The Montgomery advertiser., 1908-07-08
MASS MEETING SUGGESTED FOR SOUTH MONTGOMERY.
  Depot Service and south Montgomery Service are Under Fire. Manager Ragiand Says Present Service is Temporary Because of
 Street Improvements.

Because of recent far-reaching chan ges in the service of the Montgomery Traction Company there is widespread dissatisfaction, and a mass meeting to adopt a plan of action to improve 1t has been suggested by citizens of South Montgomery.
 The compalints are directed in par ticular at two features of the service. First. the poor service given by one car from Court Square to the depot and second the inferior service which the people served by the Cloverdale and Perry street line have to contend.
 The most of the complaint has come from the South Montgomery people and in casting about for ways and means the suggestion has been made that a mass meeting should be held and the case presented by the people of that section of the city to the City Council. The South Montgomerians say that they have no hope that the ser vice will be improved by the compa- ny of it's own volition and the only prospect for relief is some action by the City Council.
 The travelling public has been bit- ter in it's criticism of the service to and from the depot. It is generally accepted that the Montgomery man must allow himseif a full margin or one hour in which to leave home and catch train. Complaints have come to the Advertiser that men who al- lowed themselves an hours margin but had to transfer missed their train.
 The following is q sample of the many complaints which have come to The Advertiser office:
 "As at present operated, the Traction Company's recently inaugurated shut tie service between court square and the union station is an abominable makeshift, and how 1t could ever have been considered by any Intelligent per son is deep mystery. Forty-hve minutes to reach the depot, Just in time to catch a train leaving the city, from a corner but i've blocks diatant from court square, must appeal 10 the most contented mind as a joke. to say noth- ing of the uncertainty of making the train. yet it took all of this for the writer to get down to the station re- gently. Upon returning to the city the shuttle car was stopped for several minutes coming to the square in order that any elusive nickel might not es- cape the company's watchful represen- tative. Added to this delay twelve minutes were consumed before the con- meeting car put in an appearance. and by the time the new conductor got the transfer slip 1t was perspiring about as much as It's recent possessor. Is there no remedy by which the people of the city may enjoy better service and more thoughtfuiness on the part of the street car management, or must we en- rich the hack lines with the improba- bility of participating in it's divi- dends7"
 Radical changes were made in the service of the company a month ago. Before that, all Oak Park. Cloverdale and Court street cars went to the Union Station. Under the change these cars were stopped from going to the depot. and 6 shuttle car was put on with "a come when 1t can" schedule. The Cloverdale and the Court street lines two of the longest lines of the city were combined. Under. the old service there were three Cars on the Court street line and three on the Cloverdale line. making a total of six.
 Two of these cars were abolished. saving the salaries of the motormen and conductor. Four ears were made to do the service which six had been doing.
 In the rush hours the service has been completely swamped. Residents of South Montgomery have declared that they have waited forty live min utes at Court Square for a car. wait of thirty minutes is nothing un- usual
 Two lines reach into the most thickiy popuAALc0 pOTtiOub Ol tne Clty. De- tween o'clock in the afternoon and 8 o'clock in the evening 1t Is practi- cally impossible to get standing room !n the cars. Men have been known to walk more than a mile to avoid the fight and scramble for a place to stand on the homeward bound cars.
 Tn discussing the situation and the complaints which had been made Gen eral Manager W. H. Ragland of the Traction Company said:
 ''rhe situation is unfortunate but 1t cannot well be avoided. The extensive street Improvements under which Hull street has been torn up for the past month has made 1t necessary for us to make change in tho service. The present service against which the com plaints are made is not permanent. It is arranged to serve as we'll as 1t can while the street Improvements are going on. We appreciate the situa-