Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-21

Public Opinion In Other Cities Aroused
Against the System.

FiGHTfNG TIRE TRoILEY.
Public Opinion In Other cries Aroused
Against the System.
In Philadelphia. where ordinances were re-
Gently rushed through the city councils grant
ing the right to use overhead trolley wires to
various street railroads, there has been great
outburst of public Indignation The discovery
that these ordinances are invalid and that the
Legislative work viii probably have to be done
over again has given the people another chance
TO express their viii, and already there are evil
I dences that the council, on sober second
thought is beginning to yield to the popular
opposition to the trolley system The mem
hers Of the committees 10 whom the subject
has been referred determined Tuesday that
the city interests should be fully considered in
any attempt made to repair the defective
| trolley ordinances hurried through the last
| city councils under traction influence BY re-
ferring all ordinances on that subject to a SUBJ
committee to confer with the city solicitor and
| the director OF public safety. -
THE BEST AVAILABLE SYSTEM WANTED.
The Philadelphia Ledger Of yesterday, COM
menting on the matter. says: Those who have
been opposing the overhead trolley wires
should be encouraged by yesterdays action to
keep up their missionary work upon ccancil-
men, with the purpose in view of getting for
Philadelphia the best available system OF car
propulsion. and not III a captous spirit of op-
position to railway companies or railway de-
velopment. The railways Of Philadelphia rs
OF every other city, are OF great public advan-
tage; they promote tho growth Of the city and
help to cheaper the cost Of living by increas-
| ing the area within which cheap homes may be
built for the use OF working people. They are
to be promoted and encouraged III giving bet
ter car service. but always Ia the public inter-
| est. not solely fer the benefit of the corpora
| tions or for the benefit of the corporations at
| the expense of the municipality. Opposition
| to the overhead troiieys is not and Should not
be opposition to the railway companies, but
| declaration that Philadelphia must be given
| the best possible car service On surface
| roads, under conditions entirely fair to the
| companies and to the municipality"
The newspapers OF Philadelphia, a rule,
refer to the action OF the committees Of coun-
| ell Tuesday as an ant-trolley victory and, voic
! ing popular opinion, express the hope that the
| opposition Of the people to such q system may
| now become effective. r
| INVESTIGATING VARIOUS SYSTEMS
| Director of Public Safety BETTER Of PLila-
deiphia and Chief Walker of the electrical bu-
reau are now engaged in making Investigations
in other cities of the trolley system and OF other
traction systems. Director BETTER has made a
| report to the mayor covering his observations
! in Rochester, Buffalo, Cleveland, Chicago and
| Pittsburg. To a reporter of the Philadelphia
| Press Mr.. Better said:
| "Our purpose In this western trip was to as
| certain the weight of the electric wires, the
| weight and slzo of the rails. the cars. &C. In
our report these details are given, but they
would be OF no interest to tho public We first
| went to Rochester, where they have tie over
head system. Then We went to Buffalo.
There they have an underground system in
! operation, and We were very we'll pleased with
It, In Cleveland the overhead system is en-
L n In
found IN one place an underground system
| that had been III use but six weeks. Chief
| Walker was much pleased with its construction,
aud 1t seemed to work very well. The trip con-
WINGED NE that the best system was the under
ground one, the next was where the feeding
! wires are buried and the next where the feed
| ing wires are overhead but insulated"
MASS MEETING OF CITIZENS.
mass meeting Of citizens Of the fifth ward
| in Philadelphia was held last night to protest
| against the introduction of rol,eys on the city
| streets. The Philadelphia Inquirer of today
| says every scat in the hall was occupied and
| the men who wished to publicly avow their
hatred for troleys were standing about
the walls three deep. Tho resolutions
ton to the erection of poles and
running OF wires and operation OF roads by
| the overhead electric trolley system and also
| criticised various actions of the council re-
specting railroads. The addresses made were
| aimed ut the strong traction combination which
had got such control of politics as to be able to
! compel the council to do its bidding. Some Of
| them described the danger Of the trolley wire
to man and beast and the constant menace to
houses in case OF fire. At the close Of the
! meeting stereopticou views we're shown illus-
trating the Disagreement OF streets by trolley
| wires.
| THE FIGHT IN DETROIT.
In Detroit vigorous fight in the interest of
| public safety is being waged against the troll
| ley system. recent article on the subject in
| the Detroit Free Press. written by citizen
| says: Now. in the face of what appears to be
| a successful storage battery right under our
I nose, think the Free Press has taken the
proper stand in opposing any introduction of
| the trolley system, excepting a last resors
! and am confident when the people know
| what Is. believe. now possibie-that Is, the
possession of a successful storage battery sys-
| tem-;hey viii sustain the Free Press by a
| large mai otity.
| only question at issue Is the question Of cost.
| 1hls corporation very naturally wants the
Rreatest returns at the smallest expense But
II, as Is possible they may want to sell us some-
| thing year or two hence, we certainly should
not be justified in letting them put up make
| shift that We should have to remove to make
room FOR such service as the people would
demand il serving themselves. as they do with
| their water supply. Or if they were to bid for
| a new lease OF privilege or sell out to some
| more favorable bidder, We are justified in de-
manding such n service cur future require
ments would suggest within the lifetime
| of this new privilege. The first cost
OF good plant would undoubtedly be
| more than one that would accommodate
the trolley system, and there's tine rub. The
only reason why the trolley system is 80 gencr-
ally in is that it is u make shift that can
be applied to aud utilize most Of the junk be-
| longing to the supcrannuated horse car roads,
and consequently Is economizer OF expenses.
which may be legitimate consideration for the
corporation, but Is not for the patron of this
corporation. who now pays and will be ex-
pectcd to pay, for first-class accommodations:
! SO let him see to it that he gets them
If the Free Press will stick to the fight for
decent service and n reasonable compensation
for privileges granted. the people Of Detroit
| will yet rise up and call it blessed
ANOTHER SCARE IN BOSTON.
In Boston the opposition to overhead electric
wires Of u kinds, and to trolley wires in partc-
ular, was intensified last week by fatal acct
dent due TO trolley wire and by a practi-
cal illustration Of how the trolley wires inter-
fere with the operations of the fire department.
Boston had another scare Monday niyht. The
| Boston News says:
| THE electrics are a fertile source Of ACCT
| fan ,l,x