Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1955-08-15
Strike Views

This Capital Transit strike
has turned into a comedy Of
errors. The strikers have al
ready lost so much in wages
that they will not be able to
make up their losses for sew
eral years from any increased
wages gained by them. More
over, the strikers appear to
have no legitimate argument
for an increase in wages. Pre-
sumably the wages paid in
Washington should lie be-
tween those paid in Baltimore
and those paid in Richmond.
On this basis the transit en-
ployes should have a reduce
ton of about 10 cents an hour
stead of a Is cent raise. Living
costs have not increased APP
preciably since their last raise
and the strikers have already
substantially priced them
selves out of their jobs. Every
raise they have received for
several years has resulted in
fewer jobs after the strikes.
The transit company is carry
ing fewer and fewer passengers
at higher and higher fares
and with fewer and fewer
operators. Finally it will not
be able to compete with our
taXicabs.
Whatever can be said
against the present manage
ment of the transit company.
no one can dispute that it has
run the buses and trolleys
with maximum efficiency. But
it could not make its legal
SO return in spite of this
efficiency. Even the auditor
hired by P. U. C. could not
juggle the company's finances
to show a return Of over AZ.
I agree with the management
that the strike was caused by
the P. U. c. sitting on its
hands for 8 months without
acting on the fare increase
requested by the company.
The idea of this Commission
bringing court action in the
attempt to prevent the pay
ment of dividends to the COM
pany stockholders! Hasn't it
heard that seizure Of property
without due process is contrary
to our Constitution?
And what a spectacle Con-
gress made in the strike! One
turncoat Senator has even
remained in Washington to
help direct the strike and has
stopped to appear on televi-
sion to tell the strikers that
they have nothing to gain and
much to lose by dealing with
the company! The strike is
evidently nothing out Of his
hide. The coterie of social
istic craftsmanship boys in
Congress has had a field day
by passing a law authorizing
seizure of the company with
out providing for any compen-
sation. After all, not even
Congress itself can seize a
company worth $40 millions
without payment to its own
ers. Are the Commissioners
going to float a $40 million
bond issue on which we tax
payers will have to pay in
terest for the rest of our lives?
And are the taxpayers going to
pay the deficits resulting from
the operation Of the company
by a bunch of bureaucrats who
grant any wages asked by the
operators?
Taxpayer, Property Owner
and Former Bus Rider.
1t seems incredible that the
transit strike has not been
solved by this time. and I
fear the responsibility will
have to be placed where it be-
longs-upon the President.
While Mr.. Eisenhower has
tried to brush it of as purely
local matter. no strike that has
caused so much inconvenience
ana expense in the Capital Of
the Nation can be dismissed
as a local affair"
Had Mr.. Roosevelt or Mr..
Truman been in office. I am
confident that either of them
would have waited a week or
ten days for the two parties to
work out a Standardization
would have sent an Army COL
onel to the car barn with
orders to get the cars and buses
rolling.
There is no reason why an
agreement on such matters
cannot be worked out after
that, without the long suffer-
ing public being the victim in
the meantime.
John Kenmuir.
\ Il \
]. G. Bigelow says that If
the present offer had been
made before the strike. 1t
Su,a,S1A haua haau naannknA