The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1901-08-30
THE 0NB-FARE FIGHT WON.
Brightwood Railway Agrees to
Rescind Objectionable Order.
Asks Suburbanitcs to Consent Not to
Press for New Schedule mt Present
-COmprOmise Not Yet Agreed to
by Citizens-The Company's side.

branch OF the Washington Traction and
Electric Company, have won their tight
against the imposition of double fare
for the ride to and from the centre OF
the city. The order of the railway COM
pany, promulgated on Wednesday morn
ing. imposing the double fare will not
go into effect on Sunday morning as pro-
posed. and probably it will never be res
directed by the company. President Nc
Dermott, head of the railway system and
| of the Brightwood line. last night agreed
with Wilton j. Lambert. representing the
| legal committee of the citizens, that IL
the citizens would not press the company
! for n more frequent trip schedule at pres
ent the company, on its part would re-
scind its order and continue to carry pas
sengers for one fare as at present.
| The citizens of the section interested
| have not as vet ratified this agreement
| but il is understood that meeting of
| their committee will be called Immediately
for this purpose. and Mr.. Lambert said
| last night that he believes no difficulty
will be met with in securing its endorse
ment of the plan. President McDermott
| is understood to have gone very fully into
the matter with Mr. Lambert and to have
made 1t plain to him that the company is
losing money and would run much more
]
teen-minute schedule were put into effect
| Mr.. Lambert stated last night that in
] view of this, and of the fact that the
| company was determined to carry out
its double fare plan at all hazards. which
would inevitably be a great injury to the
suburbs. he should advise the citizens, as
their legal representative, to accept the
compromise of the company.
The following resolutions, prepared by
Mr. Lambert and President McDermott
| last night and covering the ground of the
compromise will be submitted for adop-
ton to the citizens committee appointed
on Wednesday:
Whereas at meeting held in Takoma Hall in
TakOma Park on August %, the undersigned were
appointed committee to consider the proposed
change in the fare to be charged fer Transporter
ton over the line of the Brghtwood Railway
Company and connecting lines. and
Whereas it is represented to this committee
that the operation of the Brghtwood Railway
Company for the year ending December 81, 1902
shows that the operating expenses OF said com
pany were S55. 234.27 and the receipts from the
carrying of passengers but So. 99G.73, and
Whereas it is desirable in the interest OF both
the public and the company that said railway
should not be operated at loss. but upon basis
TO be fixed in view OF the capacity Of the com
pany and necessities OF the people dependent
upon it for transportation. and they believe both
these objects can be accomplished by congress
;
crs with power to regulate the time table OF said
railway throughout the District as said necess-
ties may require,
Resolved. That the District Commissioners be
requested to hold the matter of the proposed
enforcement of the statutory requirements con-
corning said time table in allegiance until such
Congressional action can be obtained. and that IN
the meantime the directors OF the Brightwood
Railway Company be requested TO suspend action
in the matter of change in the terms of trans
portation.
The fight of the Brightwood. Bright
wood Park, and Takoma Park citizens
against the imposition of a double fare
was one of tha most spirited and aggres-
sive ever waged in the District. From
the appearance of the special notices of
the railway company Ill the morning
papers on Wednesday until the fight was
won last night not a moment was lost.
Into the thirty-six hours of the fight were
crowded all the preparations for big
mass meeting, the meeting itself at Ia
koma Hall on Wednesday night at which
the entire section interested was fully
represented; the making of numerous
fiery speeches. the adoption of numerous
resolutions, the appointing OF several
committees. the plan to boycott the rail-
way. the plan to secure bus line to the
suburbs. the plan to appeal to the Balti-
more and Ohio Railway, the plan TO APP
peal to the courts for a mandamus to
compel the railway to run its cars into
the heart of the city, and finally two or
three conferences with the officials of the
railway, which resulted in the backdown
of the company
on the other hand. 1t is now learned
that the company was fully determined
to carry out its order until last night.
The suggestion that there was any posi-
hot he rde vypilII h.a rpysinded
yesterday afternoon, or until the compro-
mise was proposed, is entirely without
foundation The company had printed
thousands of coupon tickets for use &C
cording to its order. and had them ready
for issue Sunday morning, at which time
the double fare would have gone into
effect beyond question.
Mr. Lambert went to the Offices of the
company yesterday for the purpose of
comforting with the management. In the
hope of inducing il to withdraw from its
proposed action. President McDermott
and Vice President Harries were both
away from the city, and Mr. Lambert
WAS cioseted with General Manager II.
w Fuller for some hours. Mr.. Lambert
acted as the representative of the Legal
Committee appointed by the citizens.
Judge Bundy was absent from the city
and not able to serve on the committee,
and w. Nick Clayton, the third member,
gave Mr. Lambert proxy to act for him
in the matter.
The interview with Mr.. Fuller produced
no result. That gentleman told Mr.. Lam
bert that he had no power to rescind the !
Objectionable order and that II was i'm |
possible to reach any of the higher OH
GERS of the company. He said that he |
had been directed TO carry out the order |
and proposed To do so.
Mr. Lambert went home and took up !
again his work on the proposed man !
damus proceedings. He received tele-
phone message from Mr. Fuller late in
the afternoon that Mr.. McDermott had |
returned to the city Unexpectedly and |
would be glad to discuss the matter. The |
Lambert McDermott meeting then took |
place with the result mentioned.
The arguments offered by President |
as reported by Mr.. Lambert He stated |
very positively that under the present |
one-fare system and under the present |
schedule the company is losing money |
steadily. He said that IL the schedule |
providing for additional ears were adopt |
This fact he said, had determined the |
company to adopt the double fare which |
he asserted to be entirely within the law. |
This was the companys side of the mat |
ter. He stated further his belief that the |
citizens would have chance of win |
would be i fixture. He argued, for the |
compromise that the citizens should con- |
sent to the old schedule, which he did not |
consider a great hardship. for the sake |
of avoiding the payment of two fares. |
He stated his belief that il is very much |
to the interests of the citizens that the |
company should be a paying concern.
The proposal of the compromise Is that |