Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1879-10-28

A correspondent has something to say In an
other column in behalf OF the W. & G.. X. X. Co.
in the matter OF the new transfer system. We
have no doubt it Is true as represented, that the
tramway company have suffered to some extent
from mpositions In the manner described We
may say, too, just here, that the managers and
Washington stockholders of the road are excel
lent citizens. who have individually the conf
dence and regard OF the community But the
trouble is that In their collective capacity as
company, and in the natural desire to make their
investment profitable one they have resorted
to measures to secure every available penny that
are Onerous. arbitrary and OF that ''sOuless" ma
ture said to be characteristic Of corporations. In
making this abrupt and sweeping change in the
manner OF giving transfers, the company should
have taken every pains to supply intelligent and
oblging transfer agents, who would be able to
make the new system work with as little
friction, and as little to the inconvenience of the
public as possible. On the contrary, the trans
fer men placed at 18th street and 14th stree
seem to have been selected as New York police
men are said to be, the ground Of their ability
to enforce their edicts by insolent language
and club rule. 1t may be that these men In
their zeal have exceeded their instructions, but
from numerous and wellestablished complaints
there can be no doubt that their treatment of
respectable citizens, and ladies also, has been of
company should appreciate that it Is venturing
upon thin ice in applying arbitrary rules TO the
public in this way. Both this company and all the
other tranway companies of the city are
working every day in violation of their charter
requirements. By law they are required to fur
nish seat to every passenger; but the patient
public have submitted all these years to the i'm
position OF being packed like behring's on end, in
the jolting, uncomfortable cars, and nobody Is so
verdant now as to count upon getting seat. If
the companies were compelled to carry out the
law in respect to carrying no more passengers
than they can seat, they would speedily find
diminutiOn in their receipts, compared to which
the saving by the new transfer system
would be infiniteSimal Or to carry the
same number of passengers they would be
compelled to supply so many more cars that the
outlay would make a corresponding deficit in
their treasures.
Again, they have never carried out their char
ter requirements in the matter of laying their
tracks level with the pavement; and the result
is an untold amount of injury to the wheels of
vehicles crossing. The jolting, too, when the
cars cross intersectng tracks is great nuisance,
to which passengers have up to this time pa
tently submitted. Then too, the enquiry occurs
why the tramway companies are allowed to
monopOliZe so large portion of narrow steetS
like It'll ST., 9th St, 18th ST., and 18th street. with
double tracks?
Altogether, the public is in mood to make
several enquiries OF this sort in regard to tram
way impoSitionS, now that the companies are
putting them to so much Inconvenience in the
transfer matter.