The Washington times., 1912-07-20
NOW LET THE LAW BE RIGIDLY EN-
FORCED.

The killing of Michael Casper and the serious
injury of two other men in a collision Of crowded
street last evening, the direct result Of the
persistent attitude Of contempt which the local car
riers maintain toward law and regulations.
Nothing could do so much toward impressing
these concerns with realization that laws are made
to be obeyed, not to be Houted, as determined
prosecution of corporations and responsible officials
Responsible officials" means the men at the top
who dictate policy Of inadequate equipment and
excessive capitalization, in the effort to squeeze
more revenue out Of the public than the service is
worth.
1t means the men who wink at, encourage, and
even MAKE ABSOLUTELY UNAVOIDABLE the
violation Of laws and regulations by the street car
companies, in order that they may dividends on
capital that is grossly inflated, and that in large
part represents no investment and no value.
Last nights tragedy tells the whole story Of what
this reckless contempt for public law and common
honesty means. The throng Of baseball spectators
was leaving the park; there we're not there never
are, cars enough to handle them decently. A row Of
passengers climbed on the running board Of a Wash
ington railway car. While ii was rounding curve,
Capital Traction into it, catching three of
these men, crushing the life out Of one and badly
hurting two others.
The regulations of the Interstate Commerce
Commission provide that
mo STREET RAILWAY COMPANY SHALL
PERMIT PASSENGERS TO OCCUPY THE RUN
MING BOARDS OF CARS IN NOTION"
That rule was made to prevent just such accidents
as that which cost Michael CaspeTs life. 1t was
made to govern operations in just such cases of con-
gestion as that Of last night, which always bring
confusion and the danger Of accident.
Yet that regulation, notoriously, is uniformly hon
ored in the breach rather than the observance.
The street car companies compel its violation by
refusing to provide enough to handle the buSi
ness.
. They do this every day there is ball game.
They do it every night in their disgracefully made
quate provision for handling the throngs that are
poured out of the theaters.
or strung along their running boards THE LAW
BEING VIOLATED IN BOTH CASES.
| Who is the gamer? The people who pack the
cars gain nothing because the delays in getting off
cars thus jammed, are such to make schedule
running time impossible. The motormen and con-
ductors put under stress Of abnormal and danger
Gus effort to keep their cars time. The public
takes the chance of life limb because Of the
panes reckless disregard of consequences and greed
for few paltry dollars of larger earnings.
1t will not do to say that the conductors had
orders not to allow passengers the running boards
Those orders may be extant but they disre
|
cals Testimony of this is the fact that the viola
tions continue every day.
| More than this conscientious conductor who
enforced such orders would thereby reduce his cash
receipts, and his failure, day after day. to turn in as
much cash other cars earned; would be prima
| face evidence Of dishonesty. THE CONSCIEN-
TIOUS CONDUCTOR DOES NOT DARE LIVE UP
TO THE RULES UNLESS ALL OTHER CONDUC-
TORS ARE COMPELLED TO LIVE UP TO IT.
At the BEST even when there is no accident as
result Of these deporable conditions, the public is
compelled to pay for accommodations il does not
get 1t pays its money for service it doesn't get in
order that grossly overcapitalized corporations may
earn returns on investments that were never made.
Doubtless the usual defense will be made in this
case 1t will be shown that there were orders not
to permit passengers the running boards. II will
be shown that the passengers were negligent or
worse in riding there. 1t will be shown that the
motorman of one car and the conductor of the other
were jointly and severally negligent in failing to
obey orders.
But this is merely dodging the real responsibility
which is higher up. 1t is with the responsible Off
cias who have persisted in fixing conditions of SER
vice that MAKE OBEDIENCE TO RULES IMPOS-
SIBLE.
1t will not do to blame the passenger for careless
ness, when in fact it is notorious that any
who gets on street car during the period of any
: congestion, is thereby taking grave chance OF
yielding up his life as the penalty of his reckless
ness.
You can't indict this whole town for crimina
carelessness because rides street cars and puts
5 up with the disgraceful service.
This is the precisely correct occasion for makins
4 public service managers understand that laws NEAR
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