Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1916-06-13
KNOCK FOR STREET CARS
OUT P|NEY BRANCH WAY
Members of Citizens Association
Criticise Management of the
Electric Lines,

Street railways that run out Piney
branch way were given most of the
time at the session last night of the
Piney Branch Citizens Association in
Iowa Avenue Methodist Episcopal
church 1t was the last meeting of
the season. Almost everybody had some
complaint to make against the manner
of operating the lines on Georgia ave-
nue. and 14th street, and incidentally
nearly all condemned the service in
general. Only one member had a good
word for the railways.
The street railway discussion was
precipitated when Edward E. Clement
suggested that a faster schedule could
be maintained north of Park road on
the 14th street line, if the company
would eliminate some of the stops
where the streets are not cut through.
Danger as Well as Delay.
In addition to the delay in making
stops at these streets, Mr.. Clement
said that it was dangerous also. be-
cause the streets not being cut through,
automobilists did not stop. Trailers
| during the rush hour were suggested
by E. b. Henderson as a possible solu-
ton of the transportation problem. He
said that was the practice during the
rush hours in other large cities. B. J.
Howard complained against the Geor-
gia avenue line He said that there
was a long interval between some of
the cars, and then they run in punches.
The railway situation in the District
of Columbia was characterized as a
disgrace by George A. Finch, president
of the association. He said that at 18th
street and New York avenue during the
rush hour it was impossible to get upon
car without waiting an unreasonable
length of time, and when one did get
on there were no seats. He said that
| II the Com issioners intended to base
| their plans for improving the railway
system here on the present facilities 1t
would be joke. He urged the citizens
| to agitate for better service.
Good Word for Companies.
! John F. Robb thought the speakers
were little harsh on the railroads. He
said he couldn't conceive how the rail-
way companies could operate a large
system all day. with comparatively lit
tile business, and then have turned on
them at 4:3O o'clock in the afternoon
$4,000 people and expect them to han
die the crowds well. He said he
thought that was expecting too much
, He said he never saw city yet where
| the crowds during the rush hours were
handled SO well by the railroads. He
proposed scheme for the government
employees to go to work at fifteen-min
ute intervals between $50 and 9 o'clock
and be dismissed in the same order. Mr.
| Robb expressed the belief that II the
| Commissioners would make a formal
request of office heads, public and pri-
vate, they would cooperate in chang
ing their hours to help solve the rail-
way problem here. He urged that the
committee on public service corpora
tions, which is to be present at the
| hearing given by the public utilities
commission Wednesday on the pro-
posed new regulations for the opera
| tion of the railways here, present this
particular solution.
| J. A. Chamberlain complained of the
condition of the tracks on 14th street
| north of Thomas Circle, saying that
one riding on the cars over these tracks
had the feeling of riding on ship at
sea"
Aids Fourth of July Carnival.
! The association voted to give 12k
per cent of it's collections among the
of July carnival in that section, toward
defraying the expenses of the city's
carnival An additional 122 per cent is
| to be added, rs per cent in all. If the
! city's celebration is held at the reser-
voir. The associations committee now
is working on the Piney Branch cele-
bration.
| The Tinkham bill to extend the fed
| eral civil service law to the employees
of the District government was refer
red to the law and order committee
Edawrd c. Walker was elected to
membership.