Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-01-12
BETTER CAR SERVICE
Demand Made by Residents of
the Suburbs.
BIG MASS MEETING HELD
Matter to Be Brought to Attention Of
Congress.
LOCAL COMPANY CRITICISED
Resolutions Unanimously Adopted
Outlining the Grievances
of Patrons.

we can depend on"
That was apparently the unanimous SEN
timent of citizens mass meeting held at
the Masonic Temple last night. 1t was a
| meeting unusual for the number and promf-
nence Of its speakers and for the wide geo
graphical range from which the audience
was drawn. The cry was directed wholly
against the suburban service Of the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Company, and
the comments the management were
| many and bitter. Officials of the road were
criticised by name, and there was not one
of the speakers who did not have personal
experiences to tell of car trouble and what
was termed atrocious service that would
scarcely be tolerated in any flfth-rate city
in the country.
1t was a kickers' meeting, all the speak
ers and the management admitted that
But 1t had something more to offer than
kicks. Leo B. Harlow, the counsel OF the
Commuters Protective Association OF Alex
andria, told of the fight that the people
living in Alexandria and working in Wash
ington had made against the Washington,
Alexandria and Mount Vernon line, and
how they had won; how from one of the
worst and most unsatisfactory electric lines
In the country 1t had been made one of the
best of the short interurban lines. He I'M
folded his experience in the fight and said
that he, personally, and the protective as
anything in their power to help the Wash
ington suburbanites in their fight.
Committee Proposed.
There was the usual set of resolutions
passed with unanmity and enthusiasm ap-
pointing a committee to carry the fight of
the suburbantes to the District committee
in Congress as the only place where relief
could be had, and the committee promised
n Stav in the fight fill II was won
But there was another suggestion made
that has not been common in Washington
mass meetings, and which If adopted by all
the aggrieved ones will go far to fastening
the attention of Congress on the situation.
Mr.. A. l.. Hughes of the Brightwood C1ti-
zens' Associate said the people can make
itself felt In Congress by working indtvldu-
ally.
at so happens" said he, in the course of
his remarks, that nearly all of you have
residence and a vote in some state OF the
Union. Now let every man, and woman
too, for that matter, go to his or her repre-
sentative in Congress and to the senators
from his state, and put the matter to them,
personally. Get them, II possible, to come
out and take ride on the suburban line
complained Of and they will never want to
take another till the management is chang
ed. Get them preferably to go out about
4:3O In the afternoon or come IN about IN
the morning and after one of them has
broken leg riding on the bumper In the
rear. or contracts pneumonia from riding
on the fender in front, he may die, but he
will try not to die till he has had a whack
at the railway company And that is what
we are after.
The platform was occupied by a number
Of prominent citizens. W. G. Henderson,
ex-president of the North Capitol and Eek
ington Citizens Association, was chairman.
With him were A. r. Server, president of
the same association: E. A. M. Lawson of
the Northeastern and Suburban Association
F. B. Metzerott Of the Berwyn Citizens
Association, F. Mosby Williams, chairman
of the railway committee Of the East WASH
ington Citizens Association; w, NICK. Clay
ton president of the Brightwood Citizens
Association; F. 8. Carmody, chairmay of
the Northeast and st. Georges Associa-
ton; Charles G. Lancaster, president of
the Northwest and Suburban Association;
E. s. Sowerbutts, secretary of the North
east Washington Association: s. D, Cald-
well of Bethesda Park, A. l.. Hughes of
Brentwood, Md; Joseph Mtllard of the
ner Of Washington and Kensington, Md;
Prof. L. L. Hooper Of Cathedral Heights
and O. A. Emmons of Congress Heights.
Resolutions Adopted.
The temper of the whole meeting was ex-
messed in the resolutions which were in
troduced by Mr.. Server in the course Of his
speech, seconded by Mr.. Clayton, and
adopted by a unanimous vote. They read:
.-rne right of assembly and the right of
petition crossed the ocean together when
freemen seeking free homes in the west
ern continent, laid them broad and deep
for all time as the foundation stones of
American democracy. The wrong of the
citizen unredressed becomes the wrong of
the state, and so believing We, the citizens
and taxpayers of the District Of Columbia
and the state of Maryland. residing along
the suburban lines of railway controlled and
operated by the Washington Railway and
Electric Company in mass meeting assem-
bled, this eleventh day of January, nine
teen hundred and six, present the following
statement of grievances against the man
agement Of said lines by the above named
corporation:
1.-The Washington Railway and Electric
Company, as the successor of various COM
panies operated within the District Of Co
lumbia and the state of Maryland, in ex-
change for the gift of the peoples prop
erty In franchise rights aggregating many
millions of dollars, promised and solemnly
covenanted with the peoples representa-
tives to do certain things set forth at
length in the charters so obtained. Among
these agreements were to run cars over
said suburban lines as often as public
convenience should require, all time tables
and schedules of said lines to be approved
by the District Commissioners, and to pro-
vide and operate rolling stock over said
lines Of the latest and most approved pat
term as expressly provided in said char
tiers.