The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-10-10
THE SEPARATE CAR BILL.
TIE SAVANNAH STREET BAIL
WAYS FiGBTTNG 1T. |.


The Effect the Law Would have on
the Street Car Lines-President JONI
ston of the City and suburban Rail-
wav ofthe Opinion That It Does MOI
Annjv TO Horse Ger Lines-What the
President Of the Belt Line and the
Electric Railway Say About the
Measure
The legislature is continually stepping
upon Savannah's toes somewhere, and every
time 1t steps upon a different toe 1t is the
street car lines now that are worried.
Its on account Of the bill now before the
legislature requiring street car companies
70 furnish separate cars for whites and
blacks. Manager Saussy Of the Belt Line
is now in Atlanta 20 oppose the bill ana ex-
pIsin to the members of the legislature the
conditions under which the street car COM
panies labor.
President W. G.. Cooper OF the Be!t Line,
President J. H Johnston OF tue Clty ana
Suburban and Coast Line and Fresldent
] 4 Collins Of toe Electric line were seen
Yesterday by a MORNING NEWS reporter
and were asked their opinion OF the Dill and
its results if it became law. Ihey agreed
that the bill is impract cable and unneces-
sary. and if passed It Will put tee street car
companies to great cost and inconvenience
without any compensation in return.
WHAT THE RAILWAY MEN SAY.
at would be great hardship on the
street RAILWAYS said President Collins of
the electric line. Personally would favor
sucn a DR. vision if the travel justified it.
II would be more agreeable for both races
and more satisfactory generally. AS things
are ow, however it would simply result In
the running of two almost empty cars in
stead Of one only half filled. From now
until May the street railroad companies will
not pay expenses.
"Poople prefer to walk in cold weather to
riding, except for long distances. Riding
in cold car is not pleasant, anyway. You
seldom see g crowded street car in the WIN
ter. The electric railroads could manage
better, in case Of the passage OF the Bill
than horse car companies, as they could
comply with the law by attaching trail
cars to the regular motor cars"
THE BELT LINE FIGHTING 1T.
President Cooper Of the Belt Line said the
bill is nonsensical and uncalled for.
at is almost impossible to separate the
races anyway he said. Suppose separate
cars were provided. We have a great
many nurses with children riding on the
Belt Line. Suppose nurse gets on 6
car with one or two white
children. Under the law the nurse could
not go with the children into the white car,
and the children could not 60 with the nurse
into the colored car.
"f necessary, the electric lines could fulfil
the requirements OF the law by attaching
trail cars, but it would be at an extra ex-
-. -
them, and there would be no extra COM
pensation. The street railroads in the
smaller cities ald towns could hardly af-
ford this, however, ard | don't see how
the horse car lines could manage it at all 4.
The law is not called for. There is very
seldom any trouble or disorder between the
races on the street cars, and we seldom have
q complaint on this account"
DOESN'T THINK IT AFFECTS HORSE CARS.
President Johnston of the City and Su-
burban and Coast Line railroads said he did
not think the bill applied to horse car lines.
He received letter from Maj. Ryals,
dated Oct. 5, saying that bill
had passed the House requiring
dummy lines to furnish separate accom-
mediation for white and colored passengers,
but was amended In the Senate to apply to
electric lines also. Maj. Ryals did not
apply to horse car lines.
When asked what the horse car lines
would do If the law should be made applica-
BILE to them, Capt. Johnston said the thing
simply couldn't DO done.
at would mean an empty car following
every regular car" he added 1--WE COULDN'T
manage as the electric lines could, because
we would have to have separate team,
driver and conductor for every
extra car. There ara very few
colored passengers on the Abercorn aud
Whitaker street lines anyway, though there
are good many on the Coast Line and
West Broad street lines. There may be q
little Inconvenience on account Of the mix
ture of the races sometimes, but the cars
are seldom crowded, and it is very seldom
we bear of any complaints of this kind
Separate coaches ara provided now for
whites and blacks on the Coast Line TO
ThuHderbolt aud Isle Of Hope.
THE PUBLIC OPINION
The public generally is talking of the bill.
A good manypeople think IL would be good
thing TO have separate cars, especially on the
Belt Line at certain hours whore the cars
are crowded with colored cotton workers
and wharf laborers, going to and returning
from work. These crowded cars are very
unpleasant to ladies, who are often unable
to obtain seats. On account of the incon-
venience to the street car companies. how
ever, the bill is not generally Endorsed.
About twenty years ago q car was rlu on
the Whitaker street line exclusively for
colored pe )pie, who we're not allowed &c
ride on the cars for white people. The ne
groes absolutely refused to ride in a separ
ate car, and would ride on the platforms oil
the white cars rather than on the car SCI
apart for them. Several serious difilcultie
were the result. amounting to riots in fact
and number of persons were wounded
The experiment was abandoned after
short trial