Evening star., 1955-07-11
Transit Debate

ss0ssStd OCN0SC
Two voices stand out in the
clamor over the Capital Tran
sit, or Wolfson. affair. First is
the public. Second is the
sweetly reasonable voice of The
Stars editorials, telling us,
perhaps a bit patronizingly,
that after we have had our
fun disliking Wolfson, the real
problem still has to be solved.
Mr.. Wolfson's apparently legal
looting Of the transit company,
it seems, is all water over the
dam. Nothing can be done, it
appears, except to pay Mr..
Wolfson several times what he
paid for his stock and get the
company under public owner
ship.
Why? What are the alter
natives? Should the company
60 bankrupt, for example,
what determines the selling
price of the assets? What has
happened in parallel cases
elsewhere? There must have
been some. If Capital Tran
sits franchise were revoked,
just what would have to be
done to get another system in
operation? What would it be
likely to cost? Are there any
honest capitalists interested in
such a venture?
Above all, if Capital Transit's
assets are worth a lot less now
than when Wolfson took con-
troll, why could they not be
bought for something compa-
rable to Wolfson's original
price?
Perhaps it is naive for a
layman to ask questions about
so technical a matter. But
The Stars editorials so far
have added little. If anything,
TO the actual information
available to the public on this
vital me- tier.
L. Fleming.
X 4 4 4
What hoax or fraud is being
perpetrated on the John @.
Public now?
Pedestrian travel is para
lyzed by the transit strike. Yet
the hue and cry is business
as usual" Use your auto, park
anywhere, anytime, so long
as it does not interfere with
normal traffic conditions. Is
the order Of the day.
But. 'taint so. Cars by the
dozen are ticketed all over
town as police have a field
day.
Someone in authority had
better move, but quick, and
issue an order to the D. c. and
U. S. Park Police to stop writ
ing up parking citations for
the duration of the strike, and
rescind those issued since the
strike began.
Midsummer's heat is enough,
without getting hotter under
the collar over a situation so
easy to control by the proper
authorities. y
Tom Jones.
The Capital Transit contro-
versy would indicate that
legislation is required to create
a commission along Public
Utilities Commission lines to
determine what shall be the
minimum to maximum per-
centage Of annual net income
which shall be set aside each
year and divided among labor
dncluding management and
stockholders as wages and
dividends.
The matter could be ad-
justed by legislation as pro-
posed above, If necessary, so
that labor dncluding manage
ment) and stockholders would
receive a reasonable and fair
minimum to maximum per-
centage Of annual net income
as wages and dividends in
keeping with prevailing living
conditions.
At present the PUG. has
authority and power to deter
mine public transportation
rates, and therefore there is
no reason why Congress can
not grant authority along the
same lines as the Public Util-
tiles Commission to a prop
erly imposed committee
which would determine what
minimum to maximum per-
centage Of annual net income
shall be set aside for wages
and dividends.
At present there is definite
lack of proper labor-manage-
ment organization conducive
to sound business, which en-
courages selflshness, i.e., Gu
pidity and inequitable reaping
Of net income as wages and
dividends.
Lewis Kanick.. 1