Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-24
CITY AND DISTRICT
CABLE ElECrRsC RAILROAD RtyL.
i's Provisions as IL Passed the senate
Yesterday.

NAD1n ftsECfHtt RAILROAD BILL.
i's Provisions as IL Passed the senate
Yesterday.
ANxsDxxSTs WHICH WE'RE ADOPTED AND THOSE
WHICH wsRr EEJzcrsp-soxE FONTS FsoN TIA
DxBATz-GENERsL DISCUSSION or THs SUBJECT OF
STREET RAILROADS IN THE DISTRICT
rate the Washington Cable Electric Railway ca. OF
the District OF Columbia. some committee amend-
ments were adopted making slight changes In the
west Washington portion Of the route.
TUE TINE FOR TIE HcRsE-cAR Il GONE
As stated In ye ,terisy's STAR. Mr.. Vest offered
an amendment proposing 20 put the cable fran
chise up at auction under direction OF the Com
misssoners ana the Secretary Of the Interior, the
highest and best bidder 70 have the route. In sup
port OF his amendment Mr. Vest said:
al am not hostile 10 a system OF cable railways
think that the time for the horsecar Is gone, and
that In few years n will not be known, except In
failed 10 keep up with the progress OF Invention
ana Of the age. In the city where now live there
ly suppianted within the past few years the sys-
TEN of horse-car railroads, and are giving entire
satisfaction think that to-day ahe h9rse-ca ar
or towns ,nss the ID riSs-ock mSskes
has To the improved firearms OF the present period
Whilst this Is So and believe that In the city OF
Washington, as In all other cities OF the country,
u
ways. want 90 assert the principle and believe
IL TO be n correct principle, that the franchises
granted TO such corporators should bring the lar
Yes1 amount OF money possible to the general pub
hc It Is an accepted proposition on both sides of
this cham Der, that the Government with all It's
privileges and all It's franchises belongs 70 the peo
Die OF the country without distinction. II a fran
rhipe can be operated just well and at the same
time relieve the other people OF municipality or
OK the country OF taxation. why should not that
principle be adopted? What Is there disgraceful
or improper In asserting the proposition when
Government for private gain, whilst at the same
time IL Is for the accommodation OF the people
pie OF the municipality or OF the country7'
fHH CABLE sYsrEM PAYS ENORMOUS PRoPTrs
senator Vest said that tine cable system pays
enormous PROFITS; even better than horse cars, and
continued as follows: ION one horse-car railroad
In the city Of Washington the subscribers to its
stock have paid $50 on the 500, and to-day the
stock Is worth $500, and IL has been three times
waite ed" He could not see why the owners OF
such valuable franchises as that pending should
not pay the public for the privilege. He main
tained that under proper restrictions there would
be nothing undisnifed or Objectionable In the
auction plan
SENATOR rIrxs SHARPLY cHrrrcrsEs THE PRESENT
Senator Plumb thought that while upon the
question the Senate should require existing street
railway companies TO bear portion of the burden
OF taxation here He had not sufficiently ex-
amined the subject to enable him 10 say whether
the pending bill would afford ample facilities or
not; "but," added, Il do know That this city Is
worse pro dded with means OF public transporta-
ton than any city In the United States that know
anything about one city In my state of 10000
people has more miles Of street railway than wash
railroads of this city are reapiHg enormous profts
TO the pubic. Any favor have felt toward this
bill grows largely out Of the desire 10 break up the
monopoly Oh those who are now engaged III the
transportation OF the public by means OF street
railways In this District. think. on the whole,
IL N n ON "a
new nne-and am entirely willing 10 agree to
that-we should provide as stringent rules as pos
soe In regard to this franchise so does not yield
an undue prort TO those who may invest In the
railroad IL provides for, and that the public may
grant OF this franchise. We ought to attach also
the most onerous Conditions 70 existing lines
cnless we do n BY means OF some such bill, we
shall never DO anything. These Other railroads
have franchises worth large sums OF money. They
are realizing on them now. The uncertain time
has gone BY. Whatever risks there were have
been encountered and overcome and they are now
In the possession OF very certain income, q very
large one, and q largely increasing one. They not
only do not Keep the streets In proper repair, and
they do not furnish adequate accommodation to
the public. but they are small, narrow, and mean
In every particular-the meanest think OF ali the
corporations OF that kind / know anything about,
considering the inducement there is before them
constantly 10 serve the public In generous and
ample way. think while We are at IL we ought to
take up ;he entire question and deal with them In
the proper way, making them amenabe TO the
proper taxes and such regulations Will secure
from them that which they have heretofore failed
10 give, adequate service 10 the public"
Mr. PLrxB's ONLY FEAR
Continuing, Mr.. Plumb said that his only fear OF
the auction plan was that under IL the existing
corporations would bid high enough to get pos
session OF this and other franchises and thus pre-
vent the construction or any new roads
Mr. Vest said he was willing TO extend the
amendment 50 as TO make It cover all street rail-
ways In the District.
