Evening star., 1900-08-14
INCREASE OF FARE
Conference of Suburban Citizens With
Washington Traction officials.
PROTEST AND MEMORIAL PRESENTED
The Action Taken at Meeting of
Citizens Associations.
THE CONCESSIONS CLAIMED

THE CONCESSIONS CLAIMED
The citizens of Brightwood, Takoma Park
and Brightwood Park Joined in a mass
meeting last night at Thomas Hall, Bright
wood Park. to protest against the increase
| of fare on the Brightwood line. Mr.. VIM
NJ: Clayton. president of the Brightwood
| Park Citizens Association, under the
| auspices of which association the affair
was held, was nominated to preside over
| the me citing. with Mr.. Charles w Ray as
| secretary. The meeting was called to order
| shortly after 8 o'clock, with over hun
| dred citizens present.
| President Clayton, by way of introduc-
| ton, read the memorial which had been
| presented by the members of Takoma
| Park, Brightwood and Brightwood Park
| citizens associations to the president and
board of directors OF the Washington Trac-
ton and Electric Company at the con-
ference held yesterday afternoon. Mr..
clayton then called upon G. c. Kniffin,
chairman of the Takoma Park committee,
to report on the result of the conference.
In addressing the meeting Mr.. knffin
said that the reception accorded the joint
committee was most fiattering. Vice Pres-
dent Harries he said assured the members
placed before the president and board of
directors of the Traction Company. Mr..
Harries furthermore stated that there was
no desire on the part of the company to
recoup its losses from the patrons of the
Brightwood line.
Continuing, the report says the commit
tee was assured that the company simply
wanted to prevent continuation of blum
der, it was termed. and in reply to
question propounded by Mr.. R. S Brown,
a member of the committee, the members
| were assured that through cars will be
run to Takoma Park
In answer to another question Vice
| President Harries said the Brightwood
cars would run through to the wharves,
| commencing tomorrow wednesday,, and
| that the destination of each car will be
plainly marked. SO that there will be no
| difficulty in passengers getting the right
| cars in going to their homes
Your committee has great pleasure in
| informing you" continues the report, that
| Mr.. o. T. Crosby. managing director of the
Traction Company. was present during the
| greater portion of the interview with Vice
| President Harries and took part in said
meeting. There seemed to be a desire on
the part of Mr. Crosby to give a patient
| hearing to your committee. and he gave the
impression that memorial would re-
| ceive due consideration.
| Believes the Fight is Won.
Mr. ]. b. Kinnear, president of the Ia
koma Park Citizens Association. was then
| invited to address the meeting. He said he
| thought the battle was won. He spoke of
| the pleasing interview which the joint COM
mittee had with the board of directors of
the road. He suggested that the citizens
stand together. and that they would surely
win out, if they kept right in l.ne as they
| were doing.
Mr.. Austin P. Brown of Petworth was
next invited to express his ideas on the car
| fare question. Mr.. Brown stated that while
! the president of the Traction Company was
in New York, he was being informed of the
! facts in the case. and did not wish the ct:-
ZenS in the suburbs Disseminated against.
President Clayton then arose and read
some resolutions. which We're later adopt
| ed as read. Upon motion of Mr.. Kinnear
| 1t was decided to send a copy of the reso-
| lutions TO the president and board of di-
rectors of the Traction Company.
The resolutions set forth:
We, the property owners and residents
of the District of Columbia, residing along
| the line of the Br:ghtwood Railway Com
pany, in mass meeting assembled, do enter
! our most earnest protest against the dou-
! BILE fare system about TO be established by
the Washington Traction and Electric Com
pany on and over its Brightwood line.
Relieving: as we do: that the interests
| of the Rrightwood Railway Company and
of our section of the District are identical;
that the prosperity of the is the pros
perity of the other; that the failure of the
one will work disaster to the other there
fore We protest against the double fare
system. because fewer people would ride
under a double than under a single fare
grow smaller year by year, to the perma-
| nent loss of both the company and the COM
munity.
I'VE protest because 1t would drive from
our section of the District many families
who could not pay the increased fare. We
protest because 1t would stop the building
of houses along the line of said railway
We protest because it would stop all in
vestment of capital and deaden all enter
prise, spreading blight and mildew through
out the section of the District tributary to
f1a rir
railroad could prosper or no community
could progress under the conditions that
would inevitably ensue under a double fare
system.
I'VE most emphatically protest against
the discrimination. unwarranted either in
law or fact. about to be made against the
patrons of the Brightwood Railway Com
pany. Only a single fare is now charged
over the allied lines of the Washington
Traction and Electric Company from Ana
costa, Benning. Brookland lexington and
other places all of whose residents are car
ried a longer distance for a single fare
than passengers over the Brightwood rail-
way would be for 81 double fare
Finally, ask at the hands of the
Washington Traction and Electric Company
only fair and honest treatment in the mat
ter of railroad transportation through cars
to the center of the city, and six tickets for
twenty-five cents
Mr.. JohnsOn's Inquiry.
Mr. R NJ johnson asked the chairman
of the meeting what was going to be done
in the event that the four-ticket scheme
adopted September 1, as announced
Mr.. Knifin took the floor and stated that
the fight would then be carried to Congress
He believed, however, that the suburban
ticket idea would never be put into opera-
ton on the Brightwood line and that The
discrimination against the residents of this
vicinity had come to an end.
The meeting adjourned after a few con-
sratulatory remarks had been made by
President Clayton for the benefit of those
VINO had stood by the different organizati tions
in the fight. He announced that the meet
ing would reconvene Monday, August IT
Conference Held.
The joint committees referred to called
upon Vice President George H Har-
ries of tn, Washington Traction and
Electric Company in body yester-
day afternoon at 4:15 o'clock for
the purpose Of presenting the protest
against the increase Of fare on the Bright
wood line. The committees present were
composed of President J. B. Kinnear of the
Takoma Park association, G. C. Kniftin