Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-14
VOICE THEIR DlSAPPROVAL
MASS MEETING OF CITIZENS OF
NORTHWEST SUBURBS.
Action Taken on PROPOSED Increase In
street Car Fnre1rhe Resolu-
= T.,
lions Add pied.

street Car FnreIrhe Resolu-
zion. Adopted.
There was a mass meeting of the citizens
of the county north of Georgetown last
evening at st. AIMS parish hall, Tenleytown,
which was called under the auspices of the
Northwest Suburban Citizens Association
to protest against the sxoposed increase Of
street car fare Representatives of the sub
divisions of land aI66sEthe Tenleytown and
the Rockville roads Attended the meeting,
and the views of many were expressed with
freedom and eandor. Shortly after o clock
Mr.. C. c. Lahcaster,, president of the =citi-
zens' association. called the gathering to
order with DE-. John w. CAappell, the sec
rotary of thersame organization, officiating
as secretary of the meeting.
MI Lancaster read series of resolutions
for the consideration of the meeting. setting
forth that the officers of the Washington
Traction Company have announced. through
the public press, thesr Intention to increase
the fare on the Tenleytown and Brightweod
railroads after the 18th instant, without
consultation with the patrons of said roads.
and as the citizens of the northwest sub
urbs Including Cleveland Park Tenleytown
and Somerset Heights. are unanimously OPP
posed to said increase of fare, do now. in
mass meeting. assembled, solemnly protest
against It
Backward Movement.
The resolutions further declared:
I'VE are unanimously Of the opinion that
the proposed increase of fare from six tick
cts for twenty-five cents to four tickets for
twenty-five cents is a backward movement
which will seriously injure the citizens of
this section, destroy the present inducement
of cheap transportation for people to live
and invest their money in this section, and
thereby decrease the number Of patrons Of
said road.
.'If the road is not paying its stockholders
a fair interest on their Investment, which
we neither affirm nor deny, since we have
not been shown an official statement of the
receipts and expenditures. we are fully sat
isfied that the road has not received it's
full share of patronage because it has run
Its cars in such an uncertain and irregular
manner that thousands Of its patrons in the
city and suburbs have refused to ride on
its cars. and have preferred to ride on the
cars Of the Capital Traction Company We
believe that If the management of road
is improved and made satisfactory to its
patrons the travel VIII very largely in
crease. -
I'm view of the important interests in
volved and the serious differences existing
between the people and this corporation,
and with view of harmoniZing these issues
We hereby direct that a committee of seven.
selected from this meeting, be appointed to
present these resolutions to the officers Of
the company, and the committee Is hereby
authorized and empowered to use all legitf-
mate efforts to induce said officers to recede
from their proposed action. and said COM
m1ttee Is instructed to report to an adj
5ourned meeting of this body on Monday,
August 20, 1900, at o'clock D. M"
The Matter Discussed.
In presenting his resolution Mr. Lancaster
made vigorous speech against the inaugu-
ration or return to. the old suburban ticket.
Ut >t,,ta
ration should OPEN its books to the public II
1t wants to be fair. and let them see IL II
Is making or losing money. The road, he
said. had charter from the public, It was
supported by the public and should be run
In the interests OF, the public. The people
did not ask anything unreasonable of it. 1t
was notorious fae1 that the road was suf-
fering from mismanagement bordering on
criminality with cars running in some in
stances fully fifty minutes apart, while In
other instances there would be bunch fol-
lowing each other in chose succession
Mr. James L. TAFT Of University Heights
followed In an address. in which he insisted
that the road was paying investment. He
called attention to the crowds that filed the
cars In the morning and evening. The run
ming OF through cars to Washington was
cut on, ana yet there was no better service
on the road In his opinion the cars ought
to run straight through to Washington He
inquired If the road is not paying why the
to the corpogatiOn.
Mr. A. q: Shoemaker spoke Of the running
OF some of the cars close together He
stated he asked one of the conductors why
this was DONE and was informed that It
made the run easy, there being very little
to do IN the hauling line
Mrs. Alice U. Hunt presented a newspaper
clipping, N which the general manager of
the syndicate roads, and also Mr.. George
Truesdell then president, pramised through
cars to Washington and one fare to Prof
Louis r. Hooper. who on the strength of
these promises. expended $4,000 In erecting
a school near Teneytown, and spent many
thousand circulars all over the country adj
Nertising his place. Mrs. Hunt thought
these letters would add greatly to the argu-
railroad people.
believes Patronage is Increasing.
Judge Best Of Tunlaw Heights was salts
fled that every month the patronage Of the
railroad Is increasing and II better service
were given more people would use the cars.
Maj. George A. Armes stated that 1t was
the intention of Congress when the CONSOLE
dat1on OF the roads was granted that the
cars car should carry passengers anywhere in
the District FOR one fare. Mr.. Miles Fuller,
expressed his belief that the cars on the
road were permitted to run themselves
Ihere nave been several superintendent but
after the public interests He spoke of the
money invested In, property at Somerset
Heights. and the loss. that resulted on acs
count OF the miserahf car service -
Dr. J. w. ChappelI stated that If an ideal
service could be secured he did not think
me people Weuld object to paying IS cents
LOT TOUR tickets. He heard 1t stated that the
people mad much to thank the railroad for
and while this may be partly true, the rail-
ro a. was only after the almighty dollar
me railroad Is not interested In us" he
to Glen Echo and Cabin John bridge. Have
we not some rights? Shall we put up with
1t! Our interests are sacrificed and our
business Inconvenience. The cars ought
TO run regularly and not too rapidly
through the village"
Provoked a Tart Retort.
Mr.. Thomas Hume spoke of the injustice
to the Georgetown merchants in the run
ming OF! through cars. and spoke of the