The Washington times., 1917-09-12
Poor Street Car Service Will Hurt
The Growth of Washington
By DAVID LAWRENCE.
Real Estate Men Should Join IN Demand for Better
Car Schedules.
twenty-five minutesl

"And then the car came. About fifty people
waiting at the of Ninth street and New York
avenue at O'Clock last Saturday afternoon. They
waited twenty-five minutes before came. And
when it arrived it crowded to the doors. few
people managed to fight their way out thus permitting
an equal number to squeeze inside And the majority
OF those left behind waited five minutes The
ond car was crowded but managed to get aboard
had waited twenty y-nine minutes In allI
The who writes the above to The Times stood dur
ing the entire journey to his home and here is what he OBJ
serves in conclusion:
"I will refrain from making any remarks about this
beautifully managed line further than to say that
think it win succeed in inducing people who want to
buy houses to get the other ne where they do get
Did to the who are engaged in the real
estate business that the growing nefcency Of street car
company might seriously affect would purchasers Of prop
erty IN outlying sections of the cityf
This city is today enjoying remarkable boom. Busi-
ness is better than has been More people daily
coming here to i've It does not take newcomers long to
learn either by actual experience from their friends on
what indispensable schedules the street run especially
those the Washington Railway and Electric Companys
line They viii remember it. too, in renting buying homes
Not alone real estate men, but merchants win find them
selves permanently injured unless they combine effect
reform Residents Of Washington cannot even get adequas
service when they want to transact business the City Hail.
Complaints recently have to The Times from many who
have been compelled to wait much half hour for
City Hall car
The street service as a whole judging from the
letters being received growing every day.
Does the Washington Railway and Electric Company want
to force municipal ownership And does that company
believe Congress going to fix price for the property which
win enrich Mr. Kngi The reputation of the line such
that appraisal would undoubtedly be in the interest of the
taxpayers Of Washington and not the company that has
failed the people in critical time pseg g1e
The District Commissioners could do no better service
than to demand at improvement in schedules that
will not merely satisfy technical requirements but actually
Will help people in this city to get back and forth comfort
ably and speedily The people here will not complain they
get good service regularly and only occasionally
PEELED to wait long fora Things viii go wrong
while with every public utility But for months good
ice has been the exception and not the rule.
Let the Commissioners make final effort to compel
obedience to their regulations and they fall Congress
certainly be expected to apply remedy next December
For with conditions they have been this summer one
shudders to think what exasperang days ahead the
Of and ncemnt weather approaches and the
number of street passengers increases
Is Washington model ctyi The ability of its commits
sion handle public utilities must be taken into
consideration henceforth in answering that question