National Republican., 1883-02-02
OUR STREET CARS.
The Text OF MIR. Vance's Bill for Their
Better Regulation.

Better Regulation.
II Is almost as good rs q comfortable ride in
a street car to read Senator Vance's bill. He
evidently believes that street cars are per-
mitted to run on the public streets for "the
convenience and comfort of passengers" and
he is in favor of law TO enforce the rcaliza-
tion of this fancy. The fact is the street cars
are run for the purpose OF hauling money to
the central stables, where man puts 1t in n
bag and carries it to the secretary. The care
ful observer will notice humpbacked box
by the front door of each bobtail car. This is
TO be filled with money. If the Vance bill
should become law and the law be enforced,
each car would have two horses, and then
there would be q box each side Of the front door
of the car. This man who carries the bag Of
money from the stable to the treasurer pours
it into his bag as Thought were peanut shells
The qualification of II good gobetween of this
sort is that he shall wear an ovcrcoat with a
big collar and pretend that he never thinks
about the money. The tracks run in all di-
rcctions, and whenever u large amount of
money is needed at the secretary's Office
they send out large number of cars and
put men with long overcoats ON some of the
cars without boxes with orders to bring
home their overcoat pockets full of money.
Whole rows of cars may he seen mt the nd
iournmcnt hour waiting for the senators TO
come out and put their money in the boxes,
and this is why IL seems strange that Mr..
Vance should for moment think the cars run
for tho comfort and convenience OF passengers.
Of course, if now and then passenger
gets some comfort and convenience
the company never makes fuss about 1t;
but If tho box is negectcd-grcat Scott !
there is fuss then. The driver, who is ad-
monishcd to bring in money, manages to raise
moro disturbance than temporary chairman
in the house of representatives, and the poor
passengers are glad enough to put money in
the box to stop his noise rs he haStens to the
stable with his money. 1t is interest
ing to sec and hear these bandits as
they exchange signs and passwords when
meeting. Sometimes the passengers get out
at their own doors to escape from the
| combination, though this seldom occurs. The
rule is to leave all passengers half n square
from home. 1t is curious, too, to see the al
lurcmcnts of these gathering concerns.
Men and women 90 trudging after them, im-
plOring them to stop, which they sometimes
do. The Vance bill, which follows, may
change all this. Most people hope it will.
They feel as people do when dunned for bar
bill. They don't care for the money; it's the
principle of the thing. Mr.. Nanco's bill points
in the direction of principle, and the cars
should be made to go that way or be thrown
off the track
The following is the full text of Mr.. Vance's
bill "for tho better security of persons and
greater facility of transportation or street
railways within the District of Columbia"
Be Il enacted. de-, That the ninth section Of the
act Of congress approved May u, 1862, entitled
| IAN act TO incorporate the Washington and
| Georgetown Railway company ana the nlnth
| section of the act ofCongess approved July J. 1864
entitled AN act to Incorporate the Metropolitan
amended so that they, and each OF them, shall
read M follows:
class cars OH said railways, with Gll the modern
| improvements, for the convenience and comfort
| of passengers and shall run said cars thereon
| dufingthe day, and from the hour of 6oclock III
| the morning until the hour of 1880 o'clock M
night, at intervals OF not more than three minute;
between the hours Of 0 o'clock i'll the morning and
Z o'clock In the evening, and at intervals OF not
| more than seven minutes between the hours OF {
| o'clock and o'clock in the morning and between
| the hours of o'clock in the evening and l2:S
o'clock at night: but said company may run said
| cars MS much ottenCr and for such longer time al
the public convenience may require. And nc
| large boxes, market baskets, or baskets contain
| ing clothing or the like shall be carried or re
ceived within said cars or any of themj but 4
said company shall desire or be willing to carry
any such boxes or baskets 1t shall provide space
for them outside, or shall run cars specially fol
"Any president, superintendent, conductor, car
| driver, or other officer or agent of said compan!
who shall violate any provision of this section o
who shall order or permit any such violation
| shall be deemed to be guilty of misdemcanor
and shall be punished, upon information made o
filed in the police court Of the District OF COlum
bia, with n line not to exceed the sum of 500 io
any one oncnse to be enforced as other fines anC
penalties are enforced in said police court"
"SEC. 2. That each of said cars or carriages shal
be drawn by not less than two horses, and shall b
provided with both n driver and a conductor; ant
any fuiuro of said company to comply with th
provisions of this section after the end of si'
| months from and after the date of the approva
hereof, shall be deemed misdemeanor on tn,
part OF the president and directors of said com
pany, and shall be punished as herenDeiore pro
Vided for violations of the provisions of the pre-
Ceding section"