Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-06
Navy Yard Men Bid
Daniels Seize Cars
Continued from PAGE One

Continued from PAGE One
Offering to cooperate in any way pos.
sible for " improvement
The transit committee of the civic
club has denounced the transit condi-
tions as choitic and will recommend that
the club join in my protest or other
movement that offers hope of curing the
situation.
In the meantime cars continue 90 run
off schedule. to shoot past intersections
when they are only half filled, to stop
when they are jammed to capacity.
Apparently seeing the handwriting
on the wall'--the public determined TO
stand conditions no longcr-Thomas r..
Mittcn, the 100000 a year efficiency"
president, called Il conference of his
operating heads. What WIS accom-
plished at the conference is still un-
known. Beyond again admitting the
'rottenness" Of the service, no comment
was forthcoming
Business mems organizations through
ont the city, taking up the case of the
car riders, placed them elves ON record
at specially called meetings last night
as ready to enter the fray 1t has de-
veloped into fight to the finish, viz.
the people against the T.. L. r. and
no armistice Is going to be declared un-
til the present intolCrable conditions inn
prove Numerous inquiries regarding the
filing of protests against the transit
company with the Public Service Com
mission have already been received at
Harrisburg
The transit committee of the civic
Club has joined IN the city-wide protest
against the colapsing trolley system
with its banana cars" in bunchcs, its
"Toonervillc trolleys" and its cars that
sometimes stop when they are jammcd
fun and sometimes shoot past freezing
would-bc passengers when they are half
empty.
4 At "A meeting of the committee in the
clubs quarters at 1900 Spruce street
the woven individually denounced the
4 transit situation as dcplorablc. miscr-
able, intolerablc and chaotic. They de-
cared themselves in favor of the clubs
/ Joining any protest or other movement
that offered any hope of lettering the
service Nor formal report was pre-
pared, but one will be prepared and
made at the next meeting of the club
directors, February %. The club also
will probably be asked to query the
transit company on the subject of cm-
ploying women.
WANT WOMEN EMPLOYED
one member of the committee said:
Even If women We're as incompetent
and as idiotic as the most bigotcd
man-despising man considers them, il
would be hard to conceive of their
making "A greater mess of things than
has been made now
Mrs John G. Trautwinc, chairman OF
the transit committee, said:
"The members brought reports from
all sections Of the city of the most de-
plorablc state of affairs in the trolley
service. Many told of actual cx.
p,riences one woman was on Il car
which was disabled and 1t had to wait
twenty minutes for the next car To come
and push It along the rest of the way
She asked the car crew why they didn't
telephone for thc emergency wagon tC
come and fix the car, and was told there
was no emergency wagon for that sec
ton Of the city The conductor and
the motorman just took the situation
uhiluSophically and sat there until tn,
nest car came.
PREDICTS PUBLIC CALAMITY
Another member was told there wcr,
emergency wagons enough but ther,
was no material on hand To make re
pairs. Some members of the committee
favored asking the Philadelphia RapIt
Transit Company if it has considered o
will consider employing women as motor
men and conductors, We understand
there are not mechanics enough to re
nair the $50 idle cars even if there wer,
material with which to make the re
pairs. Some members thought that per
haps If women went to work and re
lieVed the motormen and conductor
those men could make the repairs.
The committee has not yet prepareo
report and cannot say what actioi
the club will take, hut have very littl,
doubt that the club will join in an,
movement that offers any hope o
remedying situation that will end II
nothing less than a public calamity un
less it is met