South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-01-15
HARDY DEFENDS
CITY CAR SERVICE
Tells Lincoln Civic Club That
Company COnSiderate of
Public at All Times and is
Anxious to Hear Complaints.

F. T. Hardy, traffic manager OF the
street railway company, spoke Thurs
day night at the Lincoln school before
the regular monthly meeting OF the
Lincoln Civic club. His address was
somewhat in the nature OF a reply
10 "a resolution adopted a month previ-
Gus by the club and presented 10 the
city council seeking 10 have the COM
pany stop their cars on Miami st. at
the corner of Calvert st. instead Of
IN front of the Charles Weidler resi-
dence as az present Hardy assured
his audience that he wished to do all
In his power TO give them the service
that they should have.
He said that the company was at all
times considering the public good and
that it was their desire that the peo-
pie let their desires be known.
He declared that they were anxious
10 hear complaints and that 1t was
much better for the patrons Of the
company TO make their complaints di-
rectly 10 headquarters than to make
them around the corner TO their
neighbOrs The officials Of the COM
pany. he said, had plenty of time to
take complaints.
In reference to specific complaints
that had been registered against the
service from time TO time the speaker
was now putting lower steps on the
cars and that the second of these steps
would be ready next Sunday. He said
also that an added effort would be
made to see that conductors used care
in handling the block system that
delays Of cars through misuse OF the
system could be avoided entirely.
Picks Out One Car.
Speaking of the schedule of cars.
Hardy made reference to the delays of
one particular car which he had in
vestigated and ne said that he found
that the car in question had been de-
layed by a train across the track on
each OF II days out of 10 days He
intimated that a majority of delays in
schedules was due to causes which the
company could not foresee or over
come.
The speaker admitted that the cars
became dirty at times but he made the
excuse that il was impossible TO watch
all of the cars and know what condl-
ton they were in at all times. He
maintained that his aim Was cOntinu-
ally TO watch for dirty ears and to
see that they were kept in the proper
condition.
No reference was made to the gen.
eral complaints concerning the anti
uuated pattern of cars which are IN
use in the city. The speaker did say
that the "QinkN' cars were put tll
only i'm wet weather and he held that
this was unavoidable inasmuch as
many of the heavy cars were invart-
ably put out of commission on wet
days The "dinky' cars. he main
tanned. were the most practical for use
under such conditions because of their
light construction.
Defends stop at Weidler's.
The complaint was made at the
meeting shat the cars were being stop
ped on Miami st. in front of the
Weidler residence for the accommo-
dation of Weidler and to the annoy
ance of other residents in the neigh
borhood. Hardy maintained that the
stop was made there merely for the
purpose of avoiding two stops for
streets which were close together at
this point When the complaint was
made that patrons had to wade
through snow to get TO the walk he
replied by saving that after all the
only decent walking that they had was
along the car tracks.
The discussion of the subject of
street car service was led by Alder
man William Goebel of the seventh
ward. There was little enthusiasm
shown in the discussion just as there
had been little enthusiasm shown
during Hardv's speech. The consen-
sus of opinion among those present
was that there was to be nothing
gained from merely talking concern
ing the improvements which they felt