The Washington times., 1919-01-08
By EARL GOODWIN.


More than sx months ago Government official pa
ton OF the Berwyn ine wrote circmstantia letter 70
w. ~ Ham, president of the Washington Railway and
vice. giving specific details of the manner in which cars
were late and pointing the deadly speed at which
Ine berwy1 cars sometimes run over rather fimsy
BE also wrote letter to the Superintendent of Pole.
calling atenton to the possible dangers of trip that
month later, nothing having transpired to change
the uncertainties OF life the Berwyn line, he wrote
letter 70 ths Puonc Utilities Commission specifying the
afternoon and night it had been daily occurrence for
cars to be anywhere from fifteen minutes to fortyve
minutes late and that he had waited long two hours
for
The Public Utilities Commissions formal answer was
that the complaint would have attention. But evidently
the attention wasn't visible to the naked eye the
thor of the letter st without information on August
TO- when he filed another complaint adding specif
canons OF Skipped trips late cars and general rotten ser
This stirred up something, as the next move
report from ID stephens superintendent of railways
ments would be made, while the Public Utilities Com
mission promised to send ont inspectors make observ
ons just why this had not been done many months ago
NOTHING HAPPENED. No bettements were noted;
not the slightest Improvement in the way of getting any
where time On September Is the author of the orig
na letters filed another complaint with the Public Uti
ties Commission giving new specifications to thst
left late or arrived late Also he added: 1T worth ones
morning crews are e's resSed shame ns
that the lives of many people should be placed in eop
ardy account of the wanon disregard of those motor
men for the safety of their passengers"
NOTHING HAPPENED. The original complainant
tried to awaken the Public Service Commission of Mary
and with the laughable results have always at
tended projects of that sort for after vany attempting
to get through the cobwebs and LOCKED DOORS of that
Maryland outfit the secretary Of the commission Mr. T.
FENDALI had the nerve to reply that the Commission
had simply filed the complaint Buried it. presume This
was December 80, just few days ago.
And just to show you what the Public Utilities Com
mission of the District is ignoring and what the Public
Service Commission of Maryland is buryng and what the
Ham road is putting the public, let me quote
from one of the recent letters In this case:
"The conditions complained of In the attached corre
spondence still exist and the company making absolutely
effort to improve Its service In connection with the
Washington mterurban Operating from Fifteenth and
streets northeast to East Berwn might be brought
that it is crime to compel women with infants IN their
to wait out the cold at Fifteenth and streets north
east anywhere from hour to two and hours for
The matter of service this line brought to
Hams personal attention at the hearing held ON Noyem
Der 20 by the Interstate Commerce Commission BE ad
mitted that the service this line was rotten but sa;d
he could promise no Improvement though the IN.
creased rates were granted by the commission"