The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-07-17
COMMISSION so ORDERS
The Decision of the Fender Question
is Postponed.
ALL CAR; MUST HAVE THE VESTlBUtES
This Order Goes Into Effect on Next koyembe
18th ard viii Continue in Force Until
the End OF March 1902 The
Hearing Yesterday.

business in this State will be required
during the winter months for the protec-
tion of their motormen. AS to Tenders
their use will likely be left largely to the
discretion of the companies.
The last Legislature passed law re-
curing the use of both vestibules and
tenders, but left it in the power OF the
Corporation Commission to exempt any
company from the provisions of the act,
in case it should see proper to do So
Yesterday was the day fixed by the
Commission for a hearing of interested
parties touching the enforcement of the
law and as result of this hearing the
Commission has taken the action above
indicated. Vestibule cars must be run
for four and half months-from No
vember 18th to March 31st. The question
of requiring tenders will not be passed
upon for the present
During the discussion yesterday the
following facts were developed:
Asheville now has ,vestibule cars but no
tenders The companies there think fen
ders would cause more accidents than
they would prevent.
Winston has tenders but no vestibule
cars. The company there opposes the
vestibule on the ground of expense-sost
of changing from unvestibule to vestibuie
cars. 9@
Durhams car line is not yet in opera
tion but it is being equipped with cars
having on them both vestibules and fen
ders.
Charlotte opposes vestibules, but ex-
presses a willingness to put on certain
kind of fender.
Wilmington is against both vestibule
and fender, on the ground that the climate
does not necessitate vestibules and that
fender would cause more accidents than
it would prevent.
Raleigh takes the same position and for
the same reason.
Mr.. w. j. Andrews president, and Mr.
Robt. T. Gray, attorney, appeared for the
Raleigh railway. They argued that the
weather here in winter is not sufficient
ly severe to require veStibules to protect
their men. and then that the cost Of
changing their cars would be very great;
that the road is not making any money
and the enforcement of the law would be
q very great hardship on it.
Mr.. Gray added that there was no de-
mand on the part of motormen or other
employees of the Raleigh company for
vestibule cars.
Mr.. Shedding for the Wilmington road
argued much to the same effect. He
thought the climate in Wilmington about
) degrees warmer in winter than that of
Raleigh and Raleigh about 5 degrees
warmer than Winston. He had seldom
lad complaints of suffering by cold by his
men And as to tenders, the company
had never had but two fatal accidents
and neither of these could have been pre-
vented by the use of tenders.
Then BESIDES we have the slowest
street car schedule in North Carolina,
and with fender is not necessary
10 prevent accidents, in fact, as it would
in making curves overhang the street for
several feet, | believe it would cause
more accidents than it would prevent
Also the Commission had before it a
stenographic report of arguments prvious-
ly submitted by Messrs. julius E. Martin
and III. w. Plummer. for the Asheville
Street Railway; w. B. Gwyn, for the
Asheville and Craggy Mountain Railway;
H. e. Fries, of the Winston Salem Elec-
trio Company; H. A. Foushee, for the
Durham Traction Company, and Mr.. Lat
ta for the Charlotte Street Railway.
Messrs. Martin and Hummer said that
the Asheville roads were equipping their
cars with vestibule fronts, and will have
all the cars in use thus equipped before
the winter, but the management Of the
road didn't want to be forced to do so.
Mr.. Martin added:
I'VE prefer to equip our cars with YES
thule fronts voluntarily rather than COM
pulsory, for this reason: 1t enables us
to control the motormen in the matter of
lowering the windows better than we
could If we were compelled to put them
on cars on all tracks. Our experience
and observation are that if we operate
voluntarily rather than compulsory the
motormen will feel that they are more
subject to the supervision of the company s
officers than they would be if the COM
pany were forced to use vestibules."
As to tenders, Mr.. Martin doubted
whether they were any protection to hu-
man life, and the ordinary fender would
cbstruct the narrow streets at curves. To
put tenders on the cars, he believed
would increase the number of accidents.
Mr. Plummer suggested that the Ashe-
Vile roads be exempted until it was
shown that they were not operating sat
isfactorily under the voluntary system
He thought it would be better. both for
the public and for the system.
Mr.. Gwyn said his line already had yes
thule fronts on all it's cars, but no fen
ders and he would like to be included in
any exemption or modification of the law
that might be given the. Asheville railway.
The Winston cars, Mr.. Fries said, were
already equipped with tenders but not
with vestibule fronts, and this he consid-
cred serious matter with the company
as many of the cars now in use can't be
modified so as to put on vestibules.
I'VE will have to rebuild to put them on.
We, OF course. are willing to abide by the
law, but there are features which I think
will work hardship on us. We have