PROTESTS AGAINST TIE AUCTION PLAN.
MI Riddieberger protested against the auction
plan, saying that legislation offered by him should
never be the subject Of barter and SALE "Do not"
ne sdded In a pleading tone, put up the BILL but
pss up the senator (vest and sell him."
senator Spooner regarded the auction plan as
unseemly, undtgnified and, while ne believed In
making eorporauons pay taxes, ne DID not want TO
Their:
at seems 70 me we ought to be moved by one
purpose only 10 the enactment of such a law Does
the public interest require the creation OF such
corporation? IL it does, under proper safeguards
and 10 proper persons let Us give the franchise II
the public Interest Is not 10 be subserved by such
legislation let US withhold the franchise
j believe that the sale Of franchise by a state
or by Congress brings into the contract an e.e-
meat which never ought 10 exist at this day be-
tween the law-making power and the recipient OF
such corporate franchise.
II do not know why as have said before. n
franchise for the operation OF little street rail-
way within the corporate limits OF the city OF
as my friend might sell a horse or a wagon. L.
may be more sentiment than sense, but %
me u seems an .unseemly thing for the
Government OF the United states 10 DO.
THEsE CORPORATIONS OUGHT TO PAY TAXES
They ought u pay full measure OF taxes This
Is not the means TO compel Il. We reserve the
right TO change the tax, which fix In the CHAR
ter Itself. IL this rate Is not sufficient Congress
has the power % Increase 10, and n we pass TINS
Dill nxing the rate OF taxation on gross earnings
at per cent. or 10 or 20 per cent and In the
course OF tim ~ should appear that this coruor,
prDDOrrlOn mn n. a,
burdens, not paying It's share OF taxes In prupor-
Ton 10 the burdens which other prop
erty bears Congress could increase it
70 so per cent, require them even, II
u was thought BEST. 70 pay One-half Of their net
earnings Congress has constantly the right to
deal In the way OF taxation and In other respects
with TINS corporation. Three years from now Il
might De wise In the Judgment OF Congress 10 re-
duee the fares which this corporation Is author
lied by the BIZ 10 charge from 70 3 cents or even
70 cents. No one can tell what the necessities
OF the future will develop Ia that regard Do you
want 70 put the corporation In a position to come
TO Congress and say as a reason why that should
states for this franchise; we bought it as you
made IL; We bought IL as you laid down the terms
In the law. am having paid for IL, IL should lie let
alOne% i think, without taking the time OF the
senate, and with all deference TO the SENATOR
that this Is not good policy for the Con-
xss ot the United States 70 adopt as 10 corporate
SENATOR VEST RErogrED
that nothing could be more objectionable than
the method In vogue OF obtaining franchises; that
aSndieste Is formed, and, IN New YORK, some
lines the Legislative body Ia bought up
Mr.. sIoOners thought the r,.ulc,ty for sucb evil
A u