The Washington times., 1901-12-17
TAK0MA PARK
AIRS IT'S VIEWS.
Structures on Congress and
Traction Service.
A VILLAGE STREET CAR SYSTEM.
Conditions to Which No Other
Civilized Community Would SUBJ
Congress Now Orders the
Work, But the District Pays the
Bills.

The Takoma Park Citizens Association
held large and enthusiastic meeting last
night in Tskoma Park Hall. in the course
of which the Washington Traction Com
pany and the National Government came
in for large amount of spirited comment
The meeting was presided over by Pres
ident hinnear. 1t had been expected that
Representative George A. Pearre OF Mary
land would deliver the address of the
evening. but he was unavoidably detained.
He sent q letter of regret which was read
by Mr.. b. H. Warner. who then took the
floor to discuss the question Of suburban
street railway transportation as excmpli-
fed by the Washington Traction Company.
NO other City Would submit.
Mr.. Warner declared that no city in all
the North would submit to the treatment
which the suburbs of Washington have re-
eeived at the hands Of the traction com
pany. In no other city. he said. are the
transportation facilities as wretched as
they were in Washington. In other cities
there were more cars operated and there
was better schedule and = more accom-
modating spirit exhibited by the street
railway companies
He thought that one great reason for
the shabby treatment OF Washington by
the street railways was the form of gov
ernment. The people did not govern them
selves. the read TO redress was long aud
tortuous. and the men TO whom they had
10 appeal were frequently from far dis
tant cities and States. who could not be
expected to understand local conditions or
sympathize with local grievances
But the citizens must do the best they
could with what they had. Much could be
accomplished by organization and by
working together and appealing in force.
Country Town System.
United States Attorney Gould followed
Mr.. Warner in much the Same tenor. He
said he had but recently made a trip
through Massachusetts,. and he found that
throughout that State you could ride
farther for one fare and in better cars
and more rapidly and on better sohed-
ule than you could in the famous capital
OF the nation.
Visitors from other cities laughed al
the country town system OF street railway
transportation that ruled here. They de
clHred 1t rotten. and il was rotten. II
would not be tolerated in any other civil
lied community
The Government was to blame Con-
sress had the whole matter in its hands
congress In one day could remedy the
whole matter. 1t should be made to
do so.
Entering again into the discussion. Mr..
Warner said that the one and onlz- excuse
that the Traction Company gave for its
poor service. for II didn't have the nerve I
to uphold IL. was that the road was not |
sufficiently patronized to admit OF The i'm
pfovements asked, and that better ser 1
vice would not pay.
SI2.o00,OOO Worth of Wnier.
Mr.. Warner said that anyone who had 7,
half an eye could see that the patronage |
was sufficient for the maintenance of a /
first-clsss service. but it was not to be /
expected that It would furnish dividends |
FOR Sl2 000. .eoe OF stock that was purer |
water than the average citizen ever got I
a chance to drink. Somebody profited by 1
it's twelve millions excess OF capital. and |
now they were <emanding as much divl- |
dend Or this water" as ii it were real |
money.
But the people who used the road and I
who paid the fares that went toward pay 4
ing the dividends on this sl2 O00. coo OF .
water should not be made tc suffer. They
OF cars. and 10 schedule that WIS a
schedule and not a puzzle picture
Prof. Hooper offered a resolution. which /
was unanimously adopted. declaring that 4
Congress should be asked to compel the 1
company 20 provide better service more I
cars and better schedule.
District Pays the BGII.
Mr. Louis P. Shoemaker addressed the /
meeting on the general subject of the ex-
penses of the District and the aid that .
Congress gave in The matter. He said that
things had come to such pass now that
Congress practically contented itself with !
ordering this work and that work TO be
done, and left the District TO pay the bill
The Government was constantly takin.,
more and more land for Government use
and consequently decreasing the amou-t
Of taxable property. which. of course,