The Washington herald., 1912-02-08
WOMEN OPPOSE
HIGH GAR STEP
Present Vigorous Protest
Against a Dangerous
Innovation"
TROLLEY HEADS REPLY
Representatives Of $1,000 Women
Residents Appear Before Dis
trict Railway Commission.
TROLLEY HEADS REPLY

high steps on street cars as dangerous,
inconvenIent and easily remedied IL the
companies were willing "to give more
consideration to the comfort OF their pa
| irons"
Both Clarence p. King. president Of the
| Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany. and George z. Hamilton. president
OF the Capital Traction Company, attend
ed the hearing and gave their views on
the proposed innovation. Mr.. Hamilton
said his company at the present tiIpe was
wen within the law and the innovation
OF lower steps seemed impossible at this
\ time. Mr.. King said the proposition was
new to him and he was unable to discuss
It until he had gone more fully into de-
tails.
| Big Petitions Presented.
The opening address was delivered by
Miss Elizabeth V. Brown, vice chairman OF
the wcmen's committee which begun the
crusade against the high street car step.
She presented petition signed by 5000
men and women-mostiy women-askinE
that the street car companies Of Wash
inston recognize the wishes OF the resi-
dents and change the entrances OF the
cars.
|
| drews. president Of the District Federa-
lion OF Women's Clubs, who. in the name
OF 900 members of different organiza-
/ tons, protested against the high steps
Mrs. Andrews declared the present
| steps are dangerous TO aged or feeble
| persons OF either sex. She described in
stances that had been brought to her at
| tention showing the general undesirapu-
| ity OF the steps.
Mrs. Emma Shelton. president of the
W. c. T. L., spoke in the name OF her
organization. Her statement was in line
with that OF Mrs. Andrews. Mrs GuIou
Miller, president OF the Twentieth Gen.
| tury Club, dwelt particularly on the
| high step innovation as tending to pre-
vent many persons from taking car rides
for recreation This form OF diversion,
she said. was becoming more and more
| impossible to the very persons VINO
needed It most.
DR.. Frances Foye took up the discus
sion from a hygienic standpoint me
| present type Of step, she said makes II
necessary for a woman TO grasp the iron
standposts on both sides OF the entry
and pull herself to the platform. This
wrenches the entire diaphragm. SAID Dr.
FOye, and impairs the health Of a woman
Of frail physique.
A "GymnRstic Feat"
This assertion was also made by Mrs.
Lyman b. Swormstedt. wife of a Wash
| ington physician. Mrs. Swormstedt ADDED
that the steps used on some Of the cars
were so high that many women could
not get aboard without aid. She de-
scribed the danger OF a woman in feeble
health attempting the ''gymnastic Ieat''
OF climbing a modern suburban car.
Miss Celynda Ford, president of the
7
in the protest on behalf OF her organ
Ization. She spoke particularly on behalf
of older women, who, she said, were
practically unable to negotiate the two
steps leading into the modern pay-as-
you-enter car. In conclusion, she ex-
pressed her belief that II the Interstate
Commerce Commission showed a deter
mination to remedy the high step evil''
the street car companies, rather than in
cur the hostility of washingtonlans,
would be willing to change their en-
frances.
DR.. c. c. BIrdsaI spoke on behalf Of
the homeopathists OF this city, stating
that the high step was unquestionably
danger to health on occasion and
should be remedied. DR.. Birdsall re-
ferred TO instances where women had
either been injured or narrowly escaped
accident because Of the high steps He
added that the Homeopathic Society had
unanimously adopted resolutions con-
demning the high steps.
Tale from Bridgeport.
How the State of Connecticut obtained
a law prohibiting the high car steps
was recitsd by Mrs John Sterling, Of
Bridgeport, Conn. who led the crusade
for the law now in force. She stated
that IT was entirely possible for street
railway companies to remedy the danger
OF high steps II they cared to do so.
Mrs. Francis Ransom, who last year
presented a petition on the same sub
ject signed by loo residents Of Wash
ington, was next to speak in protest
against the entrances which, she said, |
ARE becoming higher and higher as the |
years go by"
Then came Mrs. Ellen Spencer Mussey, |
president OF the Washington Law Col |
lege. who presented letters written by |
Washingtonians giving instances OF the |
evils of the high car steps. Mrs. Mus
sey read one missive in which the writer |
traced the recurrence of an attack OF |
sciatica to the high steps The strain |
upon the legs caused by the unusually |
high step, said the writer. had directly af- |
fected the sciatic nerve and caused a |
long and painful illness. Another woman /
slated that the high steps had caused |
her TO fall on the platform Of car re-
Gently ana only Ine neTe6t accident pre- L
vented serious injury.
Continuing, Mrs. Mussey said that in /
Philadelphia a three-step car is now in
use and is found to be satisfactory. She
saw no reason why a similar innovation |
could not be introduced In washingto.
A Fling at officials.
'If the oficiaIs OF the street car COM
panies." she concluded. find satisfaction
in the fact that they can cause the pub
lie this Inconvenience because they are |
well within the law we should see 10
II that the law Is changed. The anatomy
OF man and woman was made before
street cars were made, and as the anat-
omy OF man and woman is Interchangeable.
the only thing to be done Is to change /
the street cars. II II is necessary to OBJ
tain new laws in order to do this we
should seek new laws. I do not think.
however. that this will be necessary
The two commissioners. at the conclu-
sion Of the hearing explained that they
were acting as special examiners for the
Interstate Commerce Commission, to
which all the evidence will be submitted,
together with petitions and communica-
lions Of all kinds.
The commission has collected consid-
erable data on street car conditions In
other cities and win make q thorough
before making report.