Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-22
Strike Views

scrap all the SCreetcarS ana
tracks, I would like to make the
following suggestion in favor
Of retaining certain rail- lines.
Washington's population has
been increasingly on the move
to the outer fringes Of the city
and to numerous suburban set
Elements. AS q result, there
arises the need for fast transit
express routes to these outlying
areas. Why not retain certain
rail routes and run the street
cars during rush hours on an
express basis only? For exam
pie, Pennsylvania avenue Sc.
to Barney Circle has a long
stretch Of track in between two
rows Of trees. This could be
used as an express route during
rush hours with buses handling
the local riders. In between
rush hours the streetcars could
run local. and the buses could
return to the barn: or the
buses could take over other
streetcar routes where it is
more advisable to run buses on
local rather than streetcars,
and let the streetcars return to
the barn.
OF course, what the city
really needs is a good north
south, east-west subway sys-
TEN. but in the meantime some
sort Of express system is neces-
sary If the city proper is to re-
main a proper city.
Future Transit Rider?
Among the thousands Of
words printed on the transit
strike there has been one
astounding omission.
Not a single paragraph has
been given to the real So
Geological problem involved.
nor to the united community
effort needed to solve it for
all time.
A few days ago, a retired
gentleman discussing this
situation In Meridian Park.
said one OF his friends had
invested $500 in Capital
Transit 20 years ago and since
then had received $500 in
dividends, q rate Of return Of
$75 q year on $500. or a frac.
ton over 2 per cent . year.
BY any business standards
that Is not q fair return on an
investment but my informant
said his friend had not com.
planned about 1t. beyond q re-
signed comment. because he
saw mass transportation as q
public need, at fares working
persons could accommodate
within their budgets.
That seemed TO pin point
a salient truth: Mass trans.
portation had developed In
the United States to q life
blood : Of national existence
stage beyond the point of con-
sideration solely as busi-
ness. whether Of the free
enterprise variety or monopoly
under regulation.
Mass transportation is O
concern Of every element Of
community life in every stable
American center. In WASH
ington. the three main ele-
ments thus defined are: The
Government, the great en-
ployer: the merchants, the
great suppliers Of the physical
needs Of the population. and
the working people. the great
producers Gin the perspiratory
sense) who do the riding on
public transportation.
It would seem, therefore, that
If there is to be any truth in
the great American illusion Of
neighborliness and friendliness
and the Joy of working to-
gether, as our group leaders so
often declaim. these three great
elements should unite in the
organization of q corporation
to serve all their mass trans
portation needs.
Earl Scoop Shutz.
\ 4
One of your correspondents
in a recent letter is displeased
because little or no criticism
has been directed against the
workers who strike against the
Capital Transit. He suggests
further that strikes by those
employed by public utilities
should be outlawed in the pub
lie interest.
I submit that the strike is
in the public interest. Due to
an innate sense of justice and
fair play, the public intuitively
sympathizes with the strikers
because their cause is Just. No
matter the inconvenience to
us, II justice is served. Let us
also remember that all strikers
go on strike at q painful sac
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