Evening star., 1900-08-09

delivered on this line or on the city line.
Therefore. at least to a large extent, por-
Metropolitan Railroad Company should be
credited where 1t belongs. The Metropoli-
tan Railroad Company would not be able to
make such enormous profits If 1t did not
have these valuable feeders, and 1t Is un-
just to accredit it with a full fare because
the person happens to begin his ride on this
division. Gen. Harries admits that very
little additional cost would be incurred
should the corporation keep its promise
and give through cars by permitting
Brightwood cars to run over the 9th street
line of tracks. Then why not in all equity
and justice to the Brentwood division, and
the people residing contiguous thereto, keep
this promise, and then the real earnings OF
this road would be apparent even on the
books of the corporation, for then this
division would receive credit for the tickets
taken in travelling both ways, and the sum
Of the net profits could be easily ascer-
tanned after deducting reasonable amount
for the wear and tear on the Metropolitan
tracks?
Even with the deplorable cars we now
travel in. Gen. Harries, We believe, will ad-
init that the travel over this division has
increased fully one-third within a year,
which increase is due to anticipation of inn
proved service. The people have become
nauseated with anticipation. Practically
speaking. up to this time we have had no
travel on this road except by people re-
siding thereon and their connections. So
far this road has been sustained almost
wholly by its regular patrons. For years
the people at Chevy Chase have been riding
to the center of the city on one fare. and.
SO far as known, an increase of fare has
never been contemplated by the Capital
Traction Company. though this is longer
line than the Brightwood division, and not
nearly so well supported by regular pa
trons and, Furthermore the service on this
road must be much more expensive to the
Capital Traction Company, since it is far
better and the cars more comfortable. AT
Florida avenue the excursionist can take
his choice, and go to Chevy Chase or to
Takoma; but, in fact, he has no choice. be-
cause the Brightwood line IS not fit for an
excursionist. and he will take, almost every
time, the Chevy Chase road. Therefore. 1t
Is the fault Of the Washington Traction
corporation that it does not divide these
the profits heavier on the Brightwood line.
1t can hardly blame us because it does not
get this travel.
Every day for about year we have been
expecting the new through cars promised.
and now, instead of fulfilling its promises,
we are at last plainly informed by the cor
poration that the new cars will consist Of
lot Of mistits, which from trial have been
found to be unsuitable for the other lines
of the corporation, and that to ride on
these blunders we must pay higher fares
than anywhere else in the District or else
go back to the steam road. This should
finish US If We were capable of being dis
couraged.
Gen. Harries says that "the whole thing
IS a business proposition. we peg TO re-
mind him that this proposition covers more
ground than the difference between four
and six cents We desire to invite the at
tention of the corporation to certain re-
suits II this business proposition" is car
ried out. proposed. On the face of it 1t
is clear that an additional two cents will be
collected from every person travelling on
this division, but We ask whether the cor
poration has probed no deeper than this?
1t will not only bring the present rapid de-
velopment Of this section to a standstill,
but will at once lessen the travel on the
road. We may be ignorant Of railroad tech
nicalities and construction, and might have
to take up and reset tracks even several
times more than this corporation did, be-
fore we could get them correctly adjusted,
but we do claim to know something of this
community and its relation to the Bright
wood line, and we feel certain not only that
travel will not increase. but that 1t will
decrease in the face Of these proposed ex
orbitant fares.
Unless this corporation desires that
artificial impetus be given to some other
locality in its own interest it could not
wish to see this community die Of inanition
and isolation, to speak. Our prosperity
means the prosperity of the Washington
Traction corporation in far as the
Brightwood division Is concerned and it is