Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-30
VESTiBULE STREET CARS
Communications Pouring in on the House
District Committee.
All Urge the Passage of One of the
BiIIs-Tcxt of the House
Measure.

| Communications continue to pour in upon
| the House District committee in favor of
the pending bill to vestibule the street cars
| OF this city. Several women's organiza-
| lions have taken the matter up and are
| making concerted effort to secure favorable
| consideration of the bill.
| Mrs. Laura V. Mccullough, treasurer of
\ the District Federation of Women's Clubs,
| writes as follows:
| Representing a large number of women
| of this city, l would respectfully urge your
| committee to recommend the passage of
| House bill 1913, for the vestibuling of street
| cars in this city.
Il understand that vestibuled street cars
! are in successful operation in Chicago, Mil
| waukee, Pittsburg and Richmond l have
/ heard of no calamitieS or deSolation of any
| sort resulting from the vestfbuled cars of
| the Hyattsville branch of the City and
/ Suburban road. There is no reason why
| the same plan will not work all the
4 roads in this city.
| Pass the bill for the sake of humanity
Legion of Loyal Women.
| Mrs. Henrietta N. Rose. president of the
| Legion of Loyal Women, writes fol-
| lows:
THE Federation of Women's Clubs deem
| it their humane duty to invite, through
you. the special attention of the honorable
| body Of which you are member to Sem
ate bill 2230 and to House bill 1913, both
of which We're introduced during the pres
ent session of Congress. These bills re-
quire street railway companies in the Dis
trict Of Columbia to provide by inclosed
Platforms on the cars, adequate protection
| for the motormen from the inclemencies of
the weather.
The passage of either of the above
named bills or any bill which would ac-
I 81
ameliorate untoward conditions which now
prevail against the health and comfort of
this large class of our deserving working
people and would meet the entire appro-
baton of my associates. $50 in number, in
the Legion of Loyal Women.
Mrs. Mary S. Lockwood of the 1nterna-
tional Press Union writes:
In behalf of the committees in charge
of this matter and the societies of which
1 have the honor to be president. wish to
express our desire for the passage of the
huma nita Ran bill before Congress for the
vestibuling of the street cars
Mrs. Mary S. Gist of the Woman's Ma
tional Press Association writes:
1t is the earnest request of the above
association numbering over 200 members,
that the Mercer bill be passed as soon as
possible humanitarian necessity.
Mrs. NJ. d. Hall. president of the Excel
siOr Club. writes:
The undersigned president of the Excel
siOr Literary Club. composed of thirty
eight active members respectfully begs
leave to state that she voices the hearty
concurrent sentiment of the Excelsior Lit
erary Club, desiring to act in concert and
urgently cooperate with the District of
Columbia general federation of clubs in re-
questilg your honorable body to report fay
orably and urge the passage of that clause
in the bill compelling street railway COM
panies to provide vestibules for motormeE
on all street cars
The Peoples Church.
George A Warren, secretary of the Peo-
pies Church, writes as follows:
THE Peoples Church of this city, at the
close of services on Sunday, January 2s,
by unanimous vote adopted a resolution
that considerations of humanity called for
the passage of the bill introduced in the
Senate by Senator Carter, and in the House
by Representative Mercer, requiring that
street cars operating in the District of Co.
| lumbia shall be equipped with a veStibule,
| in order that those in charge of such cars
may have protection from inclement wealth.
err while in the discharge of their duties,
and instructed the secretary of the church
to communicate this action to the chair
men of the Senate and House committees
on the District of Columbia, and to the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia"
Mrs Charlotte A. Kibbey, president of
the Womens Relief Corps. writes:
I'm behalf Of the Gil members of the Wo-
mems Relief Corps, Department of the
Potomac Auxiliary to the G.. A. R., most
ask IdNOTdDle OF
the bill now before Congress to vestibule
motor cars in the District of Columbia. 1t
would be an act of humanity and would
also lie the means Of saving precious lives
as it IS now the men cannot exercise enough
TO keep warm
Equal Suffrage Association.
Miss Mary H. Williams. secretary Of the
| Equal Suffrage Association, writes:
I'm the interests of humanity beg you to
tI..(
of thu United States the passage of H. r.
1913, providing for the vestibulng of street
cars in the District of Columbia for the
protection of motormen and conductors
| during cold and stormy weather.
| 1T Is currently stated that during the
| recent cold weather number of motormen
reached the end of their runs with fingers
| frozen stiff. In this condition they cannot
| handle their cars with entire safety to the
| public, not to speak of their own suffering.
| The use of Vestibuled cars has proved quite
| feasible in other cities, and surely it will
\ be the same in Washington
| Another communication says:
| THE authorities of most cities in our ma
| ton have already enforced this humane
| provision, even in the cities much further
| south than Washington, and We insist that
| it is the duty of Congress to require this
! much-needed protection humane duty
| valuable franchises by the grace of con-
gressional action This letter Is signed
by A j. LOeffler, Mary NJ Mitchell. j. Dan
| iel Rodgers, Alma H. Mitchell, William E,
/ Kennedy, A. C. Adams, K. F. Kelly and
| Nellie Mitchell.
George H. Hesselman and 3. E. Parsons
| have also written to Chairman Babcock in
| behalf of the Mercer bill.
The Mercer Bill.
The Mercer bill Oh. r. 5273) provides Us
| follows:
| That on and after the first day of No
\ vember. in the year of our Lord nineteen
| hundred, it shall be unlawful for any per-
| son, partnership or corporation owning CT
| operating a street railway in the District
/ of Columbia, for any officer or agent
| thereof experimenting or having charge of
| or controI of the management Of such line
| of railway or the cars thereof operating
| electric, cable or other cars propelled either
| by steam, cable electricity, which re-
quire the constant services, care or atten-
/ ton of any person or persons upon the plat
form of such car, to require or permit such
| services, attention or care of any of its EN-
! ployas or any other person persons be-
| tween the first day Of November and the
| first day of April thereafter of each year
| unless such person, partnership or corpora
| ton, its said officers or experimenting or
| managing agents, have first provided the
| platforms Of said car or cars with q proper