Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-22
CITIZENS TO PROTEST
Service on the City and Sub
urban Car Line.
ALLEGED CONDITIONS
PASSENGERS SAID TO BE SUBJECT.
ED TO ovERcRowDING.
Mass Meeting to Be Held in Early
Future to Prepare an Appeal
to Congress.
SAID TO BE SUBJEC.
ED TO ovERcRowDING.

A mass netting of patrons of the City
and Suburban car line Is being arranged
for. the time and place to be announced
in a few days. when the alleged overcrowd-
ing of cars and lack Of consideration shown
to patrons Of the hne will be considered.
An editorial in The Star of yesterday on
this question has given encouragement to
those who have been contemplating such
a meeting. 1t Is proposed to hold the meet
ing at some accessible point, probably on
Sunday.
The men and women who hang on to
straps or to seats or to each other flom
Berwyn to Washington and from Wash
ington to Berwyn day after day, as Is
claimed, and put UP with every !nconveni-
ence possible in street car unaccornmoda-
tdon," have been much disheartened by the
recent letter of the District Commissioners
to Maj. 8. M. Gaines of the Treasury. that
they are unable to do anything by reason
of lack of power over the street car COM
pany. While there is a disposition to be-
Heve, on the part OF many, that the DIS
trict Commissioners law or no law, could
exert sufficient power over the street car
lines to compel proper treatment of pas-
sengers, there Is said to be no longer hope
for anything in that direction and the peo-
pie propose to get together. pass suitable
resolutions addressed to Congress and ap-
point a strong committee to go before the
District committees of Congress as often as
necessary and represent the situation as
they believe it exists. They confidently
believe that the outcome will be such law
by Congress as will compel the car Lines
to afford better accommodations
The idea Of Sunday mass meeting prob
ably to be held at the District line, II a
suita BILE hall can be secured there, has been
well received by people along the line, ana
the promise already is that there will be
big outpouring.
Mr.. Lawson's Views.
A. NJ Lawson, president Of one of the
largest northeastern citizens suburban as
sociations, is at work, along with others.
on the project. He said to a Star reporter
today: Our outrageous treatment has
gene SO far that the patrons of the line
tell me they will be pleased to be present
at a mass meeting on Sunday or any other
day. On Sunday, however. the men VINO.
packing and other inconsderate treatment
are able to show by their presence that
they are in hearty sympathy with any
movement that means better accommoda-
tons. We pay our car fares on Sunday,
and after doing so hang out on the back
ends of platforms or anywhere else. and L
don't suppose there would be much wrong
in expressing our views of the same car
company on the same day. Any day.
though, Will suit me.
1.-THE City and Suburban Company has
failed to take into consideration the great
growth of the suburban population along
it's line, and admits that 1t Is making money
fast The fact is that the strictly suburban
lines of that road are making SO much
money that they are able to take care of the
deficit encountered on their city lines that
parallel the lines of the other roads In
order to make their money they crowd hu-
man beings into cars worse than cattle
should be- as cattle are worth dollars and
cents and cannot be crowded too much. 1t
has been impossible for years now for
man anywhere within the District line to
get a seat almost any time during the day
when he is on his way into the city, and II
he wants a seat going home at night he
must go down to 10Th and G streets and
get on the cars where they start. / have
known cars to be crowded by the time they
left the starting point
Until midnight there is nothing but pack
ing of cars on the line. I am informed that
there is Just one car run out on the line
after IL AS at night. 1t leaves at 1885, and
when 1t does get to the edge of the city 1t
is packed from end to end men standing
on the tenders and wherever they can get
something to hold to. 1t is a common sight
in the afternoon to see cars go along with
every platform filled and the rear Of the car
packed with men hanging on to the vesti-
h,11a