Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-07
COMMITTEE FOR NEAR STOP
Adopts Resolution Favoring Car
Service Change.
wATTLEs FOR PRESENT PLAN
Executive Committee Holds PubIic
safety Would he Conserved BY
ChanEe--CItcs other cities
Expericnccs.

After nine month"; elaboration and fol-
lowing a ftuitless conference Tuesday
with President @. W. Wsttles and As
sistant General Manager Leuss,cr Of the
street Railway company, the executive
committee Of the Commercial club re-
lterated It's desire to have street cars
stop on the near side Of the street by
adoption OF the following resolution:
1T Is the sense Of the executive com
mittee Oh the Commercial club that the
interests OF public safety and convenience
viii be conserved by stopping street cars
on ali paved streets on the near side OF
streets and bOulevards instead OF on the
far side, as at present practiccd."
On authority OF the executive com
mittecs Of the Commercial club, follow
ing street car collision last February,
the pubic service corporation committee
Of the club took up with the street car
company the matter OF stopping on the
near side. The company sud all It's data
showed the far side to be the best place
TO stop so the club committee wrote to
the street car companies. mayors and
commercial bodies Of thirty large cities
from Atlantic 10 Pacific, few OF them
IN Canada, asking what the practice was
in their cities and .heir opinions as TO It's
deFirabnlty.
Replies we're received from all thirty.
and the committee reported that in
thirteen cities the cars are stopped on
the near side as a general rule; in thr-
teen the cars stopped on the far side In
the outlying districts, but on the near
side In the business district and at all
crossings; while In only four are the Cars
stopped as a rule on tho far side. Some
- 81
near side, among them tho Kansas City
company. which said, IN letter to the
Kansas City mayor, sent BY him TO
Omaha:
Your ordinance In effect in this city
requires the street car company TO stop
cars on the FAR side OF street crossings
ln general. The company considers that
u places them at a disadvantage 10 90
this and also increases the liaDility OF
accidents. The company would welcome
an ordinance to permit all ears to stop
ON the near side,
Compel Near stops
In Chicago. according to the traction
expert OF the company In that city, a
police order compels cars TO stop on the
near side. The order caused confusion
Tor few days, said the expert. but the
company is now well satisfied with the
arrangement.
Messrs Wattles and Leussler were
guests OF the executive committee at lunch
Tuesday Their data did not agree with
that collected by the club committee.
They maintained that cars stop on the
far side In most cities OF the country.
They submitted a letter from the street
car company Of Portland. ore. saying
that discussion OF the subject at a
81
Pacific coast brought out the fact thai
some companies had tried both plans
and finally settled on the near side
while about as many had tried both plans
and finally chose the far side.
would LesscA Collisions.
Mr.. Loussler said the company desires
to have as few collisions as possible
and does have fewer than any system of
like size IL the United States OF 1872
collisions In Omaha. he said. only thIr-
teen involved The question OF. near and
far aide. or the whole number, fifty
one happened between intersections. fifty
eight were at intersections where a stop
was not contemplated. anu thirteen were
at intersections where cars were about
to stop. Instead OF decreasing the mum.
Der Of accidents, he argued, stopping OH
the near side would Increase them. FOR.
people would run In front OF the car
and be In the way when II started again.
Tine Commercial club says the 6hjeh-
ton TO the far side would be Increased
II the McArdle law were enforced This
law is TO prohibit vehicles passing cars
while they stop to let of or take on
passengers. The executive committees
resolution win be sent to the officials
OF the company.
T. A. Fry Is chairman OF the public
service eorpor alton committee OF the
club and the other membe~s are: f.
A. Benson. q. +. Brucker W. A.. DE
Bord. H. II. Fish. Paul w. Ruhns. 2.
T. Lindsey. H. c. Peters and y, DO f.