Evening star., 1900-08-18

that by writ of mandamus the District
Commissioners. or any person directly af-
fected, may have remedy to compel
compliance with the requirements Of the
existing law relating to transfers
The companies. by notices In the street
cars. now announce that no transfer will
hereafter be issued on a transfer. To all
rules, however. there are exceptions, and
doubtless the syndicate will find 1t much
cheaper to issue transfers the law now
requires them than to pay exemplary dam
ages and costs for the unlawful election
from the cars of passengers who decline to
pay second fare. Wherever it is neces-
sary in going from one section of the city
to another the line Of any one of the
constituent companies, ones destination
cannot reasonably be reached under exist
ing schedules and routes except by more
than one transfer, the company must issue
the necessary transfers. In other words,
the syndicate cannot charge more than one
fare within the District of Columbia on any
one line (see act of June 10. 1888, 25. Stats.
1870; act of March 3 1895, 2S Stats, III and
al, etc.). For instance, being at 7th and
East Capitol streets a few evenings ago,
and desiring to go to lexington. l boarded
East Capitol street car and obtained a
transfer at 1st and d streets, from the
Metropolitan line to the City and Suburban
line. The syndicate may claim that 1t was
not required to issue this transfer, but 1t
has been pointed out that the law does re-
qutre it. A transfer was again necessary
at 1st and G streets to the North Capitol
street car, and again another transfer at
North Capitol street and New York ave-
nue. all of these the lines of the CITY
and Suburban railway Doubtless there
are numerous other similar instances
throughout the city.
1t will probably also be claimed by the
syndicate that passenger must walt at
any transfer point until he obtains car
going through to his destination But the
cars may be so crowded. as. for instance,
at the present time on the Great Falls line,
that he-or, a stronger case, She-cannot be
accommodated until the time punched on
the transfer has expired, when the con-
ductor would doubtless refuse to receive It.
Furthermore. the passenger is entitled to
take the shortest route to his destination.
and any arrangement which requires him
to go a longer distance to avoid an
additional transfer the courts would hold
to be an unreasonable regulation, and
therefore void
/ have no doubt the syndicate will. find
persons willing. IN the event that they are
unjustly elected from the cars after the
payment Of the legal fare, to institute suit
for damages. or to Cooperate to test the
question OF the liability of the company
The suggestion IS therefore made that be-
fore the syndicate goes too far 1t would
better consider this phase of the matter.
The suggestion was made a year or so
ago to Mr.. Truesdell. then president Of the
allied companies, that satisfactory trans
fer system could be arranged by giving to
each passenger when he paid his fare
transfer ticket good on any car going In
the direction Of his destination. within the
proper limit of time. This. with legisla-
ton making 1t misdemeanor to double
on the companies by going to and from
any place on one fare, good many people
believe would solve the problem.
The former transfer system may have
been unreasonably liberal; the present sys-
tenn is unreasonably and Illegally restrict
ed II will prove good thing for the
CaPital traction Company, the new auto
mobile lines and the bicycle trade and re-
suit In stringent legislation. H.