National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-05-09
TRAMWAY TROUBLES.
THE BELT LINE RAILROAD BLOCKED.
Alleged Breach Of Faith on the Part OF the Com.
psny-Trespassing on Forbidden Ground-4
Petition from the Bureau Of En-
craving and Printing.

In reference to the recent action of the
Belt-Line Railway it may be well to state some
facts which have been gathered and which VIII
prove of interest to all citizens. The act which
permits this company to change and extend its
tracks was passed with the object of affording ad-
ditional facilities to the large number of employees
in the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and to
give them transportation to the nearest points of
intersection of the other railways for the sum of
two cents. incidentally to this the privilege of
extending its lines in other directions was given
this company Others of the railway lines desired
permission 10 run track down Fourteenth street
to the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, but the
charter of the Belt Line was amended because its
tracks, already laid, were nearer the new bureau
building, and because its representatives stated
to the chief of that bureau and to the committees
of Congress their complete willingness to acquiescc
in the reduced rate of fare.
IT WAS THE UNDERSTANDING
that the change of track from Twelfth to Four
teenth street should be the first work done under
the amended charter, and the wording of the act
plainly indicates this fact and would seem to be
mandatory in regard TO it. In all the discussions
before the committees the bureau was the objective
point to be reached and its employees those to be
accommodated, and it was understood that the
work was to be commenced Immediately after the
p assage of tie act. The commencement of work
on Eleventh street, aftertw months delay, is con-
sidered palpable breach Of faith on the part Of
the company, as well as
VIOLATION OF THE ACT,
which mentions the Fourteenth street change as
the first work 10 be done. 1t is thought that the
company intended to make connection with its
present track ut the junction of Eleventh street
and Virginia avenue, jumping an entire square
not III cluded in the act, which would give COM
piete line from the northern part of the city to the
river, and avoid the necessity of making the
Fourteenth street change, and securing the benefit
ofimportant railway connections throughout the
city without doing the particular thing for which
tne act was passed and for the privilege of doing
which
THE COMPANY AGREED,
in The presence of the committees of Congress,
Colonel Irish representing the Bureau of Engrav-
ing and Printing, Major Twining representing the
Commissioners of the District, to transport the
thousand and more employees of that bureau TO
intersecting lines for the sum of two cents. The
work on the connecting square has been stopped
by Major Twining pending an opinion by Attor
ney Riddle as to the
POWER OF THE COMPANY
to avail itself of provision of its original charter
In the meantime the large number of Government
employees who have been anxiOusly looking for
the additional accommodations intended by Con-
gress are considerably exercised upon the subject,
and have anything but kindly feelings for the
company, which they consider is trying to euchre
them out of their rights under its amended
charter.
PETITION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES.
On Saturday it was ascertained that the COM
pany was working upon the contested square, and
Major Morgan at once issued orders to the police
to stop all work upon the entire line of the railway
until they received further instructions. In the
the employees of the bureau had started
petitions to the Commissioners, to which they Sc
cured the signatures of thousand of their
number. This petition, after reciting the
inconvenience, and expense to
which the employees were subjected in
going 10 and from the office owing to the absence
Of street railroad facilities the successful result of
their efforts before Congress to obtain a branch
road by the Bureau, states that the railway COM
pany are endeavOrng to avoid the construction of
hat portion of the line authorized which would |
be of special interest to them by the of pOr
ton OF one of the streets without warrant of law
Or the permission of the Commissioners, and
The petitioners pray that the latter will exer-
else the authority conferred upon them by law
to prevent the company from using any portion of
he streets not expressly granted them in the act
referred to, and that they will require the COM
pany TO comply in every particular with the pro-
themselves of any of the valuable privileges |
granted therein. The act of Congress authorizing |
The extension also authorized any other duly in |
railway company to run its cars over |
hat portion of the route on Fourteenth street |
south Of Pennsylvania avenue, and an amend |
ment was agreed to requiring the company
o convey employees of the Bureau to |
Or from the nearest intcrsecting point on the line
Of any street railway at fare not to exceed two
SO, 3
about thirty, waited upon Major Morgan with this |
petition Mr.. George ". Castelar, being their spokes-
man. Major Morgan stated that he was in thorough
sympathy with the Government employees, and |
lad referred the question to their att orney whose
opinion had just been received, and which he !
cad them.
MR.. RIDDLES OPINION
to the effect that Tie company has 10 right to |
lse the square between street and Virginia ave- |
Tue; that the renting of a building at the corner
If Eleventh and streets southwest is pretext to
lain rights under their original charter which, |
however, doesnot hold good, is mere subterfuge |
o evade tie law, and that the Commissioners |
nave the power and it is their duty to see that the
main object of the law, which was to furnish rail-
way accommodations to the EN- plOyeeS OF the Bu- |
eau OF Engraving and Printing, is not defeated.
THE RAILROAD SIDE OF THE QUESTION
In order to ascertain the views of the railroad |
Company on this subject, REPUBLICAN emissary
tarted out last evening in search of the president
If the road, Mr.. Edward Temple, but found that
lie was out OF the city. The superintendent
Ir. Daish, could not be found but an intelligent
mplOyec was tackled. In reply to an inquiry as to
heir legal right, he said:
" 1t is true that neither our charter nor the bill
hat recently passed Congress includes the block
n Eleventh street between Virginia avenue and
streets, but there is clause in our charter which
ives the company the right to lay a track one
lock when it is for the purpose of connecting the
Dad with stables The company has recently
urchased building on the corner of Eleventh
nd streets, just one block from the present track
there they propose to have stable, and the char
er cOnfers the right to lay track OH that block
But the Commissioners have put stop to this,
ave they not?'
"Ies; eydid that last Thursday but when they
nme to examineinto the chartered rights of the
Gmpany they viii find that they have not the
ght TO do this"
''Well, but it is alleged that the company wishes
evade the requirement TO run their road down
ourteenth street, so that the two cent system
innot go into force
That is mistake The company proposes to
IN the road down Fourteenth street to the Bureau
Engraving and Printing, as provided in the
ILL.,"
q When do they propose TO Go that?"
well, don't know when exactly but in the |
purse of two or three months ut the filrthcst"
Guriey Chapel Dedicated. !
The chapel Of the Gurley Mission. on the 6
,rner of Sixth street and Boundary was dedicated