The evening times., 1895-10-23

The public will again be a sufferer ow-
Ing to the recent manipulation of the
metropolitan and EckugLun 4 Soidiers'
Home railways transfer SYSTEMS Here
tolore the metropolitan halfway has Is
sued transfers TO the Eckingtou passen-
gers at / iith and + streets and a.so at
nth and LOUISIANA avenue. In The past
three weeks they nave entered into nego-
tiations with the Eckinston oIficiaAs To
transfer with the Belt line; also with the
u street .ines AZ all intersecJLis points.
l,steluag Its.-e..t fii.Iii.s st-Ut woru,
to Wee President 6ray, OF the lexington.
ti.at hot ouly all pending negotiations are
at an end, bat that af.er November 1 all
transfers between the roads will cease.
N.t,u.s r.aso..s are ,.ssig al li.e h-elo-
politan office for this change of base.
One is thai tue Belt hue ana lexington
road have for tue most part only horse
cars. whereas tue hetrUlOlitan on The
Niuth street iiue has RAPID transit serv-
ice aud o.. street is making Ir, parations
to duplicate Lnis method. IN Transferring
with these Roads they therefore, IL is
ciailnesf, give tn "a more tbau they receive.
OPPOSED TO IT.
The Metruluiit.,l, aiso Ciiims that IL Is
better policy not 10 have the transfer sys-
TEN genera, among the roads. anu lnat L, is
10 tue advantage or uieiu all 10 dispense
wllu iree transfers, except where the roaus
are unaer one ilstnaes eiii,iit, rs Is me case
or the Ec king Ton and Belt Line roasis.
Speaking oI TINS new policy. VICE Presi-
dent Gray. OF the Eckins, ton, SAID this morn
ing W Times Reporter, tt,ab their rCau
has always favored the free transfer sys-
TEN. In lne early days OF their operations
they had entered into negotiations win
President Duniap, OF the washington q
Georgetown road, TO give transfers from
the terminus or the electric road, Seventh
and New York avenue, TO the cable, thence
to the Capitol and Georgetown via the
Avenue.
Tins arrangement continued in operation
for some tune before President Dunlop de-
cided to inaugurate the present policy
that OF pa ying two cents for u transfer.
In regard To the message which President
Philips has sent to him concerning the end
of cooperation between the roads, Mr..
Gray said that one of the reasons alleged
by the Metropolitan official is both unjust
and untrue. This refers TO the statement
Mr.. Phillips makes that the conductors of
the Fifth street line issue transfers so long
before the intersecting points are reached
and for such n length of time that the pass
engers have an ample opportunity to make
purchases, pay visits, or attend to any
other business before catching their car.
For this reason. Mr. Phillips says, it does
not Justify the Metropolitan to receive
transferred passengers from the Ecking-
ton line.
Mr.. Gray says that this is absolutely un-
true. The conductors on the Fifth street
line issue the transfer one square before
the intersecting point is reached, and that
the transfer is good for only ten minutes.
1t is therefore quite obvious. Mr.. Gray
stated, that Mr. Phillips wished to close
negotiations and was at a loss to assign
reason.
ROUNDABOUT RESTRICTIONS.
1t will be remembered that about three
years ago the Metropolitan lire made the
same charges against tine Columbia. and
in consequence the roundabout restrictions
now in operation were made-that pas
senger cannot receive q transfer from q
transfer.
This new piece of railway despotism on
the part Of the Metropolitan road seriously
affects the suburban and Capitol Hill citi-
Zens, and incommodes a large number of
the travelling public. This, possibly. is a
small matter, since the change will ma
terially swell the receipts OF the road.
1t will be necessity for many TO use both
the Metropolitan and lexington every day,
and it is quite a serious problem for the
public that such wholesale extortion is
permitted.
Vice President Gray said also that the
Columbia had asked the lexington about
three weeks ago TO transfer at Fifth street
and Ma ssac.iusctts avenue. and also
Eleventh street and New York avenue
The lexington expressed its willingness
To further this plan. and was much sur
prised yesterday 10 receive notification
that all such arrangements were canceled.
Evidently the Metropolitan policy has
influenced the Columbia. and. as has been
stated. the public. as usuual. will bear the
burden.