Evening star., 1912-11-24

N~--
UmcerS. This matter prevailed. and
it was necessary from time 10 uhie ~
bring sharply to account those no.u.e
commissions for their neglect Oh ou.S
In The Star of November u. 1907 Is Tue
following paragraph on this suoJect.
..It is estimated that 1000 commissioned
officers are now absent from thelr req
ments without proper leave. zen. Fiai-
leck has determined to adopt the most
stringent measures to cure this laxlty OF
discipline. and all offenders will either De
ANONYMOUSLY dismissed from the service
or else tried by court-martial for deser-
ton in the face of the enemy A long
list Of names for dismissal has aireaoy
been prepared. The most comprehensive
and decisive measures are also TO De
taken for the arrest and punishment OF
deserters from the ranks"
The public had difficulty fifty years ago
adjusting to the new form Of transportation
in the streets Of Washing
Street Car ton, and particularly in the
=, matter of the paying of
AIOuulcS' fares and the obtaining OF
transfers. In The Star of November 20,
1862, Is the following on the subject:
"It is not uncommon that disagreements
occur in the street cars between the pas
sengers and Conductors, growing out OF
various causes Not unfrequently Is
bank bill (perhaps a doubtful one, or
fered, which the conductor refuses to re-
ceive; and If the passenger be one of the
unreasonable sort often met with in the
cars a rumpus Immediately ensues. end
ing in most cases with the passenger
being put off, who in turn threatens to
report the conductor. AS an example, IN
riding day or two since the distance OF
a mile we saw that Of the nine persons
who got on in that distance six of the
number rendered bills for their fare.
but two of which were current in the
District. In these times. when there are
SO many bills in circulation that 1t is inn
possible for any but an expert to tell the
genuine In all cases. the company have
adopted rule forbidding the conductors
to receive any bills other than Treasury
notes and those Of city banks. To guard
against all difficulties on this score 1t
would be well for passengers to provide
themselves with the necessary change be-
fore taking a car.
"Many persons seem under the impress
sion that a transfer ticket is good for
persons get out of the cars at the juno
ton and after securing the transfer, in
stead of waiting a few moments and
taking the car to the end of their jour-
ney, walk off some squares and perhaps
spend some hours in shopping, marketing,
etc, and, waiting for car several
squares from the junction, take passage
under the impression that the transfer is
still good. Many instances of this kind
have come to the notice Of the company.
ana In some measure to remedy this
defect conductors have been instructed
only to take transfers from passengers
getting in the cars at the functions An
other hint should be taken by the public.
Often when the car is nearing a junction
the passengers jump off and run to take
a car on the line they wish to proceed
on, not stopping to get a transfer ticket,
and when asked for fare the reply is
given that they paid on the other car, but
the conductor does not know this fact,
and either has to collect the fare from
them or allow them to ride unmolested,
and thus make himself liable to dismissal
under the rules
X X
Another form Of trouble experienced by
the public in it's use of the street rail-
way line is indicated in
nnheedinp communication printed
in The Star of November
UTlVeIS. u, and editorially an
swered as follows:
Editor Star: The proprietors Of the
street railroad would serve the public II
they would instruct their drivers and con-
ductors to pay attention to people on
the sidewalk and at crossings along their
route, who strive in vain to hail them.
If drivers and conductors would keep an
eye to the right and left they would not
oblige people to run after them through
the mud and would put more money in
the pockets Of their employers. Complaint
is iustly made that enough attention is
not paid to old and sick people who get
in and out of the cars. Polteness is not
a bad quality for men to possess who oc-
cupy the positions of conductors
PASSENGER.
eff Passenger or others aggrieved
would call the attention of the directors
of the railroad to any remissness of con-
ductors, designating the number of the
car so that the responsibility could De
fixed, we are certain the matter would be
promptly corrected. In justice to the
conductors it should be said that the body
of them are courteous, prompt and eth
cient and the exceptions will undoubtedly
be weeded out as the fact of their rude
ness or inefficiency becomes known to the
management of the road
X *
The street railway company had trouble,
however, with others than passengers. In
The Star Of November %,
Troublesome 1862, is a paragraph in
dicating that the rivalry
ndChAcu. between the hackmen and
the new mode of local conveyance ran to
high point at times:
"The first case Of trial for obstruct-
ing the city railroad was tried yesterday
before Justice Dom. The defendant was
a hacknan named Thomas Croggin. The
defense made was that his license from
the city prescribed certain rules, one OF
which was that he was entitled to the
right of way on the right side OF the
street Coming in contact with the cars
on 7th street he refused to give way and
challenged any power to remove him. He
was arrested and taken before Justice
Dom, who imposed a fine of 50. This is
in accordance with the charter granted
the railway company by the last Con-
gress. After the rendition of the verdict
Mr.. George S. Gideon, manager of the
road, stated that he did not exact the pen
atty in the present instance, but that Of
tenders in future would be prosecuted to
the full extent of the law. The omnibus
men and hackmen who had heretofore
held the monopoly of the south Ith street
road, charging their own prices, nave
shown considerable disposition to inter-
fere with the running of the street cars
and in several cases distractions nave