Evening star., 1955-07-03
The Future

Where were the company, the
union and the city headed?
The immediate job, Of course. was
to end the strike. Both the union
and. the company were prepared
mentally for a long strike. even
though neither side had large sums
Of money to support one.
The city looked elsewhere for .
quick settlement.
District Commissioners and p. q.
c. lawyers studied the statute books
for emergency measures that could
stop the strike. Nothing worth
while was found. There was talk
for while of revoking the COM
pany's franchise. but under existing
laws that would only have left tho
District with a big lawsuit and no
public transportation.
Representative Joel T. Broyhill,
Republican, OF Virginia, whose sub-
urban district was not directly af-
fected by the strike, offered q bill to
seize the company, put the employees
to work for the Government and
then order them back on the job.
Morse's Repeal Bill
Senator Wayne Morse, Democrat.
of Oregon offered q bill designed TO
revoke Capital Transit's franchise
without provoking a lawsuit. Un-
der the Morse bill, CTC would have
to get out Of business in o year.
tearing up all its stseetcar tracks
and repaving the streets. That
would be real economic threat to
Mr.. Wolfson and might induce him
to sell out. On the other hand. he
was still In o position to ask .
handsome amount Of money for his
equipment, and no one was f1nan-
cially able or willing to start from
scratch building UP another transit
system.
And the whole proposal. unless IL
scared the apparently nerveless Mr..
Wolfson, would do little to get tho
buses running soon.
Senator Morse issued a subpoena
for Mr.. Wolfson yesterday. The
Senator wanted MIR. Wolfson to
testify Thursday before the Senate
District Committee. It was clear
Senator Morse was itching for .
chance to bawl out the transit chief.
Mr.. Wolfson was still In Cali
fornia. His Jacksonville. Fla. ofi1cs
said he was taking few days on"
after a business trip.
Meanwhile, there were many
thoughts about the long-run fu-
ture of Capital Transit. Gould o
privately owned company ever be
made paying proposition?
Everyone concerned said "yes."
But everyone pointed out financial
sacrifices that would have to be
made-by the other fellow.
The Sum TotoI
1t all added up to this:
III the P. U. c. raises fares;
And IL the District gives up sonie
Of it's tax money;
And IL downtown merchants back
traffic changes and subsidize transit
riders as they subsidize parking lot
users;
And IL the public gives UP some
downtown curbSide parking space:
And II the company reduces its
dividends and makes some costly
public relations gestures-then pri-
vate enterprise may continue to
provide Washington's mass trans.
portation.
There Is a good chance the fare
raise will come. But merchants are
reluctant to spend any money to
help Louis Wolfson's Capital Tram
sit. Civic leaders say there Is grow
ing realization that something
drastic will have to be done If the
company is to be kept out Of pub
lie ownership. but the day has not
come when downtown merchants
will take the initiative.
And Capital Transit Vice Presi-
dent E. Cleveland Giddings said
fatty last week that the company
would make no financial sacrifices
in the future to create good will or
encourage local cooperation.
We've made enough sacrifices al-
ready" he said.
The public was not asked what
or whether--it would like to sacri-
flee, and under Washington's sys-
TEN of government, would not DO
asked.
AS the week ended, there was no
solution in sight for the new mess
In Washington"
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