Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-19
THE TIME EXPIRING
When Horses Must Be Abandoned
BY the Metropolitan R. R. Co,
THE Law OF CONGRESS ON THE SUBJECT
Not Likely That Its Provisions viii
Be Complied With.
ITS CHARTER IN DANGER.

ITS CHARTER IN DANGER.
Saturday will be a rather interesting day to
the officers Of the Metropolitan Railroad Com
pany. The fact is that the 22d Of July has
been point toward which they have been look
ing during the past year with the interest which
man is supposed to regard the date
fixed by the court when he is to take q last, II
reluctant, farewell Of this world. Perhaps the
| company does not look upon the occasion as
being pregnant with as great consequences
| as the illustration implies. The law
as read by plain citizen
says that il the road Is not equipped with Q
motive power other than horses BY that time
its corporate franchise shall be forfeited
The execution Of such sentence means the
| loss Of existence to the company. 1t has, how
ever, stared death in this form in the face before
and, in fact, is now engaged in An effort to con-
vince the court thatit ought to be allowed to live
even II it did not pay Its paving bills some years
ago, in spite Of the fact that Congress directed
the bills should be paid or its charter should be
| forfeited. Now. while forfeiture proceedings
under one law Of Congress have been inaugu-
| rated, the company is confronted with another
law which carries with it exactly the same
penalty.
The Action Of Congress.
Nearly three years ago Congress directed that
the Metropolitan should change it's motive
power within two years from the passage Of tho
| act. year ago an extension Of the time was
| secured. In order that the situation may be
fully understood the laws on this subject are
printed in full. The first is the law approved
August 6, 1890, which il as follows:
That any street railroad company In the
District Of Columbia authorized to run cars
drawn by horses which has changed or may
| its lines now constructed to cable or
| electricity, or change its rails in &C.
cordance with the provisions Of law shall have
the right to issue and sell, at the market price
thereof, stock Of said company to an amount
| necessary to cover the cost Of making said
changes, the cost Of said changes and the
amount OF said stock sold, together with
the price per share, to be fully set forth, under
the oath Of the president Of said company and
| nled with the Commissioners Of the District
leges herein granted shall, within two
years. wholly dispense with horses
! as motive power on all portions Of its line
| and substitute therefor the power provided for
| In the act making appropriations for the ex-
penses Of the government Of the District
OF Columbia, approved March 2, 1889, or
pneumatic or other modern motive power which
shall be approved by the Commissioners OF the
District Of Columbia, but nothing In this act
contained shall in any wise suthosiss the use
OF overhead appliances: Provided, Thst II
any such company operating q line or
lines OF street railroad from Georgetown or West
Washington to and beyond the Capitol grounds
| shall fail 70 substitute for horse power the
power herein provided for all its lines within
two years from the date Of this act such COM
An Extension Granted.
A year ago the company requested further
| extension Of time, and this was granted by
| joint resolution. which was approved
July %, 1892, and which provides "That
| the time within which the street
railroad companies availing themselves
appropriations to provide for the government
Of the District Of Columbia. and approved Au-
| gust 6, 1890, far as 1t extends
to the Metropolitan railroad. is hereby ex-
the passage of this act provided, that so fast as
the cars now building are equipped with storage
batteries they shall be placed on the road and
provided further, that pending the change the
| present equipment of the road shall be put,
kept and maintained in good condition; and any
[
/ going requirements as to equipments shall rem
der the said Metropolitan Railway Company
| liable to o fine Of not exceeding $25 for each
| day 80 in default, to be recovered by the Com
missioners Of the District Of Columbia, as other
fines are recovered in the District Of Columbia.
''Section 2. Congress reserves the right to
alter, amend or repeal this act"
| Still Using Horse Power.
1t is hardly necessary to inform the citizens
| ~ obi hot law bao hoa
piled with and that the required change in the
motive power is likely to be effected
within the time which now remsina
1t is true that the company has made q move
in that direction, and during the three years
that have elapsed has experimental with va
rious forms of the storage battery with the
idea Of equipping the road with cars run by
this power. few cars have been run on
the road and are now in operation,
but the horses furnish the motive power for a
large majority Of the cars When the sun goes
down on the 22d Of July and the hour of twelve
aTsa 1b4 0rds.Ds i s0sd that or ss isd ron of sos i
of horses will still be making music on the
cobble stones between the tracks Of the Metro
politan Railroad Company with much the same
rhythmic success as they did in the early and
callow days Of the city and Of street car loco
Probable Legal Proceedings.
No doubt the Commissioners Of the District
will become officially aware Of this fact, and
perhaps in the discharge Of their duties
they will notify the Attorney Gen.
erai of the state OF affairs and tho latter
official will follow the usual course and
instruct the district attorney to begin forfeiture
proceedings. Then the company will have a
chance to explain why they have not complied
with the law, and will no doubt point to the
efforts they have made and will tell an
interesting tale Of storage batteries and
the difference between working such an electri-
cal device on a street railroad that has curves
and grades and its operation in the shop when
SO many amphers through so many car hours
have been pieasingiy demonstrated.
| Perhaps q Question Of Judgment.
This information will be timely to the public,
who are somewhat skeptical. ss to the sincerity
of the efforts that have been put forth
by this company and are naturally apprehen-
sive Of the logical conclusion that the COM
pany will deduce from its experience. namely,
that the trolley is the only practicable motive
| power for this road. It is not denied that the
cable has proved itself to be practical device
| for getting street cars to move along
over the tracks in the streets of a
city. But this company decide
/ xbot ho -