Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-11-06
JUDGES FAVOR ANIMD FOR BOTH TRANSFER BILL bDPANG NRDM
Measured M on lGrhrCo II
Ug
HARySrE
o to Enforced yTnmT That
Attorney Says Proposed Meas
ure Is Improperly Drawn.
WOULD NOT STAND TEST
Thinks All Points Of Transfer Should
Be Specified.
FINDS FOUR FATAL DEFECTS
Law Which Could Not Be Enforced.
He Argues, Would Be Worse
Than None at All.

Four reasons why the universal trans
| fer bill drawn by the conference of citi-
zens' associations will not hold water are
given in a lengthy and adverse report to
| the conference on that proposed measure
by Alfred E. Wood. an attorney to whom
the bill was submitted by the members
Of the conference for close study. So
many specific faults are found with the
bill by Mr.. Wood that there hardly seems
| to be left shred which would meet with
the favor of a legislative expert.
| Briefly the objections to the bill by the
attorney are that 1t is drawn in general
| terms, instead Of requiring transfers at
specific points; 1t confines its operative
force to lines which intersect only: the
provision for a transfer on a transfer
would be looked upon as unreasonable.
and that the penalty for violation Of the
terms should be visited upon the en-
ployer and not upon the conductor.
Drawn on Wrong Principle.
THE BILL" said Mr.. Wood. in present
ing his report, is drawn on the wrong
principle and will not stand the test OF
court. What is worth doing at all is
worth doing well, and a bill that cannot
be enforced is worse than none, because
for several years it will block the way
and prevent an adequate one from being
passed. Even IL you should decide In fa-
vor of the bill drawn i'm general terms,
| instead of naming the specific points at
| which transfers are required. the present
draft is 80 carelessly drawn that 1t would
not be upheld as penal statute. IN
which the offense to be punished must be
stated with clearness and certainty"
The report gives concrete examples of
| how passengers could ride around and
around and around the city on a. single
fare. getting transfers and keeping the
performance up all day. This, says the
report, is one of the unreasonable re-
quirements. and also states that the IAN
guage being general instead of specific a
| court could not separate the reasonable
| from the unjust. Mr. Wood believes that
| the companies could not be required to
| carry a passenger to given point by
| any but the most direct and most econ
| Omical route, and the bill he says, does
not provide for that.
| Advantage to the Public.
1t is also claimed that in listing specific
transfer points the advocates OF the bill
would have an advantage because IL one
of the points named should be held I'M
reasonable by a court, that one para
graph would be eliminated from the law.
instead of wiping out the whole thing;
| also, says the report when you go be-
fore Congress. instead of combining them
selves to general claims that a transfer
law would impose an unreasonable bur-
den, the roads would have to point out
wherein each specific requirement Is UNI
just"
The report gives two examples Of
where passenger would 1aii 10 get
,,cfa dor fhn nm
| transfer law as drafted by the conference.
These are the cases of a passenger from
Brightwood trying to go to Rock Creek
bridge. That requires transfer to an
lintersecting road. but the lines OF the
Capital Traction and the Metropolitan do
not intersect at 7th and u, but connect
and use the same track between Ith
and 9TH The other example is that
somewhere on the Metropolitan lines
| THE bill requires transfer to the CAPT.
tai Traction Company at 18th street and
PENNSYLVANIA avenue. but says nothing
about transferring him to the connecting
lie Droit Park line on 14th street."
Mr.. Wood goes into the intrfcacies
of redeeming transfers when for a
single fare passenger rides over
three lines. It is his opinion that one
great objection which would be raised
by opponents of the proposed law
would be that under the present law
and practice one Of the roads would
get nothing at all for hauling the pas
senger.
Question of Control.
Coming to the question Of whether
| or not the control of the transfer
problem should be left to the Commits
sioners or to a public utilities COM
mission. Mr.. Wood discards both sug
| gestions and offers the machinery and
experience of the interstate commerce
| commission as the finest controlling
| body of this kind in the country. He
also points out that the commission
| Is already equipped with everything
| necessary to handle matters of this
kind and can do it without expense
to the District. Another reason for
recommending the interstate commerce
| commission. as given in the report, is
that 1.-The number of lines entering the
District is likely to increase. and II
one body has jurisdiction over inter-
state passengers and another separate
| body has control of matters within
the District constant confusion and
disputes may result
That the bill as now drawn would
leave the people without the common
law remedies Of mandamus. etc. is
| also pointed out, (which is something
like starting a fight" says the report.
| armed with a popgun and leaving a
| rife at home"
| The report concludes with adverse
| criticism against the feature Of the
| proposed bill which would impose a
punishment on the conductor OF q
| street car.
Unjust to Conductors.
cit puts the workingman between
the devil and the deep sea- He is
damned If he does and damned IL he
| doesn't. II he disobeys the superin-
tendent's instructions and issues the
transfers requested by the passengers.
he finds it is charged up to him. or.
possibly he gets fired. II he refuses to
| issue the transfer he may be hailed
| into court and fined $50 or be sent to
| Jail. II you must have a penalty. i'm
pose it on the persons who have the
| power to comply or refuse, but not
upon the employe who has no choice
| In the matter"
The matter of universal transfers
will be brought up for discussion at
the Central Labor Union meeting to-
| night. The Chamber OF Commerce
| will undoubtedly discuss the matter at
| it's next meeting, and the Commission
/ ers may have a hearing on the advis-
| ability Of the proposed legislation to-
| ward the end of this week.