The Washington herald., 1913-04-27
HERDIC Line DEMANDS
ENFORCEMENT OF Law
S. Dana Lincoln, President of Coach
Company, Appeals to Public
Utilities Commission.
PUBLIC INCONVENIENCED

With the filing of formal complaint by
the Metropolitan Coach Company against
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company and the Capital Traction
Company for declining to comply with
an act of Congress, which went into
effect February "a of this year. requiring
the exchange OF transfers between these
companies and herdics of the complain
ant at route intersections, at Fifteenth
Street and New York Avenue and Penn
sylvania Avenue the new Public IT'LL
tiles Commission has been called upon
to promptly enforce a regulation OF Con-
gress. the question of whose disregard
has hitherto been left in allegiance by
the commission.
S. Dana Lincoln, president of the Met
ropolitan Coach Company, said yester-
day that repeated attempts had been
made by his company to amicably settle
the transfer question. He said that In
it's negotiations his company has gone
so far as to offer to put up bond to
indemnify the railway companies If they
would agree to exchange transfers pend
ing decision of the courts.
Complaint Is Filed.
After setting forth the terms Of the
law and the railways refusal to OBJ
serve it, the herdic company's COM
plant, in part, reads:
The failure on the part of the rail-
way companies named to comply with
the requirements of the act OF August
"a. is imposing continuing inconve-
riences and loss upon the public. VINO
are deprived OF the full benefits of this
comnanys service by reason of the
refusal of the railway companies -
issue free transfers to and receive
transfer passengers from the coaches
of this company, as required by sec
tions 6 and of the act already referred
to. This company has invested large
sum of money in motor vehicles, and
consequence of the illegal acts Of the
railway companies, in regard to which
complaint is made.
Your complainant prays that the COM
mission will forthwith take appropriate
action to compel compliance with the
transfer provisions of the act of August
"a, and thus afford relief from con-
dition which is intoleraDle, both because
of the loss and Inconvenience imposed
upon the public and upon this company,
and because of the example it presents
of defiance of law by the railway cor
porations herein named"
Il am determined" Mr. Lincoln said
last night, Ito exhaust every means OF
bringing about compliance by the rail-
way companies with the transfer law.
The complaint to the Utilities Commits
sion is only a beginning. The law re-
quiring reciprocal transfers became eff
fective two months ago. That is, Con-
gress said it should become effective, but
the railway corporations said it should
not be enforced. and so far they have
had their own way. But l do not be-
lieve that this state of affairs can con-
tinue. I intend to find out whether this
is a government of laws or a govern
ment of corporations.
There are other ways OF bringing the
question into court, and until these fail
shall not admit that an act Of Con-
gress is ineffective because, as Mr.. Ham,
ilton said the transfer arrangement
proposed does not either on the ground OF
profit or policy commend itself to our
Judgment.
officers of the two companies COM
planned against would make no comment
upon the case. Commissioner Cuno IL.
Rudolph stated that he had no idea
when the Public Utilities Commission
will take action upon the complaint.