Evening star., 1908-01-18
VICTORY WON BY
LOCAL INTERESTS
Washington Railway and EIec-
trio Company's Directorate.
NEW BOARD CHOSEN TODAY
Polls Close at 2 O'Clock, With Re-
cess Until 5 O'Clock.
TO EFFECT AN ORGANIZATION
First Meeting Of the Kind in Five
Years-History of Vot-
ing Trust.

ing trust.
The Washington Railway and
Electric Company held its election
of directors this afternoon at the
companys offices. I4th and East
Capitol streets, and, while the
actual results will not be an
nounced until after S o'clock. it
may safely be stated that the local
interests achieved complete vic
tory and elected their entire ticket.
Four new directors were chosen
and three were reelected.
The new board includes the following:
Woodbury. Blair, Allan L. McDcrmott.
Clarence F. Norment. George II. Harries.
William Loeb. jr.. George Truesdell and
Ward Thoron. The directors whose terms
expire and retire from the board are r.
I. w. Duke of Charlottesville, Va, James
B. Lackey of New York, II. w. Fuller.
general manager Of the company, and
George w. Young.
The meeting of the directors was called
to order at o'clock this afternoon with
A. s. Worthington presiding. John B.
Larner and Thomas G. Morgan were
elected tellers and the full hour between
l and 2 o'clock was given to the cast
ing of the ballots.
ltis estimated that more than 100, 900 OF
the total of 10000 shares Of the company
were voted for the successful candidates.
OF that number the proxy committee. OF
which Charles j. Bell was chairman, Sc
cured upward of $4,000
New Board to Meet.
Chairman Worthington when declaring
the polls closed at o'clock. stated that
at least three hours would be required to
count the ballots, and recess was taken
until 5 O'Clock. At that time the newly
elected board will meet and effect at least
temporary organization.
Among the prominent stockholders pres
ent at the meeting were all of the can
didates for the board of directors Charles
j. Bell, J. J. Darlington, c. C. Glover and
Adds B. Browne.
While the election was really that OF
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. the stockholders of the corpora
tionS subsidiary to that company were
also among the voters. The ticket was
the same In each case. however. and di-
rectors elected for the larger company
will serve all interests concerned.
The other companies taking part in the
election were: Anacostia and Potomac
River Railroad Company. Brightwood
Railway Company. City and Suburban
Railway of Washington. Georgetown and
Tenleytown Railroad Company, Washing
ton and Glen Echo Railroad Company.
Washington and Rockville Railway Com
pany Washington, Woodside and Forest
Glen Railway and Power Company, the
Potomac Electric Power Company and the
Great Falls Power Company.
First Of Kind in Five Years.
The meeting of the stockholders today is
the first Of the kind in five years. During
that period a voting trust has existed and
annually the stock was voted in one block.
The forms of corporate elections were OBJ
served, but the great body of stockhold-
ers representing the ownership of fifteen
millions of stock did not appear except
through the proxy of the voting trust.
The latter form of control ceased last
July, exactly completing the five years
named as the period of the trust. Owing
to the steady increase i'll the earnings OF
the company. II was not necessary TO
make use of the further provision that in
the event the preferred stock did not
ceve per cent cash dividends for three
consecutive years the period of the trust
might be prolonged beyond the five-year
term.
way and Electric Company is composed Of
the Metropolitan. Columbia and Great
Falls Railway companies, and In addi-
tion it controls. through stock ownership,
the various other electrical lines which
now form the system. with total track
age of 146 miles. 1t also controls the Po-
tomac Electric Power Company, the only
electric light and power company in the
District.
Under One Management
This great system was formed by bring
ing under one corporate management d
number of the existing street railways in
this city and also two electric lighting
companies. When the railway properties
were acquired about seven or eight years
ago only two of them were on a paying
basis. but those two were highly re-
munerative. At the same time they were
not furnishing the street car facilities
needed in the rapidly growing outlying
sections of the city, and the establishment
of suburban roads. as they were called I'm
those days, began for the purpose of
supplying the need
The lines in question were managed en-
tirely independent of each other. relying
on the receipts from territory covereu to
supply the operating expenses and fixed
charges. In only two cases did t4ey ..ave
access to the central portion of the city
and as of course. there were no transfer
arrangements with the lines occupying
the streets within the old limits of the
city the public using the lines that ter
minated at the bounds of the city were
landed far from their places of business,
which could be reached by street car only
by paying another fare.
Service Poor and Inadequate.
Under these conditions. and also owing
to the progress of the development of the
sections which the lines entered, there
was not an instance of these lines earn
ing much more then barely the expenses
of operation. The service was poor and
Inadequate and there was always the
prospect that 1t would cease altogether
owinr IN the lack of Sufficient revenue
The plan of combining all the roads into
one system to be operated under one man
agement was conceived and appealed so
forcibly to men who had control OF ample
funds i'm New York city that the process
of buying the properties from the stock.
holders began and was continued until
everything of the sort within the District
and also some lines running into Mary
land were acquired, with the exception OF
the lines which were then and are now