Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-09-13
SPEED REGULATIONS
AMENDMENT TO GOVERN THE
CITY ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.
CORPORATION Counsel Holds Under Ex-
listing Regulations Companies NOT
Responsible for Motormen.

In an opinion forwarded to the Comms $
sioners Yesterday Corporation Counsel a.
r Duyall holds that the police department
cannot under the existing regulations hoio
the various railroad companies respohsioie
for violation of the speed regulations py us
motormen. but that Congress has given the
Commissioners authority to pass such a res
ulation and he submits one Tor aooption'
The authority cited for the new reRula-
ton or an amendment of section "a, articie
X, of the police regulations, is the act oi
January 20, 1887, authorizing the Commas
sioners to make and enforce police reguia-
lions to regulate the movement OF Veh'c'e'
on the public streets and for the preserVa-
ton of order and the protection of life ana
limb and also the joint resolution vi rep
ruary %, 1892, authorizing the Colnini sI,,,
ers to enforce police regulations gene any. :,
In speaking of the amendment proposeu
Mr. Duvall says that in his judgment ~
would enable the authorities In man! casvS
to subject to prosecution ana me 'll1 .-,,
tive officers of the corporations VINO may
really be the offenders, inasmuch as lhey
having the control of the motormen coulo
prevent and restrain violations.
Text of the Amendment.
The amendment suggested by Mr.. Duvall
follows:
mo street car shall stand upon street
or avenue for a longer period than hve min
utes unless the way be INSTRUCTED, nor stop
so as to obstruct street crossing or inter-
secting street; and unless coupled thereto,
no street car shall follow within lOO 1eel
of any preceding street car moving In the
same direction, or come WITHIN 1oV Ieet VI
any preceding street car StandinG at resi-.
Providing however, that II the preceding
street car is disabled from any cause, then
the street car following may move up 10
such preceding car slowly, under proper
supervision, and couple thereto for the pur-
pose of assisting the disabled car. every
street car in motion after shutdown shali
have two lights, one displayed at each END
thereof"
At IL o'clock tomorrow morning President
Dunlop of the Capital Traction Company
will be given hearing before the Commits
siners relative to the adoption of the pro-
posed amendment.
Holding Corporations Liable.
In order to hold corporations liable for
violations of the police regulations rela-
tive to the operation of street cars, Mr..
Duvall submits for adoption by the Com
missioners the following amendment to
section "a article 10 Of the police regula-
tons:
Every violator of any provision of this
article and the person, firm, or corporation
in whose service or employment such vio-
lator then may be, and in the case OF a
corporation such corporation and its presl-
dent, vice president. manager or other off,
Ger in control of such violator. who shall
fail to prevent and restrain the violation
of any provision of this article shall be
jointly and severally liable, upon convic-
ton, to the respective penalties hereinbe-
fore in this article specifically provided;
and where no penalty is specifically pro-
vided they shall be Jointly and severally
liable, upon conviction. to a fine of not less
than 81 nor more than $40 for each offense. .