Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-10-27
More Power for the Brightwood Line

statement by an official of the Wash
irgton Traction Company is printed in The
Star today bearing directly and practical
ly upon the present troubles of the Bright
woud car line. 1t shows just what the diff
Guilty has been and is today. and what the
company is doing to remedy 1t. 1t indicates
that the corporation is actively at work
trying to cure the evils which have made
traffic on the Brlghtwood road matter of
annoying uncertainty for it's patrons for
many months past. 1t holds out the hope of
early correction through the installation of
, machinery purchased specially at the
worlds far. while the company Is awaiting
an equipment ordered from manufacturers
and now in process of construction.
This statement at last goes to the vital
point at Issue between the company and the
public. 1t recognizes the right of the pa
irons of the road to reliable service and
ii sets forth clearly the company's recogni-
ton of its Obligation to provide cars enough
20 carry the people and power enough to
-un the cars regularly and reliably over
the line. 1t Is i gratifying departure from
irrelevant and confusing discussions Of the
corporate chara cter of the Brightwood road,
a distinct legal entity, its alleged sad
financial condition and Its dubious future.
AS long as the people get the service to
which they are entitled they care little or
nothing for the form Of the organization
operating the roads. But they are at the
end OF their patience with the pretense that
the past blunders or folly or perhaps trick
cry of former owners of the Brightwood or
ether local suburban lines should now serve
to excuse and pc. petuate bad service on any
of the lines. The public is not to be forever
.,lz.
buncoed into paying far more for any road
than it Is worth. The street railway busi-
ness is not merely a private enterprise. Of
fertng goods for sale which the public can
take or leave. These corporations hold val
raLle public franchises. given to them for
nothing ard held by them practically with
cut cost. The holding of these franchises in
vclves the obligation to serve the people
adequately In the matter of transportation.
And the people have the right to expect that
service Ia proportion to their needs what
ever may be the record of the present own
ers or the Encouragement of their prede-
CeSSors
1t is beside the mark and an ineXcusable
attempt to evade the issues for this general
corporation to seek shelter, whenever these
weak and observed suburban lines are the
subject of controversy, behind the fact that
Trey have not yet been brought within the
central company but remain as nominally
separate organizations. They are owned by
the same people, operating as companies
which derive all their strength from tho
central company and which contribute
heavily to it's income. Years ago. before
the Pennsylvania Railroad Company ex-
tended to Washington It's additionally lib
eral policy, the people of the capital had
IL. 1T
that corporation was asked to improve its
local terminal. to abolish grade crossings
and to erect a better station 1t would
point to the Baltimore and Potomac Com
pany. the technical owner of the terminal
and claim that 1t was too small and Door
10 go to the expense involved in the pro-
posed changes. At every turn of the public
demands upon this great corporation 1t
held forth its petty local company as a
shield. Just as the Baltimore and Potomac
railroad was merely link in the chain of
the Pennsylvania system. so the Bright
wood line, whatever its technical status Is
in fact merely section. an integral part
of the Washington Traction system.
If the public gets what it wants. what 1t
needs and what 1t deserves from the street
railway owners 1t does not care whether
the lines are owned by a syndicate or by
object. however, to have the separate cor
porate existence of a decrepit line wrecked
or crippled in the past by wrong methods
and laundering management and question
able finance. continually thrust forth as an
argument in defense of existing evils and
deficiencies. 1t does object to have the sItu-
alton continually befogged by the references
10 the heavy Indebtedness of these lines
when II is a patent fact that the lines were
purchased by their present owners for the
very purpose of consolidation. in full
knowledge of their financial condition and
with equally fun knowledge of the handicap
entailed by those debts upon the power of
the lines to maintain themselves properly
as separate organizations
These roads were bought by the central
corporation as parts of a system. and il has
been the policy of the corporation to treat
them as a whole. insofar as the building up
ana inviting OF patronage and the trans
ferring of passengers are concerned. 1t is
loiiy To talk about segregating any of them
for the strength of the whole system de-
ponds upon the relationship of all to the
whole. AS feeders To the main lines these
suburban roads are of great present and
vast prospective value
The statement printed today indicates that
irrespective OF the resultless verbal fencing
winch has been going on over irrelevant
issues. the company realizes that II owes
itself as well as the public a duty In not
only doing the things practically required
To-Day TO maintain the service at a proper
standard, but in acquainting its patrons
with what 1t is doing in recognition of that
obligation.