Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-08-19
Dopper New Transit Head Sees
No Overnight Boy Wonder Stuff
BY HECTOR MCLEAN

dent and board chairman Of the
D. c. Transit System, Inc, and
uncontested boss of the Capitals
streetcar and bus fleet?
The dapper. quick-smiling
New Yorker came to Washing
ton two months ago. virtually
unknown here except in the
aviation industry, and today is
one Of the city's largest employ
ers and head of the fourth largest
private industry in the District.
He is a big businessman on
the local scene, and intends to
become bigger.
Mr.. Chalk, also president and
board chairman of Trans Carib-
bean Always. says he plans to
open a headquarters for that
concern in Washington - al
though the main offices will re-
main in New York-and will
offer regular flights between the
Capital and Miami, with pack
age tours into the Caribbean.
ALSO" he adds, I'VE will make
ourselves available for all the
convention business Washington
can get"
Recalling that he organized
the Independent Military Air
Transport Association (IMATA)
here in 1851 to get non-sched-
uled, independent airlines a
share of Government defense
contracts, Mr.. Chalk declares
that now Il am interested in
military business for the D. C.
Transit System.
Week End Business
Mr.. Chalk says he is thinking
particularly about the weekend
hauling of military personnel be-
tween Washington and the
Armed Service Camps in the
area while his bus feet is in
minimum use. When 1t was
pointed out that the Armed
Forces maintain fleets Of their
own buses for local movement
of personnel, Mr.. Chalk insisted,
I'VE can do the Job better, and
cheaper and save money for the
Government"
Other than these plans, Mr..
Chalk insists he does not pro-
pose to impose his own ideas
on the transit system, that he
will depend on suggestions
from within" the organization to
improve business and service.
There won't" he declares,
"be any overnight boy wonder
stuff. The only thing I ask is
a fair chance to try to do a job
for all concerned"
Mr.. Chalk. VINO bought all
the assets of Capital Transit last
Wednesday. has been working
hard to make friends in the en-
ploye organization he inherited
from etc, and to put many of
his relationships on a f1rst-name
basis.
Describing staff conferences.
he says. THESE people have been
under an awful strain for the last
year. and you can see the relief
when they get acquainted with
me and discover I'm not hob
goblin"
No Radical Change
Praising the spirit and abil-
ity" of the transit employees, he
insists, There's not going to be
any change of radical nature.
I'm going to try to reflect their
IDEAS"
Mr.. Chalk insists he is going
to meet the men from the
Waterman up" He recalls that,
on the Sunday before his pur-
chase was complete, he went to
the etc paint shop to see the
first bus marked ID. C. Transit"
With some glee. he says the
Waterman told him, This has
never happened before. We
never see the front-offce brass,
especially on Sunday"
Mr.. Chalk is still settling
down in the second floor Office
formerly occupied by the GRIM
visaged president of etc, j. Alb.
Broadwater, at the company's
old carbarn headquarters across
M street from Key Bridge at
Thirty-sixth street NV.
The more he sees of the red
brick building put up in 1895.
he says, the more he likes it.
II love the place and I'm very
excited, and the more I meet
the people the more I like the
place."
Roy Chalk (the initial 60" is
for Oscar, and he's not happy
about it, stands 5 feet, ~
inches tall C"make it 7ss," he
says) His normal weight is
just over 160 pounds, and he
complains he's gained 10 pounds
which he plans to lose-dur-
ing the hectic period of acquir-
ing the company.
His natty summer suits are
chosen to set off his greying
hair (he was born June Z, 1900
and mustache. He has a flair
for neat, conservative ties and
pleated, pastel-colored shirts.
Almost invariably cheerful, he
labors to keep disagreements on
a friendly. conversational level.
His anger comes out-infre-
quently--in the same quiet, con-
versational tone which leaves
his listeners wondering whether
he really means the bitter words
of indignation.
Roy Chalk was born in Lon
don Of Jewish parents, who
brought him to America at the
age of three. They were, he says,
of slightly less than average
means
He went to public schools in
New York Up. S. l65 at l08th
street and Broadway and lived
on lllth street. He recalls play
ing stick ball as boy on the
streets Of Harlem 35 or 40 years
ago with baseballs immortal
Lou Gehrig and George Gersh-
win. of Jazz and symphonic