Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-24
BETTER RAILWAY SERVICE
CITIZENS MAKE DEMAND UPON
FALLS CHURCH COMPANY.
Commuters Form an Organization.
Meetings at Falls Church ana
Rosslyn, Respectively.

the Washington, Arlington and Falls
| Church railway was much discussed in
| Virginia last night. Two meetings of citi-
| zens were held. and active steps were taken
by each assemblage to compel conside-a-
| ton by the company of the needs of its
| patrons The Washington, Arlington and
| Falls Church Railway Commuters AS
ISOLATION was formally organized at Falls
Church. and the Alexandria County Civic
| Federation gathered in the Monitor office.
| Rosslyn, and heard detailed report pre-
| scented by II. w. McGeorge. chairman OF
the committee on railroads and lagisla-
| ton.
| According to plans which had been pre-
| pared in advance by committee on or
| ganiZation, a large number OF interested
! citizens from Fairfax. Vienna, Robey
Falls Church, Glencarlyn, Baltston' Claren-
don. Veitch's Summit, Fort Myer, Airing
ton or Columbia Pike and other places
along the lines Of the w. A and F. G.
| railway met in Knights of Pythias Hail
| Falls Church. H. A. Fellows acted as
chairman and called the meeting to order.
and Charles "A. Stewart was chosen as tenn
| porary secretary.
| The constitution as drafted by the COM
! mittee was discussed at length before it
| was finally accepted. and the Washington.
| Arlington and Falls Church Commuters
| Association became an actually: Some ut
| tie objection was made to the title by per
| sons VINO are commuters OIi Tie IL
| railroad. but it was pointed out that the
| whole movement had its inception because
| of the recent disastrous wreck on the line
| of the Washington. Arlington and Falls
Church railway, and the matters most
| needing attention at the present time relate
| to traffic and other conditions on that road
| Attorney r. c. L. Moncure and Harry c.
! Birge who have been especially active in
! paving the way for the formation Of the
| association. assured the steam railroad
| patrons that the influence of the organiza-
| ton would be brought to bear upon ques-
! lions of interest to them whenever occasion
demanded and with this the opposition to
| the suggested title was withdrawn. and 1t
| was adopted.
Central Organization.
According to the provisions Of the con-
stitution. the central organization of the
| association will be composed of representa-
! tives delegates from a number of branch
| associations, one such body being planned
| for each town and hamlet on the line of
| the railway. Each association will be en-
titled to one delegate in the parent body
| for every fifty members. and final action
| upon any question will be within the prov
| ince of the central organization. Branch
| associations with twenty-five more MEM
I bers may affiliate with the central body
upon application. The governing board will
| hold meeting each month, and 1t will be
arranged that these meetings will be
held in each of the towns a.ong the line
! in turn. For the financial support of the
movement the constitution provides that
the branch associations shall collect 30
/ cents per annum from each member one
half of which sum snail be turned into
the central treasury.
In defining the qualifications necessary to
| secure membership in the organization the
constitution specifies that negroes, persons
with passes and persons under sixteen years
! of age shall not be eligible.
Much interest was manifested by the
large gathering in the report made by At
| torney Moncure upon the work of the or
ganIza ton committee and upon the action
of other leading spirits in the movement on
| important questions which have arisen out
| of the public agitation following the recent
| wreck. Mr.. Moncure described the ohser-
| walton trip over the line, which was con-
Quoted for the benefit of Commissioner
Stewart of the state corporation comm s.
| sion, and he said he expected to receive
| the decision and report of the commission
almost any day. When i. is received. Mr..
| Moncure said. it will be submitted to COM
| muters all along the line without delay.
Delayed by Absence of Attorney.
Concerning the delay by the company in
carrying into effect the orders of the state
| commission, issued under date of May 16,
regarding changes in the schedule and
other improvements MIR. Moncure said the
! matter has been permitted to go over until
September because of the absence of at
torneys for the railway company. When
| they return the questions will be taken up
| again before the commission.
Other demands of the commuters. which it
| is expected will be put into effect by the
| commission, contemplate the retirement by
December 81, 1907. of all small single truck
closed cars now in operation on the line;
! the retirement by June /, 1865, OF all single
truck open cars and the provision of ade-
quate power for the line that all cars
may make special time. The problem of the
alleged discrimination against the Ro5slyn
| line will also be brought up for considera-
ton.
Following the adoption of the constitu-
| ton of the general organization by the mass
| meeting, Falls Church people adopted the
constitution for the local organization in
! that town and elected officers follows
! Harry A. Fellows. president; Thomas G.
| Hodgson. vice president; Charles A. Stew
| arr, secretary; George w. Hawxhurst,
| tr. aTurer, and Harry G. Blrge, delegate to
| the governing board.
Meeting in Rosslyn.
| The Alexandria County Civic Federation
! met last night in Rosslyn, as stated, and
| discussed the unsatisfactory service of the
| Falls Church electric road. The report sub
| mitted by the chairman of the committee
on railroads and legislation. Mr.. H. w.
| McGeorge, that 1t had met on call of Presi-
dent Welburn at his office in Ballston i'm
mediately after the recent wreck near the
courthouse After consideration of the facts
| obtainable they adopted resolutions, al
ready published in The Star. and sent them
| by R. c. l.. Moncure, a member of the
| committee to the corporation commission
| at Richmond Mr. Moncure presented the
| resolutions directed. and when Commits
! sioner Stuart, in response to the general
, call for relief had come to go over the road
| and examined it's equipment and operation
! Mr.. Moncure had accompanied him.
| Reports from the local organizations as
to whether the people Of the several COM
! munities represented preferred that the
road run a through schedule from Fairfax
| and Falls Church to Rosslyn. or to 18th
| and C streets northwest in this city, were
| heard, and Ballston, Clarendon and FIT
| Myer Heights were unanimously in favor
| of the Rosslyn schedule so far as public
| sentiment had been ascertained. Glen
| Carlyn was not prepared to make report
! In talking over the schedule actually in
| operation a Ballston delegate said it
seemed to be very irregular. He had
| started home recently from Rosslyn, and
! after his car had been held half an hour
| at Clarendon junction the conductor whose
| car was to take them on said he would
! have to run back to 18th and c before he
| could go on out the road. One Of the pas
sengers overheard this and told him he
would do nothing of the kind The passen-
! ger then called to the others and told them
| to get aboard the and they would go
| on home. The conductor put his arms
10 cniI in,