The evening times., 1900-07-27

petition signed by J. Fl. YarneH and
upward Of fifty other residents OF z Street
northwest, has been handed to the Com
missiOners, complaining Of the size and
weight OF the cars operated On that street
by the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. Complaint is also made about
the manner in which the cars are run.
particularly with reference to their grea,
speed.
Since the introduction OF these cars. -
say the petitioners, with their noise and
clGtter. the unnecessary changing OF the
gongs. often continuous for successive
squares. together with the high and IN
lawful rate Of speed, it has become impos-
sible 10 obtain the necessary sleep at night
or early in the morning. This racket and
vibration is a menace to the health and
welfare Of the strong ana healthy, 20 say
nothing of its effect upon the delicate. the
invalided and the sick 1t has indeed be-
come an intolerable nuisance to those Hv-
ing along the line Of its tracks.
Not only is the running Of these large
cars deleteriOUs 10 health. bat we believe
their jarring is injurious TO property. We
therefore petition your Board that the
company be forbidden 20 run these very
large ears over their tracks. and also that
the penalty for excessive and unlawful
speed be rigidly enforced
The petitioners also inform the Commis
siOnerS that many of the residents OF 2
Street are out OF the city spending their
summer holiday. and that IL they were here
the signers TO the petition would have beel
more numerous
The Commissioners have the matter of
the fast running of cars under considera-
tion. and they will soon decide upon the
rate Of speed that viii be allowed, and
afterward will enforce the penalty for ex-
ceeding the prescribed rate Motormen have
written to the Superintendent Of Police and
have called on the Commissioners to pre-
sent their side of the case. They affirm
that the superintendents of the lines are
to blame for the Infringement of the law
in regard 10 speed A certain time is pre-
scribed by these men for the cars to make
the round trip. and the motormen are held
responsible if they fail. The motormen say
that they are punished for the slightest in
fringement OF the rules of the company by
suspension for one or more days without
pay, according TO the gravity OF the Of
fence. of its supposed gravity in the
mind of the superintendent.
The authorities discovered some time
ago that the arrest and finding Of the mo-
tormen for the fast running of the cars
did not strike at the root of the matter.
1t only served to take a portion of the
wages Of the men. which were needed in
their families. The motOrmen explained to
tn Superintendent of Police that the cars
were not provided with indicators, and that
the speed at which the cars are run is
solely a matter of judgment with the mo-
torman. and they intimated that the temp
tation to run the cars fast whore there
was an open track was very gres. owing TO
the desire to make the run on tire. They
thought that the Superintendent of Police
or one of the Commissioners placed in
their position would speed the cars when
they saw a chance.
The motormen stated that they were
not unmindful of the noise caused by the
cars. and they admitted that the com
plants were just, but they said ii was i'm
possible to run a car without noise, and
there will always be somebody to find
fault no matter how slow the cars 60
The mo;ormer were agreed that the time
allowed by the line superintendents for
making the round trips is not long enough
TO enable the cars to be run within the
requirements of the law They were of
the opinion that the placing of indicators
on the cars would not help matter in the
least, unless more time is allowed for the
trips. II the cars are run slow, they said
so as to conform with the law. they would
be discharged and lose their places They
emphatically declared that the person TO
strike is the line superintendent. who has
record % make and to keep for getting
ali he can out of the cars as well as the
men. and for managing things eheaply
The Urited States Electric Lighting
Company recently made application TO the
Commissioners for permission to use the
three ducts reserved for the District and
the United States in the conduit from the
manhole on F Street. between Sixth and
Seventh Streets northwest. to a pole in the
alley OF square 456. In making the applIca-