Evening star., 1895-05-29
All the Roads Say They Are Using
Due Diligence.
COLUMBIA ROAD MOST BACKWARD
Mr.. Dunlop Will Resist Enforce.
ment of the Order.
WHEEL GUARDS LACKING

| L,
pell.ng every street railway car to be
| equipped with fender.
The president of the Washington and
| Georgetown Railroad Company, Mr.. George
| T. Dunlop, when asked this morning by a
| Star reporter how his company would be
affected by the June 1st fender regulation
| of the Comm. m.ssoners, said: ''On June 1
| all the operated by the Washington
| and Georgetown Railroad Company will be
| equipped with the Blackstone fender.
| These tenders are now on the cars of the
| Georgetown and 14th street lines and by
| Friday evening similar tenders will be on
| the cars of the 7th street line. AS we told
| the Commissioners in our interview with
them on the 1st of February last, just
after they issued the order, we would do,
| we have acted in this matter with reason
| -Ole diligence and L think that the COM
| mlssionerS recognize that fact We have
| no quarrel with the Commissioners When
| their order was promulgated on the 31st
| of last January we had conference with
| them and told them exactly what We pro-
posed to do
"They approved the Blackstone fender,
and we told them that We would equip our
| cars with that device. We also pointed out
| that it would require time in order to have
! these tenders manufactured, as they were
made of cast steel. We asked at that time
| for an extension of time. The Commission
ers did not grant this request, but advised
| us to go on and do the best that We could
| Immediately after this interview we made
| a contract with Mr.. Blackstone, and as
| oiIr correspondence with him will show
since that time We have constantly urged
| on him the Importance of doing the work
| as rapidly as possible, so that We could be
| furnished with the tenders within the
shortest period. We believe that the con-
| tractor has done all in his power to comply
| with our wishes, and that the tenders have
| been furnished as rapidly as the conditions
| of the work permitted.
I'VE have also made a contract with Mr..
Blackstone to supply us with wheel guards,
in accordance with design approved by
| the Commissioners. These wheel guards
have not yet been supplied, and therefore
the cars are not equipped with the 1t is
| the intention of the company to comply
with this part of the regulation of the Com
missioners as soon as it is practicable to do
| so. Work of this sort requires time, and,
| as our records will show, We have pro-
ceeded with as much expedition in comply
ing with the Commissioners regulations as
could reasonably be expected"
When asked what course he should pur-
sue If the Commissioners, as indicated, en-
| forced the fine June for the non-com-
| pliance with the regulations, Mr. Dunlop
said that the company would not pay the
fine. In response to an inquiry as to what
his course would be in the contingency that
the Commissioners attempted to collect the
fine, he said that he supposed that the en-
tire question would then come before the
courts for decision.
L Ou must unuerStaUO, SdlQ MT. DunlOp,
that We are not antagoniZing the Com
missioners in this matter and we do not
believe that the District authorities
contemplate any unreasonable action. We
recognize that the Commissioners have the
authority to make all reasonable regula-
tions, and the position of this company Is
that We have in this matter and in every
particular done everything in reason to
comply with the regulation"
Columbia Road.
The president of the Columbia road, Mr..
Baker told a Star reporter this morning
that none Of their cars were equipped with
tenders. I'VE have been experimenting
with the Smith Eldridge fender" he said,
and some time ago We heard of a fender
that was in use in Boston. We wrote on
about it and were informed that the pat
ent was owned by Tom l. johnson of Ohio.
Then we sent letter to him and received
word that he was away from home, but
that he was expected back in few days.
LAY before yesterday We had letter ask
ing that representative of the company
come 10 New York to confer in regard to
the matter. We informed the Commits
sioners what We were doing and then they
told US to go and do the best We could.
We are endeavoring TO get a fender that
will meet the approval of the Commission
ers, and, of course, they must see it in
operation and give their consent before
our company can adopt 1t. That is the
situation of the Columbia road"
impose the fine of $50 day for non-com-
pliance with these regulations?"
I'VE can stop the cars" was the reply,
"as they are not earning that much
DO you think that the Commissioners
can enforce the order?'
Il don't know as to that" responded Mr..
Baker THAT is legal question which /
don't feel competent to pass upon l sup
pose that the matter will be tested in the
courts, but 1 don't know, of course, what
will be done"
Mr.. Baker added that the cars are
equipped with wheel guards. He said that
it would not be possible to supply tenders
for the cars on his road by June l.
Eckinston's Position.
Mr. Schoepf, the general manager of the
lexington railroad, said today that all the
! cars on that line were supplied with tenders
and wheel guards, and that therefore the
order of the Commissioners had been COM
piled with by his read.
Rock Creek Line.
Mr.. Howard Nyman of the Rock Creek
and Chevy Chase Electric road told Star
reporter today that his company had not
received any order from the District Com
missioners notifying it to equip all its cars
with tenders by June l.
/ I'VE have been eQuipping our cars with
tenders as rapidly as possible" said MIR.
Nyman, "and there are sufficient number
of ears now provided with tenders to run
our regular schedule with. The demands
of the public necessitate our placing extra
cars in use quite frequently, and in such in
stances we are compelled to use cars not
yet equipped with the feHders. In very
short time all will have this addition, how
ever"
Tenleytown and Georgetown.
The Commissioners order to the Tenley-
town and Georgetown Railroad Company
| to have their cars equipped with tenders
by June 1 was received last night by Super
intendent H. 7. Purdy. He at once tele-
| graphed the Blackstone Company, whose
| fender is one of those approved by the
Commissioners, to hurry up their order,
| which had already been sent in. Superin-
| tendent Purdy will put eight in use
BrfEhtvood Road.
'The Brightwood company began inves-
| tigating the question of tenders for itself
long before the District Commissioners
took it up" said Mr. C. P. Williams, the
treasurer and general manager of that
| railroad, to a Star reporter today 1--WE
cut two of our cars almost to pieces ex-
perimenting with different varieties, and at
| last we adopted fender of our own. This
would have been affixed to each of our
cars long before Aprjl hut tha five which