The Washington herald., 1911-11-13

Since October I, 1909, forty-eight
cases of alleged violation of street car
regulations have been filed in the Po-
lice Court in accordance with law, but
practically none of them has been pros
ecuted. Although the number is an
average of only two cases 8 month, the
statement is made by Assistant Dis
trict Attorney Ralph Given that it will
be necessary to employ special counsel
to prosecute the Interstate Commerce
Commission cases, and he will request
District Attorney Wilson to ask the
Attorney General to make this appoint
ment
COMPLAINS OF INACTIoN.
More than a year ago the Interstate
Commerce Commission addressed a let
ter TO the Attorney General calling at
tention to the fact that owing to the
celay in prosecutions several cases had to
be nolle pressed, inasmuch as the wit
nesses had left the city. A number of
cases then pending were cited and the
commission requested that they be acted
upon. This letter did not however, ac-
complish any result Complaints from
the police department charging viola
tions OF the speed limit law have re-
suited in some convictions Of the Offend
ing motormen.
The law requiring the Interstate Com
merce Commission to prescribe regula-
tons and TO enforce them through action
by the United States attorney for the
District of Columbia, has been on the
statute books for three and one-half
years. In that time only two regulations
have been actually tested by court pro-
ceedings One Of these relates to the
overcrowding of cars and the other to the
limit of speed at which cars may be
operated in the District The first reg
ulation was declared imperative by the
Police Court, a decision which later was
affirmed by the Court of Appeals
Asks Additional Attorney.
Declaring that the Office OF the district
attorney is unable with its present stan
10 handle the work sent down by the
electric railway commission in addition
10 its other duties, Assistant District At
torney Ralph Given, who is charged with
the duty Of handling such cases, yester-
day announced that he would ask District
Attorney Clarence R. Wilson to take I'm
the matter with the Attorney General.
Mr.. Given believes an additional sttor-
ney should be authorized by the De-
Tartment of Justice to give exclusive At
tention to the prosecution of violations
Of the regulations governing the opera
tion Of street railway cars in the Dis
trict.
The prosecution, Of offenders AGAINST
the street railu-aV
taken out of the district attorneys Of
nee. in so far as the present staff is con-
cerned," said Mr.. Given. We do the
best we can under the circumstances.
but the additional work is more than
we can properly handle The people have
no idea Of the time necessary to be con-
sumed in the preparation and prosecu
ton OF a case against a street railway
corporation.
Two Cases Set for Tuesday.
IF once we could get after these
complaints and secure convictions in q
couple Of cases I think a great many
similar cases in which information have
been filed would settle themselves with
only the formality Of a police court trial
We have two cases against street
railway companies set for trial Tues-
day. One is for having an inoperativa
wheel guard and the other for having
an imperative fender. These cases have
been pending for some time. Before the
summer vacation the attorneys agreed
to bring their respective Corporations
into court this fall. They have agreed
to do this next Tuesday. II we win
these cases it is possible they NAV be
carried to the court OF appeals by the
corporations. II We win out on the an
peal think the railway companies win
plead guilty to between fifteen and
twenty like cases now pending.
For Public Utilities Commission.
The District electric railway Commits
Son should have an attorney exclusively
1t Its disposal for the prosecution of these
cases Obviously the most natural solu-
uon Of the difficulty would be found in
puohc utilities commission, such as the