The times., 1898-01-29
DOOM THE BROWN SYSTEM
Two Commissioners Antagonistic
: TO Tom Johnson's Company.
ROSS OF A DIFFERENT MIND
He Believes 1t Should Be Given
Another Chance-The Decision
Virtually Drives the Capital Rail-
way People Cut OF Business and Is
Victory for the Electric Trust.

The Capital Railway must remove the
Brown electric system from the city streets.
IL was conlemned yesterday by a vote of
two TO one by the District Commissioners,
and the company notified to remove il
within thirty days or suffer the penalties.
The decision ia reality prohibits the com
pany from operating a road in the city.
In addition 10 this, the people of Anacostla
are required to use the ancient horse power
system.
Mr.. ThomIs Dupont, the general mana ger
of the Capital Company, and one OF the
capitalists of the Johnstown Electric Com
pany, which owns the Brown system, ap-
peaTed IN behalf OF the corporations yester-
uay before the Commissioners. Captain
ilack, the Eugineer Commissioner, detaIIed
all the obJecuons he has To the system.
Mr. Wight sided with MIN. Mr.. Ross was
III favor or granting an extension OF
time.
bis belief IN the system, ana OF his desire
for another trial. He said that he was
firmly convinced that he nau been prelu-
dceu, ana .hau the nearing was only 4
Mr.. Dupont, after making his argument,
without waiting for the iinai oruer a Cainst
h:m, lett yesterday afternoon for New
/ York.
The order is as follows: Under the
provisions of the permits granted you on
Marcn 81, 1897, SepteiaDef | d, SS7, and
october Ia, 1897, and their extensions.
You are hereby notified tnat q majority
o. tile Board of commissioners find that
the new system OF contact boxes in use
on your line hetweentne Navy Yard bridge
and the Navy Yard, in what is termed the
Brown Underground Electric system, of
Of the Joh8stown Company, of Johns
town, Pa, unsatisfactory, and notify
You tnat within thirty days from receipt
of this notice you must wholly remove
said boxes, ana restore the streets to tileir
original condition TO the satisfaction of
the Commissioners, under the penalties
in case OF failure agreed to by you in said
PERMITS
president Ross declined to sign this
order. His reasons he expressed in a
minority report, follows:
- cannot acquiesce in the action of the
other members OF the board. 1T Is only
short extension that the company asks Tor,
To make changes, which 1T asserts, viii
fully remove all objections that are now
made TO 1t. 1t seems TO me that this
sentence Is too severe, when there can toe
no appeal. it will mean that the company
must give mp its road within the city
limits Under its cha rter from Congress it
was allowed until last May TO Install an
underground system. The time has passed
OF horses is prohoited. The company viii
thus lose It's franchise. This is a hard
ship cairst the residents of the territory
through which the road runs as Well, and
it is difficult for people who have never
been deprived OF rapid transit. once 1t
tanned, 10 understand how much IL VIII
I've felt II viii only be appreciated by
the AnacoStia people themselves. In ad-
citizen To the through route TO the end OF
the Capital Traction line, the company lSo
gave free transfers TO that line, good
for travel for one fare over the Whole
system.
The JohnStown compan ny, hich controls
the Brown system, also certainly deserved
that further time should be given IL, IL
seems to me. The condemnation of the
system here VIII mean much more to 1T
tnan the nere loss of the money involved
in this contract.
..Ine railroads at least should have been
given the right to use this system tenn
. porariIy until Congress could provide for
the substitution or some other. TINS could
be done in a few weeks, but H. could notbe
! done inst9pta-n
The trouble with the Brown system, al
legged hy The authorities, Is that the boxes
protrutiing from the surface OF the pave
ment, and connecting an electric CIR
cult q The ears run over them, Whlch are
supposed 10 become dead as soon as the
cars have passed. ia reality retualn allye
and are dangerous for . short period after
the passage u each car, The reports OF the
experts for the Government who acted as
insOectorS gf the system during its con-
struction, We're most favorable.
This decision is reGai ded as great
victory for the General Electric Company,
of New York. This trust controls the
system on the Metropolitan line and now
being installed in the Capital Traction
system.
Tom johnson, the millionaire silver Dem
ocrat is the chief owner of the company
controlling the Brown system.
Commissioner Black yesterday during the
hearing stated To- Mr.. Dupont. Mr.. john
sons partner that IL is the desire OF the
Commissioners to have all the roads IN
the city equipped with one system. rms
system is the one controlled by the General
Electric Company.