The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-14
PROTEST AT TENLEYTowN.
Increase I'm Car Fare Opposed by
Citizens in Mass Meeting.

In st. AIMS Parish Hall. Tenleytown,
last night. the Northwest Suburban Citi-
zens' Association held a mass meeting TO
protest against the proposed action Of the
Washington Traction and Electric Com
pany 20 increase the fare on the TenIey-
town and Brightwood railroads after the
18th instant. The meeting was called to
order a little after O'Clock by Charles c.
Lancaster. President of the Citizens AS
ISOLATION. Or. John W. Chappell acted as
secretary. About sixty persons were pres
ent.
After briefly stating the object OF the
meeting President Lancaster offered the
following resolutions:
Whereas the officers Of the Warrington Traction
Company have announced through the public ~ IS
their ntentiou to increase the fare on the Tenlty'
town and Brigbtwood Railroads after the 18th
instant, without consultation with TIE patrons
of said road.
And whereas the citizens Of the Northwest ssb-
urbs including Cleveland Park. Tenleytown. SOM
erset Heights, Fairvew Heights. and Wesley
Heights being unanimously opposed to said inc!ease
OF fare, do in mass meeting assembled on the
18Th Gay Of August, 1860, in the village OF Ten
lsytown, under the auspices OF the Citizens Ncr.h-
west Suburban Association, solemnly protest
against said increase, and adopt tine following
RESOLUTIONS:
flfst-ine interests OF INC CltlZenS OF tllS SEC
ton and the Tenleytown Railroad bound to-
gether by ties of mutual cooperation; and what
ever policy tends to benefit injure tue one,
necessarily affects the other. so that no radical
or arbitrary action should be taken by either be-
fore Il fair opportunity has been given both sides
to reach a satisfactory adjustment OF their diff
ferences with open and honest effort to pro-
tect the interests Of both.
Second-Ne unanimously of the opinion
that the proposed increase OF fare on said road
from six tickets for % cents to four tickets fer
% cents is a backward movement which will ser
iousy iniure the citizens OF this section destroy
the present inducsment Of cheap transportation
for people to live and invest their money in this
ction and ther by decrease the number of paho 3
OF said road.
Third-If said road is not paying its stock
holders fair interest their investment, which
neither affirm deny, since have not
been shown an official. statement OF the receipts
and Expenses. we are fully satisfied that said road
has not received its full share Of patronage be-
cause it has its ears in such an uncertain
and irregular manner that thousands of its
patrons in the city and suburbs have refused
to rice on said cars, and have preferred 70 ride
on the cars OF the Capital Traction Company. We
believe that if the management Of said road Is
improved and made satisfactory otis patrons, the
travel will increase 20 per cent in the next thee
nonths-
Fourth-In view of the important interests III
voIved, and the serious differences existing b.
tween the people and this corporation, and with
view of harmonizing these issues, hereby
u
this meeting be APPOINTED to present these
buttons to the officers Of said company, and sal
committee is hereby authorized and empowered
TO use all legitimate efforts TO induce said Of
fcors to reeede from their proposed action and
said committee is instructed to report to ad-
iouTned meeting of this body Monday, Angus.
20, at >. m.
At the conclusion of the reading Of the
resolutions. President Lancaster said the
action of the railroad company was arbi-
trary and fraught with danger to the peo-
pie of the northwest suburbs. The COM
nsunity, he said. could not be built up
without railroad facilities. The Northwest
Suburban Citizens Association had labor
ed. he said, to secure first class railroad
facilities. The proposed increase in fare
was a backward step and Giscrimina-
ton in favor of other sections. The aszo-
citation did not propose to adopt any radi-
oCl measure; did rot propose to boycott
the road nor tear up its track.
President Lancaster was most severe in
his criticism of the management OF the
road. which he sas5. bordered on crimi-
nalty. Sometimes. he said. the cars were
run fifty minutes apart. The road should
be made as good as any other railroad in
the District OF Columbia. 1t was claimed
by the officials that the road was losing
money He lad not heard of any reduc-
ton in the salaries of its officers. The
remarks of President Lancaster were ap
plauded. and they called forth short talks
from quite a n-.nber Of the members.
Col J. L. TAFT said it was evident that
the company did not have the proper men
to manage it.
Miles Fuller of Somerset Heights. said
it seemed that the road was allowed TO
run itself. II was in sore need of a good
manager. There were SEQ people at Som
ersct Heights. He had sold property on
the statement that the road would go
there. TIE street car fare for his family.
he said was SIS per month. II the road
increased the fare it would cause him 90
make change in his residence. He did
not believe however. that the four tick
cts for a quarter would go into effect
The directors of the road, he said viii
see that their best interest lies in lower
fares and good service.
Judge E. F. Best said there were rot
sufficient cars and the road lacked good
management
Major George o. Arrnes said there were
hundreds OF people who wanted to locate
in and around Tenleytown, but refrained
from doing so because OF the poor car SER
vice. He agreed with Mr.. Fuller and be-
lieved the road would not insist on the
four tickets for a quarter
Dr. Chappell, the secretary, SAID ne was
gratified at seeing so many present. The
Citizens Association had done much to
build up Tenleytown. The service fur
nished by the railroad was poor and ir-
regular, and frequently the cars were run
with dangerous rapidity. 1t seemed to
him the company conducted their road
really for the excursionists to Glen Echo
and Cabin John, and the people of Ten
leytown were not considered.
After some remarks by Messrs. Gray,
Caldwell, and j. L. Tate, the resolutions
with amendments instructing the COM
mittee TO insist on through cars to the
city. six tickets for a quarter, and a spe-
cial superintendent for the Tenleytown
road, were unanimously adopted.
The following .,SG;,,,Sse was appointed