Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-04-28
WANT BRANCH LIBRARY
CITIZENS PLEDGE THEIR EFFORTS
TO SECURE IT.
Site Already Donated - Objections to
Street Car Regulations-Letter
From Gen. Harries on Subject.

From Gen. Harries on Subject.
| meeting Of the North Capitol and Eek
| ington Citizens Association was held in ST.
| Martins Hall, corner of North Capitol and
| T streets, last evening. Unusual interest
! was manifested in the proceedings on the
| part of the large number of members pres
| ent The subject of street railroads was
| discussed at length and the establishment
| of public library as branch Of the Pub
lac Library of this city was urged. Members
| pledged their best efforts to hasten the con-
| struction of a library building from the funds
| provided by Mr. Carnegie, site for which
has been donated by Mr.. George Truesdell.
In view of the enlarging membership of the
| association propositions were discussed for
the amendment of the associations consti-
| tuition Several amendments were adopted
in order to improve the plan of organiza-
tom
! The meeting was called to order by Mr.:
| William G. Henderson, Mr.. A. O. Tingley
! acting as secretary. The first order OF
business was the election of E. w. Wood
| ruff W. F. Ashford and F. Heth Riordan
| to membership.
Mr.. w J. Hughes, chairman of the COM
mittee on railways, reported concerning the
| efforts that had been made since the last
meeting of the association to secure i'm
| provements in the railroad service on the
| North Capitol street and other lines. He
| had written to General Harries stating the
| complaints of the association concerning
| the regulations that had been put in force
for closing the front gates of cars and
| compelling passengers to get on and off by
| the single rear entrance.
Gen. Harries' Reply.
To this letter General Harries replied as
| follows:
"Appreciating fully all you have set forth
in yours of the 9th instant. let me say
that the order which closed the front gates
of the cars was the result of direction by
our legal department. that the riding by
persons other than employees of the COM
pany operating platforms be instantly
| prohibited. 1t has been recently decided
| after an experience that cost many human
beings their ives-that there must not be
| trespassing upon the motormans platform.
The regulation needs no defense, and is so
clearly in the interests of the public that
criticism of it was not rea sonably to be ex-
pected. The closing of the motorman's
platform has been complete for years on all
the cars of the Capital Traction Company,
and l wish the same rule had always been
in force on our lines; many people would
have been saved from injury.
After further comment General Harries
stated that if at some time it shall safely
be possible and advisable to make use of
the front gateway on the proper side the
company might amend the regulation.
But he said. 80 long the opening
of the front gate encourages passengers to
imagine that they are making the rules
and operating the road we shall feel COM
PEELED to act as public guardians and to do
| whatever may be in our power to prevent
such catastrophes have afflicted more
than one city during the past few weeks"
Comment by Members.
Following the reading Of General Harries'
letter the subject of street railroads was
discussed at length. Mr.. w. ]. Hughes
ferred to the several editorials recently pub
ished in The Star favoring the opening of
the front gates of the cars under consider
alton. He said 1t appeared that nothing
more could be done except to still further
prevail upon the company and the Com
missioners. If the company could not be
induced to recede from it's course perhaps
there might be an opportunity to secure the
passage by Congress of such bill had
been adopted by the joint committee of
citizens associations, empowering the
Commissioners to make regulations for the
operations of the street railroads He said
it was not apparent what else could be
done
Mr. Washington Topham said he had
noticed that on the Brightwood line the
| front gates are not closed.
Mr.. Hughes replied that the order af-
| fected all lines under the control of the
Washington Railway Company.
Mr. Irwin B. Linton thought If the people
| were gradually educated to keep off the
| front platform except to enter and to leave
| the car the company would find it advisa-
| BILE to reopen the gates.
| Mr.. j. H. Lane suggested that 1t was COM
| mon in the case of large street cars to
| provide a front entrance. independent of
|
the company might be induced to adopt
| that course.
| President Henderson said the company
| could not run the cars on schedule time by
| the use of the rear entrance only. The
| people do not ride on the front platform
| because of their desire to do so. They are
| forced to ride there because of a lack Of
| room in the cars, and because they find 1t
necessary to use the cars. The only ones
who stand on the platforms from choice are
| those who are found smoking the rear
| platforms The only way, in his opinion, to
| remedy the trouble is to have more cars
| put on the road On other lines of cars
| operated by the same company in this city
| the same condition is enforced, and yet
there is nothing like the same amount of
| croWding and congestion in the handling of
| passengers On the North Capitol street
| line not only are seats practically impossi-
| BILE to get, but 1t frequently happens, he
said. that people are delayed because they
| cannot get standing room. Something
should be done so that people could get to
| their homes with reasonable promptness
| Branch Library.
Mr.. Hugh A. Morrison, jr., chairman of
the committee on public library and hall,
made a report In relation to the effort that
| is being made to secure the building Of a
branch library building in the section of
the association. He suggested the imme-
| date collection of books to form the
nucleus of such a library and said that
| progress in that direction had already been
made. He had but recently taken hold of
the work, that no extensive plan for car
| rying it on had been adopted. Volunteer
| contributions toward fund for the pur-
chase of reference books are already being
received, he said and he hoped some way
/ might be devised to begin the actual circu-
! lation of such books as might be secured,
| even before the new Carnegie building has
| been provided.
| After a further discussion Of the library
problem the changes in the associati tons
| constitution were adopted in order that
| it might more readily be adapted to its
| growing needs.
| The Members Present
Among the members present were the
| following: c. P. Boss, Howard Boyd, r.
| w Farrelly F. A. Fenning w. J. F'riZZell