Evening star., 1904-01-23
FOR BETTER SERVICE
Complaints Against Street
Railway Accommodations.
MEETING OF CITIZENS
MR. McDFRMoTT EXPLAINS SIT
UATIoN IN GENERAL.
Demand for Improvement Met With
Suggestion of an Ad-
vance in Fare.
MEETING OF CITIZENS

President McDermott yesterday afternoon
participated in a conference with the rep
resentatives of the Brightwood, Brightwood
Park. Takoma Park and the Petworth
citizens associations. The conference was
| held in the board rooms of the Home Saw
ings Bank and was arranged for in order
that President McDermott might be &C
quainted with the views of the residents
of the northern suburbs upon the SER
vice on the Brightwood line. 1t was the
consensus of opinion that the service af-
forded the public is anything but adequate,
and the operation of the road was sub
jected to a severe ARA giment
President McDermott agreed with the
representatives of the ciSiZens assocla tons
in many details, and acknowledged that.
perhaps the abuse that had been heaped
upon his head as president of the company
was not wholly unwarranted. He viewed
the situation philoSophically, and as law
yer pointed out the causes for the deficien-
ces in the service.
When the conference convened the repre-
| sentatives of the citizens associat tions were
very hostile to the electric company, and
clearly made known their feeling as to the
service on the Brightwood line. Every
phase of the situation was discussed and
the actual conditions were revealed. At
the conclusion of the arguments of the
association representatives, which cOnSum-
ed more than an hour, President McDer-
mott answered the complaints. He ac-
knowledged that many of the conditions, as
recited were true. He also suggested rem
edies. One of the remedies is an increase
in fare. President McDermott, speaking
| personally. said he was opposed to in
| creasing the fare.
The suggestion of an increase had visi-
BILE effect upon the representatives of the
associations. and the suggested remedy by
FOL to hot tl,a
pany might make such move il the resi-
dents continued their crusade against the
system.
The citizens associations were repre-
sented at the conference as follows: Pet
worth, Messrs. T. V. Powder1y d. J. Par
tello. A. Loeffier and William F. GUIDE !;
Brightwood Park, Messrs. Condra. IL. NICK.
Clayton and F. J. MetcaH; Takoma Park
Prof. Galloway and Mr.. ]. B. Kinnear;
Brightwood, Messrs. Wilton J. Lambert,
A. E. Mclaughlin and John Saul.
The Filing of Complaints.
Mr.. T. V. Powderly acted as chairman on
the conference. In opening he confined
his remarks to the conditions of the last
ten days. specifying the number of waits.
and the exact time of each he had expert
enced. The grand rush for the cars at the
transfer junction at 7th street and Boun-
dary were pictured deplorable by Mr..
Powderly. The waiting room, which the
speaker characterized as a store box. he
regarded as menace to the health of the
public Mr.! Powderly concluded by de-
cfaring that the transfer station should pc
placed at Richmond street, Petworth, there
by materially improving the service ami
reducing the congestion in the cars.
Mr.. Kinnear suggested that the car which
now operates from Brigntwood avenue to
the Soldiers Home be run down to the
transfer junction. He explained that if his
suggestion were adopted a ten minutes
schedule could be maintained. He claimed
that the round trip from Soldiers Home to
the transfer junction could be made in
thirty minutes This car, with those oper-
ating to the District line and Takoma Park
would give the residents of Petworth an
adequate service. Mr Kinnear contended.
Prof. Galloway declared the conditions
on the line to be deplorable What Is the
matter with the railroad?' he said, lis a
question that is in order practically all the
time. He said the residents want a system
of regular cars
Mr. GUIDE recited divers occasions when
he had been compelled to walk to the 14th
| street line in order that he might arrive at
| his place of business on time. He declared
| that he frequently walked home Person
ally, he did not object to walking some
| times because of his robust health. Weak
| er persons, however, he claimed were un.
| able to walk, and it was in their behalf
| that he urged the necessity of improved
| service. Combating Mr. McDermott's
| statement that the road is being operated
at loss, Mr. Guide maintained that If such
| were the conditions the road should not De
| there. He believed that under proper man
aeement the system could be made to pay
| and be operated on schedule satisfactory
| to the patrons.
Mr.. Wilton Lambert urged that the cars
| he run into the city far as pennsylvania
avenue He said the ''trippers' put on III
| the morning and evening at rush hours
| should not be compelled to run any 1urther
! into town than the present transfer june
| ton. This suggestion was regarded as the
| best solution of the situation. MI Clayton
| declared that the service on the hne was
responsible for the suspension or the puiio-
| ing operationS in the northern Suburbs
President McDermott Responds.
| President McDermott, in replying to the
| arguments of the representatives Oh the as
| socia ton said Washington is very pecui-
! lar place to operate a railroad Inc -cilg,
| he said, moves only in the morning ana
| evening. He recognized the justice OF the
| complains of irregular cars, Stops ny i"NA
of current, etc
The primary cause of the bad service. he
| said was due to the fact that the nne was
| originally badly equipped Inc WaSnihsto,'
| Traction and Electric Company, ne sald,
has made improvements continually, ana
| declared that the cars Will be operated on
| a regular schedule as soon as new tur-
| bine wheel is installed in the central pow
| er house. This wheel, he said, was ordered
| many months ago, but the manufacturing
company had failed to deliver It, He
| thought ii would be in position at the cen
| tral station before spring.
| Mr. McDermott talked on the question of
| through service. The natter he said, ,hadbeen
| fully considered by the railroad company.
| He maintained that it would be of no advan-
| tage as a car destined for a certain suburb,
| would be boarded by people no matter at
| which end of the road they resided. He
| said he did not think the company would
| operate the cars into the city. He ad-
| mtted that the waiting station at the
| transfer junction is not what 1t should be.
| He announced however. that upon the ar
| rival of the new turbine wheel. the cars
| would be operated on a regular schedule