The Washington herald., 1909-04-08
new TYPE OF CARS
FAVORED BY BOARD
Railway Commission Advises
Some Changes.
REPORT BY SECRETARY EDDY
Pny-ns-yOu-enter Eiectrics Are OBJ
jects OF Exhaustive Discussion.
Notifications of Seats and Mode OF
Exit Are Regarded Desirable.

Pay-as-you-enter cars Of the Capital
Traction Company were the subject Of an
exhaustive report submitted TO the Dis
trict electric railway commission by Sec
retary H. C. Eddy at the boards meet
| ine yesterday afternoon. The report IA
vors the new type Of car. with mOGihca-
items regarding the longitudinal seats and
mode of exit.
The report was forwarded TO the IN
terstate Commerce Commission by the
board. with special recommendation that
notice be taken OF the objections TO
/ longitudinal seats.
| OvercrOwding OF local traction cars was
matter discussed at length at the meet
ing Of the board A letter from the
assistant United States district attorney
was read. saying that prosecutions for
Iovercrowding would be instituted in the
near future.
/ Secretary Eddy has. by direction Of the
commission, placed a large amount OF
evidence before the district attorney. and
after investigation this evidence was
found TO be satisfactory. and will be the
/ basis for future action. Additional eyi-
dence is now being gathered by Mr.
Eddy
/ Cross Seats Preferable.
/ The report on pay-as-you-enter cars
states that in the opinion Of Secretary
Eddy. after due Investigation the new
/ type Of car is q long step In the right
direction toward che solution Of success
/ fui street car operation in the interest
OF the companies. as well as the public
l He also says cross seats would be pre-
ferabie 20 the longitudinal ones.
| or twenty-four communications re-
| ceived by the commission regarding the
! pay-as-you-enter cars, nineteen were un-
! favorable 10 the cars in question. OF this
| number. only seven OF the writer's were
unfav0rable 90 the pay-as-you-enter prin-
! cipe, but practically all were adverse TO
the cars being equipped with longitudinal
eats extending the entire length OF the
I car, the unanimous verdict Of the COM
plainants being I'm favor Of the cross sec
\ tiCn seats used in the double-truck
closed cars in service for some time on
I the Fourteenth street line.
I Many Of the correspondents objected
TO being compelled 10 use only the front
I exit. says the report, and complaints of
CrOWdinE and lack OF ventilation ara
numerous The character OF the exit
doors is the subject Of much complaint.
| several writer's calling attention 70 the
motorman and passengers being Gagged
Z IN the cars should an accident occur. The
fact that the seating capacity Of these
! cars is less than that OF the other cars
/ operated on this line is also commented
upon.
Replies 40 CrisiciEms.
Tt is the purpose Of this report says
Mr. Eddy. TO reply 10 the criticisms re-
ceived and point out what appears to the
writer 20 be the undesirable. as well as
the desirable features OF the cars in ques-
tion. particularly so far as the public
welfare and interest are concerned. It
is also my purpose to compare these cars
with others OF the pay-as-y -yoU-enter type
which are being operated I'm other cities"
Mr. Eddy then declares that practically
ali Of the communications received by the
commission refer 20 the OverCrowding OF
the cars during certain hours, and ex-
press the opinion that this IS a general
cause Of inconvenience which has nos
been relieved. but perhaps rather in
/ creased by the pay-as-you-enter type Of
car.
The report SAYS that a letter received
from the pay-as-you-enter car corpora
tion. relative 10 the various types Of
these cars used, declares that the cars
operated in Washington are the best
types Of this car in use anywhere
\ brief history OF the p. a. Y r. cars
is then given by Secretary Eddy. Il IS
shown that cars Of this general type are
( in operation IN Montreal Chicago. New
I
waukee. Portland, Greg. Columbus. Ohio.
philadelphia. Cleveland. Kansas City. Des
I MOines. and Washington. and that COM
panies in other cities are considering the
advisability Of introducing the same type
/ Of cars.
Types in other cities.
Secretary Eddy saws that he wrote 10
many cities where the new type Of car
is used. and learned that IN the majority
I Of cases the cars are euipped with the
cross seats, and a short longitudinal seat
at either end In Des Moines the cars
are equipped with cross seats on one side
and a longitudinal seat on the other run
ming the entire length OF the car II was
also learned by means Of this correspond
ence that In the majority Of cities where
p. A. Y. F. cars are used both rear and
forward exits are used
A traction expert for thu city Of Chi
cago commended to Mr. Eddy the new
type OF car. saying il was a great advan-
tage 10 the companies as well as the
public. and had diminished the number Of
car accidents appreciably.
4 description Of the cars Ia use In the
District follows. and the secretary then
declares IN favor Of cross seats, sliding
doors at front and rear, and "A larger plat
form He recommends that the sign.
Pay as you enter" be placed conspicu-
Ously on the dasher Of the car instead of
in the vestibule. where It Obstructs the
view Of the mOtOrman. He also recon-
mends that passengers be allowed 10 leave
the ears by both the front and rear exits,
especially when the cars are crowded.
Causes of Accidents.
The report Is favorable 10 the new cars.