Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-09-21

| their desires for income regardless of the
| wishes of the people. This is an exception
ally heavy burden in such city as Pitts
| burg, where thousands of working1nen, re-
| cetving small wages, are compelled to use
| the street car lines in covering the long dis
| tances between their homes and their places
| Of labor.
Erratic Transfer System.
! There is an erratic and apparently I'M
| satisfactory system of transfers in vogue
and was told by very intelligent citizen
riding one of the lines that the Widener-
| Elkins syndicate that now owns most Of
the Pittsburg lines is increasing its hold
| ings there and rapidly securing control of
| all the trunk lines of the city. This, he
| said, gives promise of no relief in the flu
| ture in the matter of fares and transfers,
| as the power of this great corporation with
the legislature appears to be unlimited.
| My informant expressed the hope that the
| recent political convulsion in the state.
| which re-establsh5d the Quay power and
| dimmed the lights of Magee in the west
and Martin in the east. would bring some
| relief to the citizens of Pittsburg in the
matter of street railway transportation,
| which he assured me Is really becoming
| one of the most vital issues of local poll
| tics. He said it was the general belief of
Pittsburgers that Senator Quay would no
longer aid-the Widener-Elkins syndicate to
extend its system of lines, and conse-
| quently its financial and political power
In the matter of transfers the ;yndicate
is very arbitrary and in many cases harsh
in the treatment of its patrons. Being
built between the Allegheny and Mononga-
hela rivers, Pittsburg is somewhat like
New York IN geography, and long lines Of
cars fed by side routes are necessary. In
frequent instances three-cent transfers are
given with such injustice that the patrons
OF the road are beginning to realize the
danger and Inconvenience resulting from a
| monopolistic occupation of the street rail-
| road territory Of any city.
To Crush Competition.
And here occurs to me the chief danger
of the overhead trolley, when I come to
slook at the matter in the light of what has
happened at Washington during the last
few years. The duplication of lines be-
yond the demand of the people that is OBJ
servable in Detroit explains probably as
we'll as any other phenomenon the motives
that inspire the controlling corporations to
go to the expense Of constructing what
can never be profitable lines parallel to
their main courses. The overhead Il olley
construction is so cheap that 1t is economy
In the end to throw out single track lines
over what might become, under competi-
tive influences. profitable territory. By
thus practically covering every available
inch of space such corporations as the
Wfdener-Elkins syndicate, the Tom John
son syndicate and others that now control
the street railway privileges of these cities
kill opposition by rendering it too costly to
the ambitious capitalist to seek to divide
the profits of the field with them. AS
tool of the street car trust that is so ben
eficial to stockholders and so injurious to
the interests OF the citizens, the overhead
electric system is valuable beyond estima-
ton. AS servant of the people the WASH
ington experience shows that 1t is incalcu-
lably dangerous.
The more esthetic consideration of the
mGtilation and obstruction of the streets by
the unsightly trolley pole and wire appeals
perhaps more strongly to a Washingtonian
than to a resident Of Pittsburg or Toledo.
cities that boast OF but few such magnif-
cert thoroughfares as Pennsylvania avenue.
| and few such fine business streets F. 7th.
9th and dozens of others. To be sure, the
trolley pole and wire would be far less
dangerous of themselves in the broad
streets of Washington than they are today
in the narrow streets of Brooklyn, Baltf-
mere PittSburg and Toledo. The lack Of
crowding commercial traffic in Washington
is another element in favor Of the overhead
pole and wire should they ever find foot
hold here, that now seems impossible. Yet
the very experience of these cities in this
matter points the wisdom OF those who
have fought SO persistently and consistent
ly against the encroachment of the trolley.
Gratitude for the Champions.
And the return of the wanderer from 9TH
er fields is marked by a wave of gratitude
toward The Star and its friends, who stood
by it so CALAMITY in the fight, gratitude for
the preservation Of the beautiful streets
and avenues, and for the safety and COM
fort that have resulted from a stern insist
ence that nothing but the best plans of
street railway transportation shall be
adopted in this, the best of American cities
can use that adjective with a feeling of
cor scientious truth since my recent obser-
walton of the disadvantages of living in
such crowded. Implanted and poorly
equipped communities as those that I in
the noisy buzz of the overhead cars, the
lack Of the clatter Of heavy trucking over
cctbled streets. and absence Of the smoke
and CRIME of other cities, the presence of
the beautiful trees-marred I am sorry to
frd, by caterpillars-and the frequent loca-
ton of beautiful parks. make a sum total
of municipal happiness that is not parallel
ed In my range of observation.
There is no telling, though, what the re-
suit might have been of an early surrender
to the demands of the trolley syndicates
that so shrewdly recognized the value of
the Washington field and so persistently
fought for privileges in it. The recent ex-
perience with the law-defying attitude of
the lexington road in the matter of the
Illegal poles on New York avenue shows
that The Star was right beyond a question
in contending. at all points against the
granting Of additional franchises and priv
ileges to this representative of the great
syndicate that is now making Baltimore,
Philadelphia and Pittsburg groan under
the pressure of its street railroad mo-
nopoly.
Cheapness No Argument Now.
The success of the underground lines on
9th and U streets shows that there is no
force in the argument that rapid transit
and cheap and dangerous construction are
synonymous. If 1t be true that the Dis
trict committee of the Senate has adopted,
as was stated last winter in The Star, a
comprehensive plan for the future devel-
opment of Washington's street car lines
that contemplates the restriction of the
city lines to the present routes already es-
tablished, then Washington will probably
be forever free from the danger that is
now startling the citizens of Detroit. This
plan, it is understood, is the feeding of the
now established trunk lines by a system of
suburban lines entering the city at con-
venient points and so arranged as to give
competition without unnecessary occu-
patton of territory. If this could be ac-
complished, then, indeed, will Washington
be blessed, and then, too, will The Star be
blest by its citizens for its straightfor-
ward and consistent fight for the good of
Washington. G.. A. L., Jr.
DIR. Hall and u North Carolina Guide.
From tba Raleigh N C) News md Observer