Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-27

ito, and Georgetown and Metropolitan Rail
road companies was the principal matter under
d,senssion today in the Senate District committe.
room. Senator Mcmillan Of the subcommitte.
on the bill conducted the hearing alone 10,
awhile but before the proceedings warmed III
Senator Hansbrough took a seat at the
left OF the chairman. Clustered around
the southern end Of the table were
street railroad magnates-President Hurt
Of the Washington and Georgetown
PRESIDENT Pearson of the Metropolitan and
resident Stephenson Of the Columbia. Be
n i these and encompasslng them on botf
hanks were newspaper men and telegraph op-
orators, who would like to patronize street
cars In the early morning rather than walk te
their homes.
MR.. HURTS OBJECTIONS
Mr. Hurt was the frstto make any official re-
marks He said the demand for all-night ser
vice was not sufficient to justify the company
In operating it. The experiment had been tried
and the figures (which he presented) showed LEST
than 120 passengers per day. He thought that
not more than one-fourth of the passengers
were working people going to or returning
from labor. The cable road WAS now run t"ents
hours out Of each twenty-four; the caoie
was run slowly for one hour Ionse !,
so that it might be carefully examined anu, :.
necessary, repaired. This would leave pI'
three hours which could be applied to the ~on
of cleaning out the conduit. Cleaning tooN No. ~
ten days once every three months Inc funniLs W
horse cars over a cable road wouIu lne
very materially with cleaning anu ~ ~1'
prsc ticable to run the cable continuously. =
would try to inaugurate and maintain su9H "
seryiye ms WAS asked for if the demano was
suficient-say about 500 passengers esch night
SOME PERTINENT QUESTIONS PUT.
In RESPONSE to questions by Mr.John IN iner
Mr.. Hur, said he did not know how the con-
dn;, co,Ia he cleaned if horse cars ran over the
road oven at intervals of half an hour. horses
had been legislated out OF existence ~
motors and as a consequence the company nsu
made no arrangements for any morse ea1
service L,ov bov Tho
Mr.. E. NJ. Hood wanted to Know now tne
companv would Operate their 7th street road In
case the cable was disabled, ana Mf. hurt SAID
they could provide Tor that now, because the
avenue and l4th street lines syn ussa HORSES;
After the entire system was caoled tnat would
he in,nossible In his opinion 1t would be lille
cal ofter August 6 to put horses on even while
break was being repaired
Then Mr. Hood suggested that this would be
good time to impress upon the committee
- Necessity for making provision for
s we service. The cable system
was great Improvement over horses,
but if with its adoption was to come the posi-
bility of DAY or two OF service cessation on
account of accident some precautionary meas
ure should be considered
Mr.. Hurt called attention to the fact that
since the LIST Of Nav last there had been but
five stoppages of the 9TH street cable during
its worAIng day. The time lost on account OF
these stoppages was fifty minutes, an average
Of ten minutes for each interruption 10
AIRY ont the requirements OF the bill the COM
pany would need from twelve to fifteen cars
Ind thirty or more horses
Mr.. PIERsoS WILL run ALL NIGHT IF NEcEs-
sARY.
Senator Mcmillan then asked President Pier
ION of the Metropolitan road If he had any
hing to say. Mr.. Pierson said he had no
.xnerience with all-night cars. 1t would
not be practicable for the company to OPP
crate their electrical motor cars for the
entire twenty-four hours. because the ma
,hinery would have to be cared for and the
charged during the very hours which
this bill intended the cars to run. II would
take seven cars TO operate the company's nine
teen miles of track. He stated very positively
that the company would not hesitate to meet
,ucn a demand as was voiced in the bill. I'VE
are ont for business said he, land il there is
any business day or night We want il"
Mr. Miller then called the attention Of the
committee to the statement and said it was evil
IDENTIFY conceded that the all-night system was
practicable IT was a matter of demand and
demand was simply profit. The other consid-
Grafton. therefore. involved wasa financial one.
Mr.. Cornelius Gardner told the committee
how the Chicago cable companies run horse
'ars over their tracks in the early morning.
He said that the interval between the
AIRS was never greater than half
IN hour Some Of the companies
an on fifteen-minute Roadway. He recol-
ected that there was considerable objection to
IN all-night service by the Chicago companies,
md he also remembered that the common
council came TO the conclusion that the COM
,anies made enough money in the day time to
the trifiing philanthropy at
light
WASHINGTON AS A VILLAGE.
senator Mcmillan asked some questions
bout the comparative populations of Chicago
md Washington and remarked that Washing
on was still good deal of a village.
That may be so." said Mr.. Gardner, "but
he people don't appreciate the fact"
I'VE are irving to make a city Of it," said
senator Mcmillan.
And this is one of the steps" interjected Mr.
Hood.
Then Mr.. Hood asked President Hurt if the
eceipts Of the company on any day fell below
he amount expended.
Mr.. Hurt said they did-every night
THE DAILY RECEIPTS.
That is not my question" said Mr. Hood.
i am talking about the business for the en-
ire twenty-four hours, and Mr.. Hurt smiled
lutte a broad smile, but he assured Mr.. Hood
hat the Washington and Georgetown Company
gathered in at least reasonable proft every
lay.
Mr. wELLERs PROPOSITION.
The East Washington Citizens Association
vas represented by Mr.. M. i. Weller. He
thought the pecuniary phase of the question
hould not receive much consideration,
lud Messrs. Hurt and Pearson at once
declared that the pecuniary question did not
tut any figure. Mr.. Weller said that the great
majority of residents of East Washington when
hey happened to be caught out late at night
wanted TO ride home. He proposed test. sug-
costing that both companies operate an all night
service for three months and on the con-
Illusions reached some permanent arrangement
might be made. lie wanted it distinctly under
TODD that in this movement there was no spirit
Of hostility toward the companies. He COM
plImented both corporations for the courteous
manner in which they had always treated the
public in the past.
ACTIONS OF Conductors AND DRIvERs
Mr.. Hood then charged that agents of the
company had discredited the all night service
which the Washington and Georgetown author
ties had put in operation for q
short time. He called upon Mr.,
u. II. Harries to substantiate his state
nent- Mr.. Harries related some Of his ex-
periences while passenger In the all-night
cars, and showed how conductors and drivers
neglected their duty and failed to pay attention