welfare of it's
business life is dependent on eff
cient and reasonably priced
transportation.
That the quantity of sales by
mercahntS @is affected by the
ease of public transportation and
the cost of rides"
- That many families do not
have and can't afford private
automobiles; and
That people in the low-income
brackets still have tremendous
purchasing power for necessities
and their welfare as to transpor-
tation, therefore. is of great i'm
portance.
Oppose Public Ownership.
Senator Morse then declared
that all concerned were faced
with the alternative of getting
adequate transportation at rea-
sonable cost or demands for pub
lie ownership.
Mr.. Small agreed with most
of Senator MorSe's premises. He
said he hoped that good and
reasonable transportation could
be provided by a regulated pri-
vate industry. He said he. too.
did not want to see public own
erShip.
In an opening statement. Sem
ator Payne, Republican of
Maine, chairman of the special
District subcommittee in charge
of the inquiry. promised to seek
solutions that would protect the
public interest while also per-
mitting stockholders a fair re-
turn. 8
Senator Payne spoke of the
deep concern" in the public
mind. with successive fare in-
creases being accompanied by
increased Capital Transit Co.
dividends. He twice suggested
that the subcommittee would
consider corrective legislation. :"
He did not say what form it
might take.
It was recalled. however, that
the Payne subcommittee recently
explored the need of an expan-
sion of the powers of the Dis
trict Public Utilities Commits
sion and announced it would
consider this as part of its
final report. Members of the
District Utilities Commission were
instructed to submit their rec
concentrations in writing.
Investor a Factor.
"A basic question that must
be resolved" Senator Payne said,
lis whether the public interest is
being safeguarded; for an eff
cient, adequate and economically
operated mass transit system is of
vital concern to the people of
Metropolitan Washington and to
the Federal Government.
''It is. Of course. recognized
that in safeguarding the public
interest in a mass transit system
proper consideration should be
given to a fair return on the in
vestor's interest"
He said his subcommittee
would make a fair and factual
report ''in the way of specific
recommendations to Congress in
the hope that such corrective
legislation will result as may be
found necessary IN the interests
of the public"
He concluded with the state
ment: 1T is our sincere desire
to see that the public interest is
protected in every way possible
and that responsible regulatory
bodies may be afforded the re-
quired corrective legislation,
where needed, to accomplish this. "
Census Man Protests.
A. Ross Ecker, deputy director
of the Bureau of the Census,
protested to the committee that
the thousands of bureau en-
ployes at Suitland. Md, had
faced increasing difficulties and
costs getting to and from work.
THE high COSTS" he said, ARE
reinforced by the amount of time
required for transportation,
which, for most of the bureaus
employees dependent on public
transportation, involves the use
of one to three hours per day in
going to and from work.
1.-THE combined burden has
been so great that the bureau
has found it hard to attract
the best employees available in
tho HHa chiHanfoHa M q rlrnf and has