Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-04-07

PROVING HOB STREET.
In accordance with the announcement made
yesterday Senator Allison this afternoon called
UP for consideration the District of Columbi'
appropriation bill. For some time the measure
moved along Just as rapidly as Chief Clerk John
son could read the text. but when the commit
tee amendment providing that .he Georgetown
and Tenieytown Railroad Company should
widen and pave . portion OF High street
Georgetown, was reached there Was lengthy
debate. Senator Morgan moved to amend the
committees amendment by providing that the
company should be required to pay only one
half the sum necessary ESTIMATED at s26. 900.
SENATOR HALE ON STREET RAILROADS.
Senator Hale INN ediately took the floor and
with a great deal Of vigor announced that the
company ought to be required to take up its
tracks and place them where they would not he
the nuisance and menace to the public safety
tracks in the middle of the road had been
gained insidiously. Since the time when they
were put down no man could safely allow any
members Of his family to drive into the eoun-
try by this road: there was continuous risk OF
accident with possible loss Of life. Street rail-
road companies we're endeavoring to
occupy every one Of the principal avenues
leading into the city. and so great was the
sound OF corporation clamor that the voice OF
the public was not heard. He had protested
in season and out Of season against this COB
bling-up process, but the work went on 1t
continues to go on, aud although Washington
was to be the great winter resort OF the coun-
try. the pride of q nation soon to number
zoe oo0. 900 Of people. these seizures of pub
lie territory continued. He was glad to be
aols to say that the committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia was awake to the true
condition Of affairs and he commended TO the
chairman Of that committee the neoecessity for
eternal vigilance. In all that had been done
by streat railroads il seemed tn him
that the Georgetown and Tenleytown
Company had been Q chief center. 1t got
its privileges IN a way which no one seemed to
know anything about. Other companies had
70 regulations provided for the safety and
comfort of the public. but this company
had not. II came into the Senate and pleaded
poverty; said it was unable to pave 1.Dc0 feet
Of street; alleged that II was not making money
snd could not afford to pay. He had been
bothered almost continuously by lobbyists
and lawyers and others interested in
these railroad schemes.
Mr. MORGAN DEFENDS THE COMPANY.
Senator Morgan said he thought the COM
pauy should not be compelled to pay the whole
amount Congress had given it the privileges
snd should not now burden the company with
unreasonable expenses. he Senator from
Maine spoke rather harshly, he thought.
of those who pressed upon tine attention of
Congress matters relating to the District of
Columbia Who else, he asked, had the people
Of this city TO represent them but lawyers and
lobbyists and other interested psrties2 How
else could the people Of the District
railroad were rs honestand as honorable as any
men in the country and he did not deem il i'm
proper to defend them
SUFFRAGE AND CORPORATIONS
Senator Vest said that whenever the District
Of Columbia bill came up there was always the
sanae cid talk about suffrage and corporations
He was of the belief that corporations
should be treated Just as individuals
were. but that was really of no con
sequence: no matter what bill provides the
corporations will do Just they please any
how. Some time ago a law was made requir-
ing railroad companies to lower their tracks
TO the level of the street. so that they
should not obstruct traffic. Yet the
Belt Line had paid no more attention to that
law than if il had never been enacted and the
officers Of the District made attempt
to enforce it. The corporations simply say
they will not obey law unless they see tit
to do so. 1t would be but a little
while before every street would be occupied BY
railroads. The chairman Of the District com
mittee had told him this morning that there were
before that committee more than twenty bills
to incorporate street railroads. He spoke of
these as being largely speculative measures. He
would vote with the Senator from Maine but
he did not look for any result to follow.
Senator Hale suggested that it might be
worth while to try once more, and to this Seua-
tor Vest responded that he would stay with the
Senator from Maine to the last day but he e1-
pected no good to come from any legislation
affecting corporations
CONGRESS TO BLAME.
Senator Cullom said he was satisfied that
Congress was to blame for anything that was
wrong in connection with street railroads in
this city. Senator Allison rehearsed the legis-
lation which empowered the company to oc-
cupy High street and the TenIeytown road.
Senator Mcmillan was convinced that it was
q fair proposition to require the COM
pany to pay the whole cost Of the i'm
provement The company occupied the entire
street. forcing all other vehicles than its own
into the gutter. II the company had been
more confederate Of public ri hts there would
not now be 30 much clamor among the citizens
Of Georgetown Thirty-seventh street would
have to be opened 30 to afford an outlet for
those who rode CT drove. That outlet would
not have been necessary had not the
company obstruetsd High street. II was not
asking too much Of the corporation to require
u 70 pay the cost of widening two squares. Mr.
Mcmillan said he would announce on behalf OF
the District committee that the committee
would protect the roads leading out of the
city; il would not recommend the granting
OF charters to companies unless those COM
panies could secure a right Of way outside the
limits OF the highway. The franchise OF this
company was q very valuable one. and while
perhaps the road not making very much
money now 1t would soon be a very desirable
piece Of property.
GLAD OF THE COMMITTEES STAND.
Senators Hale and Cullom both said they
we're pleated to know that the District commit
tee had taken that stand The streets anu
roads alike needed that protection.
Senator Hale showed how the Rock Creek
Railr DAD Company had been compelled 10 pro-
vide its own right of way and to spend hundreds
Of thousands Of dollars before il could operate
q foot of its road.
Senator Mcmillan called Senator Hale's at
tention to the fact that one bridge which the
Rock Creek Company had built cost more than
$4,000.
Discussion then ensued between Senator
Hale and Senator Morgan, and Senator Hale
declared that ID was very strange that when
ever an attempt was made TO require railroad
consequent upon improvements advocates
would always be found who would declare
on the senate floor that such efforts were un-
fair. This company had been favorite
corporation and had been permitted in some
mysterious way to destroy one Of the best ave-
nres In the eountry. Instead Of discussing
the amendments which were being considered
The Senate ought to be discussing whether il
should not make the company take M il,
tracks and buy It's own right Of wsy The