Hoover Hang-Up: Capital Traction Co. Stonewalls Fare Hike

March 25, 1929, Washington D.C. – A brazen game of bureaucratic cat-and-mouse is unfolding in the nation’s capital, where the Capital Traction Co. has been stalling on a long-overdue petition to raise car fares. The merger that once seemed a sure thing has fallen through, and the company is now dragging its feet on a rate hike that’s long overdue. But why the delay? The answer lies in the makeup of the Public Utilities Commission, where two members – Chairman Childress and Engineer Commissioner Ladue – have been known to tip the scales in favor of the companies they serve.