Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-11
OPPOSITION
CITIZENS PROTEST AGAINST CHANGE
IN RAILWAY SCHEDULE.
Complaint Filed Against Line by
Berwyn ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
LeEislnttOn.

The patrons OF the City and Suburban
line, particularly that branch which ex-
tends to Berwyn in Maryland, are aroused
by a recent change in the schedules of
that road. Up to the first Of this month
the service was satisfactory to the resi-
dents Of New York avenue between 9th
street west and LIST street east, and of
lexington, who depend upon this line for
their accommodations. The Roadway MAIN
tanned was about eight minutes with two
cars put around the lexington loop be-
tween s o'clock and $50 in the morning, to
accommodate the city passengers, who
otherwise were forced to catch places on
the crowded cars coming In from Berwyn
and Hyattsvile as best they could
January 1, without public notice, 1t is
charged. the schedule was changed to
twenty-five minute Roadway, save in the
rush hours Of morning and evening, when
1t was 1212 minutes. The two loop cars of
the morning run were taken from the city
service and the cars turned into the barn
"a lexington. The patrons of the road
complain that the schedule is not only in
sufficient, but uncertain, and that the dis
ab,ement of cars, which frequently hap
pens, causes inordinately long waits and
dangerous overcrowdng. They further con-
tend that there was no notice given of the
changes. but they have been obliged to
from the gossip of the conductors and mo-
tcrmen congregating on the or at the
functions
From an examination of the records at
the District building it is learned that last
summer the officials of this company filed
with the Commissioners for their approval,
as required by law, a schedule governing
the running of of this line. This
schedule required the cars to run every f1f-
teen minutes between $40 and 6:1O am.
every seven and half minutes between
$40 and $50 am, every fifteen minutes be-
tween $3.50 am. and $50 pm. every seven
and half minutes between 800 and pm
and every fifteen minutes between $50 p.m
and ITO am, while on Sundays the sched-
ulc called for a car every fifteen minutes.
This schedule the Commissioners approved
and 1t is stated that they have not been
informed Of any change in it, nor has
new one, it is said, been submitted to them
for their approval.
Provisions of the Law.
The act of Congress of June 10, 1888, in
cooperating the lexington and Soldiers
Home Railway Company, subsequently made
part of the City and Suburban. provides
that the company shall place cars of the
best construction on said road with all
modern improvements necessary to the con-
venience and comfort of passengers and
shall run cars thereon as often as the pub
lie convenience may require in accordance
with time table or schedule adopted by the
company. a copy of which shall be filed
with the Commissioners and to be approved
by them.
A like provision is said to apply to every
other street railway in the District but
with the omission in most instances Of a
very necessary additional provision, pen
atty clause. 1t Is claimed however that
there is a penalty clause applicable to the
City and Suburban Company, reference in
substantiation Of this claim being made to
the act of Congress of February 3. 1897,
which provides as follows: That If said
companies (Eckington and Belt lines) shall
fail to operate the whole Of their respective
lines as provided by an act entitled an act
to extend the routes Of said railway COM
panies, and so forth approved June 10,
1896, in such manner and on such sched-
ules as the Commissioners shall approve,
then said companies and each Of them shall
forfeit and pay to the District Commits
sioners the sum of 800 for each of such
failures
Defect in Penalty Clause.
1t will be observed that this penalty
clause does not state in what manner the
penalty shall be collected, and 1t Is also
to be observed that the amount to be for
feited Is not to be forfeited to the District,
but to the District Commissioners. 1t is
explained that the force of the engineer de-
partment of the District which has I'M
mediate supervision Of railways, is so small
that it is impossible to provide such super
vision Of the running of the various lines,
the condition of their cars, their observ-
ance or departure from approved schedules,
ETC., as is necessary for the full protection
of the travelling public.
While the Commissioners have not officially
expressed themselves in the matter, 1t is
believed that they would approve of legls-
laton requiring street railway companies
to run their cars on approved schedules by
the imposition of such penalties as could be
collected and otherwise enforced. 1t Is also
believed that they would approve Of leg:s-
lation providing for the appointment ty
them Of an official whose sole duty would
be the inspection of the operation of the
railways, investigation of charges preferred
against them for failure to observe their
schedules and to institute before the proper
tribunal prosecutions of the companies
where the same should be demanded in the
interests of the travelling public. 1t is sad
to be extremely doubtful If there is any
law here by the enforcement of which
street railway corporations can be pun
ished for failing to operate their lines as
demanded by public convenience and COM
fort.
Every Day Makes Our Business More
popular. There's no Rip Van Winkleism In
our methods no clogging the wheels of bus
mess We use coll of low prices and quick