The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-14

was held last night, there being present President Fleming. Aldermen Westcott, Ruth; Hudson. sS R1sh.on; Finley, Davis' The meeting had been called to hear the report of the two committees on Ju- dietary and Franchises and Privileges tition of citizens regarding the inade- quacy of the service of the Montgomery Street Railway Company full hearing in
 The Committees made the following re- port to the Council, which was read by Assistant Clerk Arlington. as follows: Tn inc MH1ntgom5esryi Haners Ala, Sept, B 1901;
 gomery:
 Your Committees on Franchises and Privileges and Judiciary and Ordinances large number of citizens asking the Council to take steps to vacate and an- nul the franchises of the Montgomery the City Attorney in reference to the same, an ordinance introduced by Alder man Rushton to regulate the operation troduced by Alderman Roman requiring current of Street Car Companies to be turned on when fire alarm is sounded respectfully report that they had all of consideration for the past week.
 In acceptance with the resolution we summoned all of the parties who signed the petition who could be found, to come before us and give such facts as they knew of their own knowledge about the adequacy of the service that Is be-
 A great many of the petitioners came before the Committee. All of them said that the cars were extremely noisy. many of them related instances. of thejr own knowledge of wires falling down in the streets. but were unable to give the cause. Many of them spoke of having seen the ears off the tracks very fre- Of having been on the cars when rain would leak through the roof to such an extent that they would be compelled to up or else sit on a wet seat. A large majority spoke of the deficiency in mum per Of cars furnished by the company on Sunday afternoons and on other occa- 70 the Park, and in general terms of the irreeularity and uncertainty of sched-
 All of these witnesses are men of 1oos character and manifested no personal an mostly to the owners or officers of the company. They all seemed to realize franchises of the company and thus practically destroy their property. bIt each one concluded his statement by an s assertion that 1t would be. in his opinion, less therc Is some method by which they can be made to improve the service. i, fI ne committee desiring to be able to Of all the facts, in order to get at inc causes or the matters complained of, in strrcted the City Engineel- and City tinst uiiectr1cian 10 make thorough lnspec- tlon CT the cars. wires, tracks and other equipment Of the system and authorized the City Engineer to employ a regular car inspector to assist them. This wss done, and they made their reports in writing and were also personally dues- toned by the committees. We attach tneir written reports hereto.
 The olncers of the Street Car Company were also informed he would near any witness or other evidence they cared to introduce before them but they refused to introduce any, but stated that we were at liberty to send as many experts to inspect their equipments as we saw fit.
 From our investigation, and all the foiIa ffViIIaence we could obtain, we find the following to be the facts:
 l. The cars used are with very few ex- ceptons, extremely noisy, from the fol- lowing causes:
 shackle from the fact that the bolts in ana about the motors. armor of motors. and other parts of the cars are not kept screwed up but are allowed to become loose and often the taps to lose off
 Second-The cars are almost always run at too great a speed.
 Third-There are many bad joints in the rails.
 Fourth-The curves in the track are entirely too sharp. causing the car when run on them at a fast rate of speed to pecome Wrackeu ana strained in all its parts.
 II. The cars, generally known as sum- mer cars, are, while not up to the stand ard of other cities in style and appear- ance. reasonably adapted to the service and about the only complaint of them. other than the above. Is that the seats fin many of them are too small for two peo- pie to sit in comfortably. Seats are loose
 III. The closed cars have nearly all been off the trucks in the shops for the last several months, and are now being repaired and painted up They were op- erated last winter, however, and while operated were unsatisfactory in the fol- lowing particulars:
 weather and at meal times, when large numbers use them, are not adequate to carry the patrons comfortably
 Second-These cars were used when in a very bad state of repair, with leaky roofs and dingy and dirty. As stated above, they are now in the shop
 W. The cars get off the track very
 Ffrst-In many places the ties are either rotten or the spikes have come out, allowing the rails to spread.
 Second-The switches are badly worn and carelessly operated by the motor men.
 Third-some of the curves are made by bending an ordinary rail, spikipg it In places and bolting thereto a guard | rail. The natural tendency Is for this | rail to straighten and thus get out of | inc.
 Fourth-A large per cent. of the motor men in the service are inexperienced | nen, who stay in the service only a 'ery short while and care so little for