National Republican., 1881-05-10
BOTH SIDES OF 1T.
THE BELT LINE RAILWAY WAR.
An Interview with Colonel Irish on the Troubles
The Tuo-Cent Fares Discussed-4ctiOn or
the Company-What Friend Of
the Road Says.

The Tmo-Cent Fares Discussed-4ctiOn Of
the Company-What Friend Of
the Road Says.
The interest in reference to the railway
| warfare being on the increase, representative OF
| THE REPUBLICAN yesterday wended his way to the
scene OF action and found that the Belt Line Com
pany had large force of lsborers at work on
| Eleventh street south, between C street and the
river, but nothing was being done on the disputed
| square between street and Virginia avenue al
though preparations were being made by the cut
ting of timber for stringers, &c. The knight OF the
pencil then bethought him thatit would be good
idea to interview Colonel Irish. of the Bureau of
Engraving and Printing who has been on the ag-
gressiye in this matter looking out for the inter-
| eSts OF his large force of employees, and having
submitted his official pasteboard to the inspection
of the watchmen on duty, he was permitted to pass
the iron gate and was usheTed into the presence OF
Chief Irish.
As a means of opening the conversation the
news -gatherer referred to the statement made IN
morning cotemporary that the law fixing the fare
at two cents Disseminated in favor of the Bureau
employees, and asked if that was so.
Colonel IriSh-So, sir; not by any means. The
section of the act which relates this matter is as
follows:
Sec. g. That the fare between the Bureau of En-
craving and Printing and the nearest junction with
any intersecting road shall be two cents.
That, you see, applies to the general public-to
everybody who desires to ride between those two
points. The truth is that the bill providing for an
extension of track to this bureau would have
passed at the time the agreement was entered into
between the officers of the company and myself
had it been that they desired to limit the opera
tions of this section to the employees of this bu-
reau, which the Senate committee objected to, as
it would be class legislation. ItwaS too late in the
session to come to any good understanding then,
and the matter laid over until last winter, when,
after full conference and an apparently perfect
understanding between all the parties interested,
the section have quoted was accepted.
REPUBLCAN-Does the company think that if it
fails to put down the Fourteenth street track it
will avoid being compelled to carry passengers for
two cents?
Colonel Irish-I suppose that is their idea. But
it isn't sound. There is no reason why the en-
plOyees of this bureau may not walk down street
to Twelfth, take the cars there, and ride to the
nearest intersecting road for two cents And they
will do it, too. Just as soon as the company has
really taken upon itself the benefits of that act,
these employees will tide over that line at the re-
duced rate, and there is no power to prevent it.
The company can hardly afford to keep this an
which they have acted, until the next session of
Congress. Now that the law officer of the District
government has given his opinion there can be no
longer any doubt in their minds as to the proper
construction of the law there is none, as
to the obligations which they have voluntarily
placed themselves under They will no longer
hesitate in carrying out the law according to its
true intent and meaning.
REPUBIICAN-Your people are in dead earnest in
this matter, aren't they?
Colonel Irish-Indeed they are. The employees
of this bureau in thorough earnest, and intend
to maintain their right and the company will of
course understand that one thousand and upwards
Ofpeople, with the law and justice on their side,
will not find it difficult to do so. Right here l
want to say that am giving my attention to this
matter simply because it affects the interests of
my employees and the transaction of the business
of this bureau. 1t is in sense class legislation,
and careful reading of the act will show that it
is question of the greatest importance to the gen.
eral public. All the advantages that accrue to the
employees of the Bureau of Engraving and Print
ing will be shared in by all who desire to become
passengers between the points named in the act.
What - Friend Of the Road Says.
To the Honorable Commissioners of the District of
Columbia:
Allow me to call your attention to a
lew factS III relation 10 tle CAPITOL NOrtn y street,
and South Washington Railway Company. That
company has paid all taxes assessed against it
promptly, without litigation. 1t caused the re-
duction of fares to uniform rate of four
and sixth and five cents, thereby saving to the
public thousands ofdollars annually has brought
about complete system of ticket exchange, a
great convenience to all of U.S. 1t carries pasSen-
gers for less than cent mile; cheaper, believe,
than any other road in the United States And
yet Colonel Irish is not happy. Now, gentlemen
1 would ask, in all fairness, is not this company
Justly entitled to some consideration at your
hands? The company has an undOubted right
under its charter to commence the eX-
tension of its road at either end, or in the
middle, the two-center aforesaid to the contrary
notwithstanding. They want nothing but their
rights under the charter, notwithstanding /
creditably informed other companies have been
allowed to lay their tracks on many of the
streets of this city without even the pretenSe of
a right to do so under their charters. Why is 1t
that such privileges are granted to these old
wealthy corporations, while the BELT Line
seem to have rights that the District govern
ment is bound to respect? The stockholders of
this road are not foreign or blOated bondholders.
They mostly men of moderate means, citizens
of Washington. Not single share of stock, be-
eve, subscribed for outside of this CITY, 1t is
purely Washington enterprise and has not yet
paid its stockholders six per cent. on the value of
their stock. Then why this discrimination against
this company? Let US have it all quiet on the
Potomac" JUSTICE.