Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-12-28
Calls Skip-St0p
Meeting a Farce

Continued from Page One
and Germantown avenue, in which a man
was seriously hurt. The accident occur
red few days after our association had
called the attention of the newspapers to
the dangers of this crossing.
Not a Mind Reader
"Mr. Ainey said: How do you know
that the man who was hit thought that
the car wos going to stop? I replied that
I would be a remarkable man IL could
tell him what was in the victims mind
before he was knocked down by the
trolley car.
Later Mr.. Ainey came down and
shook hands with me and said that he
had not understood the point was try
| ing TO make about this accident.
81 tried to get some clear expression
of opinion as to what actually consti-
tuted skip-stop accident, but did not
succeed"
Mr. wicks protest against abandon
Ing the real purpose of the meeting and
wasting the time of the busy men who
came there at a sacrifice to discuss
skip-stops went unheeded. The safety
first movies and lecture took the
place OF the detailed discussion that the
men who went there had hoped would
help bring about the abolition Of the
| sklp-stop
| "Movie" Follows Testimony
The movie show followed the hear
Ing of some testimony about skip-stop
accidents, and a call for Coroner
knight, who testified at the earlier
meeting of the committee.
Before the movies started Chairman
Alney announced that Coroner knights
duties prevented him from being present.
Coroner Knight himself said today
that he had not been present simply be-
cause he had not been asked.
Il judge from what l read about the
meeting in the newspapers" said Coro-
ner Knight today, that they thought l
ought TO keep in touch with the COM
mittee and know when II was going to
meet ] didn't understand things that
way.
'fm not a mind reader. II had
known about the meeting 1 would have
been there.
Would Have Told of Inauests
II could have told the committee about
two inquests held yesterday into the
deaths of persons who died at the re-
suit of trolley-car accidents.
Il am ready and willing at all times
. " 81 pSlOIt puDIC DO0y ana tell
the truth. I had another engagement
at the time of the meeting, but in spite
OF this ] would have been present and
given any testimony l could IL l had
been notified"
Mr., Wicks protest at the absence
or any labor representative on the COM
mittee draws attention to the person.
mel OF that organization. The members
were chosen and asked to serve by
the +. X. 7. itself. Judge MacNeille,
the secretary of the committee. told
Mr.. Wick yesterday that the body would
not decide the question of abolishinE
or retaining the skip-stops, but would
merely hear testimony, and leave the
decision TO the car.riders themselves,
IL Is pointed out that Judge Mac
Neilie, In his capacity as a member of
the Municipal Court bench, may in the
future have to pass on damage suits
growing out of the "skip-stop" accidents
which the committee Is now investi-
eating.
Another active member of the COM
mittee is James Il. Lennon. who is
president of Select Council as we'll. A
bill to abolish the skip-stop Is now in
Councils
Mitten In New York
Although Thomas +. Mitten, presi-
dent of the Philadelphia Rapid Tran
sit Company, promised to announce to-
day the method the company would
adopt to decrease the number OF SER
ious trolley car accidents, 1t was learned
at the office of the company that Mr..
Mitten was in New York.
He did not leave any copy of the
method" at the Office and a representa-
tive of the company said he thought
that Mr.. Mitten had fully covered the
subject in the course of his address yes
/ terday before the committee of thirteen.
While the transit company here Is ap-
pointing committees, holding moving pic
| ture skiD-stop meetings and labelling
trolley cars with skip-stop propaganda,
the Brooklyn Rapid Transit Company Is
dealing with the skip-stop controversy
in that city in a straightforward manner,
entirely devoid of sensatonalsm.
William Seibert, vice president of the
company, said the Public Service Com
mission of New York. had asked that
the pre-war policy of running the cars
be adopted unless good reasons for con-
tinuance of the skip-stops could be ad-
Vanced.
Mr.. Seibert also predicted that the
company probably would abandon the
present skip-stop system.
In view of the action taken by the
New York public service commission, a
member of the Pennsylvania commits
sion was asked today II it would give
early consideration to the complaints
filed against the skip-stop nuisance.
He said that two complaints had been
! filed, but as they were not accom-
panied by requests for early consider
alton they would be taken up in their
regular course.