Evening star., 1922-09-30
PLAN JOINT DRIVE
! ON NONE-MAN CARS
Citizens Associations Will
/ Unite Efforts Against
Trolley System.
OPERATION HELD MENACE
0verworking of Motorman Said to
Invite Accidents as Well as
Cause Traffic Delay.

Concerted action is expected to be
taken by citizens of the northern and
northeastern sections of the city,
through their citizens associations,
in-the near future against the opera
tion of the one-man street cars in the
National Capital.
Already committees of these asso-
Citations are arranging plans to bring
about some change in the system of
operating such cars on the lines OF
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company which cover their sections.
1t is held by these citizens that
the operation of such cars is men
ace to public safety as well as de/1-
ment to adequate service. Further IT
is held that the operation Of such
cars is a backward step for the Ma
tional Capital
Organizations Protesting.
The North Capitol and lexington
Citizens Association. Rhode Island
Avenue Citizens Association, North
Brookland Citizens Association,
through whose territories the Wash
ington Railway and Electric Com
pany is operating the one-man cars.
are planning action in an EFFORT TO
have this style of cars eliminated.
These associations also plan to take
the matter to the Public Utilities
Commission through the Federation
of Citizens Associations.
W. G. Henderson. chairman of the
public utilities committee of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens ASSo-
citation, which body was one of the
first to enter protest against the Oper-
alton of the one-man cars, today de-
nounced operation of these cars.
'In the first place these cars are
menace to public safety" said Mr..
Henderson, "and they cause consider
able delay to the travelling public. NO
one man attending to so many things
at one time can do them correctly.
The motorman has enough TO do to
operate the car and prevent accidents.
without having to collect fares, make
change, give transfers and see to the
opening and closing of the car doors.
Too Much to do.
although / understand the operator
OF these one-man cars at the present
time is not permitted to start the car
until each person entering the car
has placed the fare i'll the box, and. II
desired, has received a transfer. L con-
tend the operator cannot attend to all
of this and still watch out for traffic
On the car tracks.
'Such cars also are Il menace to
the public safety, because in the event
of blowing out of a fuse {; panic is
at any time likely to occur. The
railway officials point out that there
is an emergency lever at the rear
door of the car, which can be used
in the event of Il hurried exit need
ed for the passengers. Even though
many persons know of the existence
of such an opening. there is not
much Likelihood of one remembering
it when Il panic enSues.
persons on street ears, with barred
windows and with the front doors
only being operated by the employe
of the company. become greatly ex-
cited in the event .of an accident,
collision or fire on the car. and make
Il mad rush for the exit. which they
know most well. This was demon
strated some time ago when several
persons were injured.
System Causes Delay.
"Now there is considerable delay
on these cars as a result of the
lnotorman-conduCtor being required
to keep the door open and the car
at a standstill while he collects the
fare, makes change and gives trans
fers. Cars following are tied up, as
we'll as vehicles, which are not per-
mitted to pass a car while it is TAX
ing in or unloading passengers.
Mr. Henderson said the Public Util-
tiles Commission was appealed to
last spring not to permit the rail-
way company to operate such cars.
but that the appeals were futile. He
said that at every meeting of his
association complaints are made by
some members against this style of
cars. He said that he expects the
association to take up the matter
within a short time in an effort to
eliminate such cars.
That the One-man cars should not
be permitted to be operated in the
National Capital was pointed out by
Washington Topham, delegate to the
Federation of Citizens Associations
from the North Washington Citizens
Association.
Accidents Are Certain.
The fact that the Capital Traction
Company does not use such cars, Mr..
not the type of cars that an up-to-
date street car company would put
into use to transport the public.
There are bound tc be accidents
one-man cars said Mr., Topham,
land some of them might be of a
serious nature. Shortly after these
cars were installed by the Washing
ton Railway and Electric Company
there were several serious accidents.
ties required Of him to operate a
street car and attend also to the
collection Of fares and issue trans
fers at the same time and do 1t with
ticular notice Of the operation of
these one-man cars for some time,
and in almost every instance have
found the operator to be of nervous
temperament, resulting from the
many duties required of. him in the
operation of the car"
Much Time Lost.
Mr.. Topham' pointed out also that
much time is lost In loading passen-
gers on the one-man cars and also
that traffic is delayed for other
vehicles as result of the car being
at standstill while the operator is
collecting fares and issuing transfers
He said there is no chance for the
operator of the car to make up the
lost time, because the schedule is
such that it would be, impossible
without breaking speed laws Mr.
Topham said, however, that he had
observed some of the operators of
such cars, in an effort to make UP
lost time. operating the cars at ex-
cessive speed.
He said the operation of the one
man cars would be taken up at the
meeting Of his association next Mon
day night