The Washington times., 1910-07-11
Suburban Residents Refuse
to Visit Stores Because of
Discomfort in Travel.
REALTY MARKET
is ALSO AFFECTED
Persistent Complaints Result In
Bringing Out of Few Sum-
mer Cars

That the campaign being UaEed by
the people Of Washington for better
street car service IS beginning 20 bear
fruit is becoming apparent
NOtwithstandiug the fact that General
EsFries. general manager of the Wash
ingt0n Railway and Electric COMPANY
has announced that he was unaware Of
dissatisfaction on the part OF patrons N
his road, and the refusal Of both COM
panies 10 take the public into their con-
hdence, il IS becoming apparent that The
traction companies are at last awaken
ing to the really enormous extent Of the
protest which is going up In every part
Of the city
LITTLE less than AZ week ago there
we're ten mythical open cars being
operated on the NJ Pleasant lire Of
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company Superintendent lIOneJ as
SUred The Times -hat his schedule
called for ten cars on that line. and lie
was sure they were IN operation.
Open Cars Brought Out.
Neither The Times nor Secretary Ed
dy, Of the District Railway Commits
sion, was able 10 locate the ten cars.
and neither The Times nor secretary
EDDY hesitated 10 call attention TO that
fact
Il may he a mere coincidence but
it is an interesting fact. nevertheless,
that today the ten open cars, together
with one CT TWO more are being oper-
ated on that line
The cars are the oldest and most
dilapidaJed open cars 10 be found in
The city II run al high speed for one
entire block they bound like snip
At sea-but they are open cars, and
TN CuSEouI the hot day and evening
yesterday they were far better patron
lied than were the closed cars on the
same line
The Times has called attenson, from
time 10 time TO the fact that among
the large number Of letters received,
were many 10 the effect that down
town business was being injured and
that suburban residents had IN some IN
stances sold their homes because OF
poor car service. and many others
threaten TO do 50 unless there IS an I'M
provement- Additional proof Of tins
feeling among the suburban residents
was received in this morning. mail
These letters are but further evidence
that the issue at Stake Involves i'tr
more than the comfort of street car
passengers and the stubborn attitude OF
the street car officials It IS 1eSinn-n-S
10 involve the business ~ dow nLoHn
merchants. for many letters nave 9een
received from women VINO assert l-is
they viii not go shopping because OF
the CIS-uUfcrtS they are cellpei-e- 10
endure in the closed street cars
The Times has already reproduced
number Of letters from suburban. resi-
dents who are seriously considering
moving into the CITY 80 they can walk
10 and from tlei- WORK
This is the business side Of the con-
troverSy which is now being carried
on between the traction companies
There Is a pathetic side Every one
knows that mothe-s, in previous ears.
esfeut many nickel TO give LLeif
children the cool nTeezes W-icn are %
he found ir an oven car Every mar
ried man with family who Is not
fortunate enough 10 own an 1Utomo-
bile knows that an open street car
On hot nights
CrippIes Made to Suffer
Few realize that there is another
class Of people In Washington who
are suffering because the two trac-
ton companies refuse to operate open
cars on all the lines in the city The
attention Of The Times was called to
this class in a forclbIe manner in a
letter received in this mornings mail
There are hundreds Of poor creatures.
writes one protestant, '-rhar have never
been able TO leave their homes since
they put those p A Y p cars on for
Ct IS physical luuosSibiIi-v for a lame
crippled or very aged OF VaraIErIC per-
con TO set on one of them. To my own
knowledge there are about 90 people
with loCouotor-ataNis in this CITY who
cannot climb upon one Of those awful
high steps, and I DO know THAT SEE-
ERAL FAMILIES HAVE 3 r + y
FORCED FOR THIS REASON To
LEAVE THE CITY ENTIRELY BE-
CAUSE ONE OR TWO MEMBERS or
THEIR FAMILIES COULD NOT GET
OUT AT ALL
81 surely know this. because 7 am a
cripple myself. I should think the
Board OF Trade would have something
10 say about II. Let US hear from
them
Protest Twelve Feet Long
General Tfarries viii have no diff
Gulty in assuring himself that there s
g very decided sentiment against the
eperaton Of closed cars in the District
- Columbia If he viii step around 70
the Offices Of the District Railway Com
mission
General Harries Is mentioned because
Re has been quoted TO the effect that
h. had no knowledge that the patrons
Of his company were dissatisfied