Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-04
Railway Officials Decline to
Discuss Matter.
MR.. LAMBERT'S IDEAS
QUESTION OF OPINION AS TO
BURNING OF PLANT. o.
No Remedy in Sight From Railway
People, Who Say Road Does
Not Pay.

Those of the citizens OF the District OF CO.
mmbia who are compelled to use the Bright
wood electric line from day to day say that
never in the history of the road have the
conditions been so unsatisfactory as those
they experience today.
Those of the officials of the Washington
Electric Railway Company who practically
control the line, and who talked of the sub
ject but who would not consent to have
themselves quoted. say that the provisions
made for the patrons of the road nave
never been so adequate as they are today.
This is the situation as found by a re-
porter for The Evening Star. the only diff
ference being that the citizens through their
association at Brightwood allow themselves
to be quoted. The railway officials refuse
tc allow their names to be made public in
connection with what they call a ''contro-
versy in which they have no grievance"
As natural outcome from the various
grievances of certain community their
sentiments are voiced in the meetings of the
associations of citizens that have grown up
into large proportions in the various sec
tons Taking this true index to the
feelings of the citizens Of the Brishtwood
section a reporter for The Evening Star
this afternoon called upon Mr.. Wilton j.
Lambert, president of the BrightwOod Citt-
zens' Associa ton and asked for an express
sion of opinion from him, voicing the
people over whom he presided of the condi-
lions on the Brightwood line today us COM
pared with what they were in former days.
so far as 1 have been able to observe and
from the reports that have been made to
me from the various members of the asso-
citation" said Mr.. Lambert, 1.-The conditions
are far worse today than they have ever
been. We are suffering very much from
the lack of cars and from the lack of
power to move the cars that We do have.
In other words, have not sufficient
cars to move the people that live along
the line, and when we get a loaded car
We have not sufficient power to move it.
The congestion at various points on the
line is far from pardonable. and we have
tried every force known to us to get some
remedial help from the railway authori-
ties, but without any appreclable result.
We have tried threats and persuasion
without avail
Violating the Laws.
I'VE have frequently called attention to
the railroad people that they are violat-
ing the law as laid down by Congress, but
they have held over big stick in the
shape of two fares which they said they
would use if pressed too hard We have
made number of suggestions to the rail-
way officials that we believed would re-
lieve the congestion, but they have never
acted on them.
Officials of the Washington Railway and
Electric Company who at least control
the movements of the cars on every part
of the Brightwood line consistently re-
fuse to enter into any discussion of the
conditions AS one of them said to The
Star reporter today, Conditions might be
very much worse If the earnings of the
Brightwood line were the only source by
which funds could be found to pay for
the operation of cars on that line. The
road could go into the hands of a re-
cefver at any time for lack of earning
capacity, but this is not wanted by those
who seek to promote the best interests of
the line.
Everything possible, as far as consistent
with the amount of money available is
being done to maintain the Brightwood line
1t can be said. however, that that line is
not now and has never paid the necessary
funds for the expense of operating the line"
Much of the complaint of the citizens
against the working of the Brightwood line
has been attributed to the lack of power
and 1t has been emphatically stated that
since the destruction by fire of the indie
pendent power house which furnished the
electric current for operating the line
conditions have been growing rapidly worse
On the other hand. 1t is claimed by the
electric railway people that the date of
the improvement in the movement of cars
along this line commences from the burn
Ing of what they are pleased to call the
obsolete power house and the beginning of
the power furnished from the general power
plant of the company