Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-31
TROLLEY SPECTER.
The Attitude Before Congress of the Met
ropolitan Company.
Mr. Stephenson ut the Helm-How the Argu-
nnent for Overhead Wires VIII BE
Msde-A Dangerous Situation.

Tomorrow the newly elected president OF
the Metropolitan Railroad Company. -ir
w. ]. Stephenson, takes the management
Of the affairs of that company. It is not
expected that his advent INTO this wider
field Of street railway management will be
accompanied by any striking changes or
Innovations. The road will probably be run
in much the same fashion that it has fer
the past nine years. There is IN fact not
much new that could be undertaken at tbs
date unless 1t was along rather radical
lines. There is no indication that the ex-
periments with the storage pattery cars.
which have been in progress for the past
two or three years are to be abandoned
and some other motive power tried. Tie
company has not Yet admitted that the ex-
pertments are q failure. and 1t is said tnat
no assertion Of this character will be made
to Congress IL that body calls upon the
railroad company to explain xhy the law
has not been complied with and some mol
ern motive power substituted for horses.
The Attitude Of the Company.
1t is believed that the attitude Of the
company will be that of perfect willingness
to obey the law. but alleging an inability
to do so from causes which are beyond
their control. These causes are in the
main the backward state Of the science of
motive power for street railroads, the proof
ments which have been going on and are
still In progress. 1t Is understood that the
company will lay the facts before Congress
question: What are you going to do about
itF The company officially will no doubt
express perfect satisfaction If Congress
extends their time and permits them to
continue with their tests of the storage bat
terry cars. In the event that such a course
Of the law Of 1880 viii @ be coDtinned and tse
company will be freed from immediate
legal proceedings which. now threaten.
The Trolley Argument.
Thisis one phase Of the case. The other
and the most important to the public will
be the effort which will undoubtedly be
made to persuade Congress that there is no
just as well authorize the use Of the troll
ley along the streets of this city. Much
will be made OF the failure as it will be
called Of the Metropolitan to adopt an i'm
proved motive power. and however the case
may be put by the railroad company and
however much they may disclaim any
best interests of this city yet the fact re-
mains that the main hope of the trolley
people depends on the situation in which
this company now finds itself. It is also
true that officers and stockholders of the
road make no concealment Of their desire
that Congress at the coming session should
grant the privilege to this Company to equip
the road with overhead wires. The syndi-
cate which last spring bought the controll-
roads is outspoker in the matter and asserts
positively. that Congress is going to place
this city at the mercy OF the trolley COM
Millions in the Trolley.
No one not in the railroad business can
realize how much such a concession would
mean in hard dollars to those in the con-
troll OF these properties. 1t would not be
an exaggeration to say that millions of
dollars would fall into their pockets as
the result of such legislation III this As
true then II follows naturally that the men
VINO are going to make all this money,
willing to spend money. IL necessary. in
order to facilitate the wheels of leeisla-
ton Such policy has been pursued in
regard TO other schemes and there is every
reason to suppose that 1t will be adopted
IN the present case. It. is an open secret
.hat @ the control Of the Metropolitan rail-
road. which is still, it is said ready to be
transferred in bulk to whoever will pay
the price, will pass into other hands as
sS9n %h as the, the trolley privilege is gained
controlling interest in the stock of that
company would be regarded Offering a
profitable investment IL the trolley can be
used. The immense profits in street rail
roads. that have any traffic at ali. when
operated by the trolley are so well known
tnat u IS an easy matter to place the bonds
issued by such company and AT rates
.nat are extremely favorable to the manip-
settlement of the question once for all.
II Is held. would be good thing for ali
concerned. II II is positively known that
the trolley will not be allowed on the
streets OF this city, then the railroad COM
panies 1t is argued. will know what to ex-
pect as well as those who desire TO invest
in railroad properties in this CITY ana have
peen led to believe that there was In the
deal the possibility of securing the specuIa-
ton. which, 1t seems, is practically Inherent
in the trolley system. II would decide a
GOOD many things which have been agttat-
ing ana disturbing local street railroad cir
cies Tor several years past. and, more than
gu. 1t would then be possible to secure a
iair and practical test of the various sys-
TENS or street railroad motors which mod
ern science and inventive genius have nro-
duced. AS long, however, as the alluring
prospect exists Of securing the right to
equip road with the cheap and nasty
trolley every device which is orfered win
receive an offhand condemna ton as being
impractical and commercial failure. and
tne e, progress IN street railroad iocomotion
viii be slow and uncertain