Evening star., 1895-03-05
BELT LINE TRANSFERS
Patrons Who Complain Of the New Ar
rangement.
The Question of q Continuous Ride
Provisions of the
Charter.

patrons of the Belt line railway in regard
to the new arrangement for running the
cars. The belt line feature of the road
has disappeared. and in Its place there are,
1t Is said, practically two lines of cars.
The new arrangement has been explained
in The Star, and. briefly. is as follows:
The brown cars from 11th and travel
east along O street and down 4th and G
and 1st street, along Maryland avenue,
and then up to the market, and along sth
street, and thence to 18th and E, which
Is the end of that route. By means of a
switch the car at this point Is transferred
to the other track and the return trip is
made. The yellow cars run down 11th
street, turning west at E, and thence down
18th street to 18th street and the wharves.
Passengers are transferred from the
yellow line to the brown line or vice versa,
but only one transfer Is given on a single
fare. For example, person living at 18th
and streets, and going west, Is given a
transfer at 11th and streets, but is not
entitled to a transfer either at 11th and G
with the lexington or at 11th and E.
A correspondent Of The Star i'll discuss
ing this new arrangement has the follow
ing to say:
ut seems that residents east of 18th
street have no rights that, the company
respects. and both going and coming from
the center of the city must transfer, no
matter what the weather, and stand with
no protection from winters storms or
summer sun, to wait for slowly creeping
car. l, for one. would much prefer to walk
couple OF squares and take the cable
at lth street. and I have heard many
others make the same remark, and 1 hope
tine company may realize that they might
better carry one or two passengers past
the place of their getting on than deprive
so many of the convenience of getting
down town without change"
a nf hiu ir,v a. nvl.z
Star, relates the following as his personal
experience:
II wished to go from New Jersey avenue
and r street on to 18th street northeast
SO. as l have done many times before, got
on brown car at New Jersey avenue and
p street and went over to 11th street.
where l received a transfer to the 11th
street line. and when 1 asked for trans
fer at 11th and G streets to the lexington
road, l was informed that I was not en-
titled to another transfer, as I had pre-
sented one at the junction of 11th and o
streets. This is not fair dealing with the
public, as 1t is contrary to the agreement
entered into by the two roads. Again, this
morning, In going to my work at the
bureau of engraving and printing, I board
ed south-bound car at the foot of the
Capitol, and when 18th and b streets south
west was reached we received transfers
to the yellow line, which (under the new or
der OF thing9 runs past the bureau, and
we had the extreme pleasure of waiting
would be nice on a stormy morning, would
it not?
IF the company chooses to change it's
route, that Is its privilege, but II it's doing
it for an improvement. 1 think it is max
ing very poor showing"
So far as the charter of the road and the
subsequent rulings of the attorneys for
the District, with reference to questions
raised by its transfer and transportation
systems, there would seem to be some
clouds over the matter of the rights of the
Belt line road to charge two fares for
ride over the line in any direction The
Belt line used to be really belt line so
that it was possible to make a complete
circuit Of its route for one fare, but under
its new system Of running cars this Is
now said to be an fmposSibility. The only
way In which one can make complete
circuit for one fare is to take a car at
11th and D streets and return to the same
point. If one should take car on 11th
street below that point. say at 11th and
NJ streets. the rule of the road which
forbids the issuance of more than one
transfer would prevent the patron of the
car from coming back farther than 11th
and p streets.
The original charter Of the road March
3, 1875. fixes the point of its beginning at
1st street west. In front Of the Capitol
grounds. The original route of the road is
then outlined, with the restriction that a
fare may be charged mot exceeding 5
cents a passenger for any distance on said
road, from Its beginning to its terminus
on 1st street west
The most important point with reference
to the right of the road to charge two fares
for ride on its lines was raised about a
month ago by a school teacher, Miss Ran
ney. and her complaint was referred to the
office of the attorney for the District for
an opinion. In Miss Ranney's case, she
took a car at 18th and B streets southwest
to 18th and b southwest, where she trans
ferred to a car running north. At the cor
ner of 11th and E streets, although remain
PEELED her to pay second fare, although
she desired to remain in the same car until
she reached her destination, at the corner
of 11th and NJ streets.
In his report on the complaint which was
referred to him, Mr.. A. B. Duval, assist
ant to the attorney, said:
ut seems that the railroad company fur
nishes transportation from any point of its
line to any other point Of its line for a
single fare, but 1t cllims to reserve the
right when there are two distinct lines
from the point Of departure to the point of
destination to compel the passenger to
take the line involving the fewest trans
fers. The ultimate question involved is
whether the Belt Line railroad, by such
device or any other device, is entitled to
collect a fare in excess of five cents a pas
senger for any distance on said route from
its beginning to its terminus"
After reviewing the terms of the charter
and the subsequent amendments affecting
it, Mr.. Duvaf1 said:
lie IOISSOiiiS Is Tue eullFe le5lSl1IlOn
respecting this company. 1t will be seen
that Congress has authorized the company
to very considerably extend its lines, so
that the company now has lines extending
from the northern boundary Of the city to
the extreme southern limit, on Water
street.
while granting these additional rights
and privileges to traverse the streets of
the city Congress made no provision abro-
eating or changing the provision Of the
original charter in respect of fare. The
only allusion to the subject of fare in the
amendatory acts refers to the fare between
the bureau of engraving and printing and
the nearest junction with any intersecting
road, and there the limitation was that it
shall be 2 cents. 1t is true Congress has
changed the terminus on 1st street as pro-
vided In the original charter, but it has
not authorized the company to charge more
than one fare for any distance on its route
from its beginning to its terminus, except
as provided in respect to the bureau of
engraving and printing branch. 1t is not
within the power Of the railroad under its
charter and the amendments thereto to
practically maintain two distinct railroads,
and treat the passenger at any point on its
line at one time upon one railroad and
at another upon a separate and distinct
road.
'I am Of the opinion that the Belt Line rail-
road has no right to charge and collect two