Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-23
BIG MEETING PROMISED
CITY AND SUBURBAN RAILWAY
PATRONS AROUSED.
Bill to Prevent the overcrowding Of
Cars Discussed by Commits
sioner Mcfarland.

The proposition for mass meeting OF
patrons Of the City and Suburban line has
been so well received. 1t is stated. that there
Is promise of an immense gathering. The
time and place for the meeting will be an
nounced tomorrow or next day, although 1t
is probable that Sunday will be selected as
the day.
A. M. Lawson, president of the association
that feels the deepest interest in the matter,
stated to a Star reporter today that the
plan Of mass meeting has been warmly
and cordially Endorsed by everybody. Peo-
pie have written him letters and hunted
him up to express the hope that the meet
ing will result in good, and declaring that
the conditions have become intoleyable.
II have never witnessed deeper interest
in matter since my residence in North
Langdon," said Mr., Lawson From way
out In Maryland all the way into Washing
ton the people are aroused to the poor treat
ment they have received. They had looked
to the District Commissioners for aid, as
explained in The Star yesterday, but falling
to get any hopeful results in that direction
concluded that there was nothing to DO put
take up the matter, get the citizens inter-
ested and go before Congress There are
too many of us able to testify to existing
conditions to prevent the facts getting be-
fore the appropriate committees Of Con-
gress."
Other Associations Interested.
Mr.. Lawson said he understood that the
various citizens associations of the District.
all of the vitality concerned in the effort to
force better car service where necessary,
will have representatives present at the
meeting ready to voice their cooperation.
Although he had not heard officially from
the presidents of these associations, he I'M
derstood that they are all giving the matter
their earnest consideration. DR.. Welles, the
mayor of Hyattsville, will take part in the
effort that Is to be inaugurated, and 1t is
possible the meeting may finally be held in
the town hall of Hyattsville
1t is stated that the citizens of Brentwood,
Hyattsville Riverdale, Berwyn and Laurel
are arranging to carry their grievances
against the City and Suburban before the
Maryland legislature at its coming session
and to demand laws that will prevent them
being handled as so much wood or refuse. y
Despite their plans to go before the legisla-
ture they are arranging to give their aid to
those citizens Of the District who are espe-
cially concerned at this time.
President Kinnan of the Brookland Citi-
zens' Association is to be asked to be pres
ent at the meeting, as the citizens Of South
Brookland are said to be loud in their COM
plants against the street car service.
Mr.. Macfarland's Comment.
IF the various citizens associations of
the District of Columbia would give us
their active support to the bill that we have
been urging these last four years, the
ovcrcrowding of street cars in Washington
would be stopped said President Mac
farland Of the board of District Commits
sioners this morning Under the present
laws we have no power to fix penalty for
failures on the part of the railroad COM
panies to run enough cars. law without
penalty is no better than no law. I'm
less you can put a man in jail or fine him
and make him pay the fine when he vio-
lates the law, he is not going to have very
much respect for that law. Now, If the
people of the District will only urge the
senators and representatives whom they
know to pass that bill of ours, we will be
able to furnish Washington with car ser
vice that no city would be ashamed to ex-
hfbit. Heretofore we have been helped, but
not helped enough by the citizens asso-
Citations. They have signed petitions. but
that is not enough. Petitions are all right
In their way, but they do not go far enough
to do much good. 1t is a mistake to think
that the Board of Commissioners has not
done all in its power to better present con-
ditions of street car traffic here In this
city We have threatened, pleaded and
argued in vain. but the men running the
lines knew that we could not hurt their
pocketbooks or persons If they failed to
obey the law, so went on as they had done
just as they plea