Evening star., 1901-08-30
The BrightwOOd Railway.
To the Editor Of The Evening Star:

Having just read in the morning press
the proposed compromise of the Bright
wood Railway Company and its patrons,
l desire through the columns Of your valu-
able paper to make a few suggestions for
the consideration OF the officers Of the
company and the committee representing
the patrons Of the road.
No compromise should be ratified by the
patrons Of the road which requires them
to request the District Commissioners not
to enforce the statutory requirements rel
at1ve to the time table until congressional
action can be obtained.
1t Is needless for me to say that the
patrons or the road have very V1Vld ana
distinct recollection of having helped this
corporation to secure its valuable consoll-
dation privilege granted in 1900 They not
only acquiesced in the proposition, but
many of them saw their representatives
ana senators In Congress and induced them
to vote for the measure, representing to
them that free transfers would be given
after consolidation and that under such
plan the Brightwood railway would be
part or the city system and that cars
would be run from the District line with
out change to F street or Pennsylvania
avenue. 1t is a maxim of the law, False
IN one thing, false In ALL. AND thus TOT
this company to again ask the patrons OF
this road to join with them for further
congressional legislation so that the COM
pany may further manacle and shackle It's
patrons is a proposition that Will not be
ratified.
The District Commissioners are now
moving on the Brightwsod Railroad Com
pany on their own motion by reason OF
the legal opinion of their own attorney,
which was brought about by the company
submitting for the approval of the Com
missioners a time table the provisions Oh
which were in plain violation Of the cove.
nants OF the companyis charter NO act
OF the patrons caused this; IT was tneia ~
own wrong-doing, and for this attempt TO
have the Commissioners of the District
ratify such wrong-doing and the failure
charge every person who rides on the cars
OF the Brightwood Railroad Company an
After It was fully demonstrated to the
company's officers that such g violation OF
law. to say nothing of the bad faith on the
tional fare, WOULD mott tolerated. and
that the company,Sin carrying out It's pro,
posed threat, would suffer great financial
loss, then 1t Ia that the company asks the
patrons of the road to suspend hostlitfes
and do the companys bidding by asking
late their obligation to the public by not
enforcing the law.
And this is not all, but the company asks
the patrons OF the road to Join the company
to procure congressional legislation Tor al
legged mutual benefit, which. no doubt,
somewhere, would have ingeniously con-
cealed In 1t q deadfall for the patrons.
To my mind. there should be no compro-
rise. and especially when that compromise
Is based on persistent contention that is
false. That is, that the Brightwood Rail-
road Company is not paying expenses II
this railroad company is not paying ex-
penses 1t Is most assuredly because of mis-
management. It's crowded cars, its throngs
OF waiting patrons at each street crossing,
together with the well-known small ex-