Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-28
SMOOTHING THE STREETS
Provisions Of the Senate Bill for Paving
Between Railroad Tracks.
General Sentiment Expressed Against
the Use of Cobble Stones By Street
Railways in washington.

Senator Mcmillan today endeavored to Sc
cure action by the Senate on the resolution
introduced by him several days ago regu-
lating the matter Of pavements between
tracks Of the street railway companies Of
this city. At its meeting yesterday the Dis
trict committee approved the substance Of
the resolution, but decided that 1t would be
better to have it in the form of q bill and
| accordingly the bill was drawn In the fol-
lowing shape: After the passage of this
act no street railway company shall pave
or repave with cobble stones the space be-
| tween or for two feet outside Of the tracks
Of such companies
In every case where a street railway COM
pany Is required by law to pave and keep
In repair the space between the tracks and
| two feet outside thereof. such paving shall
be done with asphalt, vitrifed brick or
granite blocks. and in every case where
pavements are laid with cobble stones are
| repaired by street railway companies, such
repairs shall be made with asphalt, vitri-
fed brick or granite blocks as the Commis-
sioners Of the District Of Columbia shall d.
rect"
Immediately after the reading of this bill
| Senator Hale said that he could not catch
the purport. owing to the noise in the cham
ber, and he asked Mr. Mcmillan to explain
| the BILL Mr.. Mcmillan said that the object
of the measure is to prevent the repairing
Of tracks with cobble stones.
CObble stones in Place of Asphalt.
| The District committee had been in
| formed. and its members believed it to be
| true. that in some cases companies are
| now taking up asphalt pavements and re-
placing them by cobblestones. The case In
point. he explained, is the extension of the
lexington road. The committee thought
that all these repairs should be made by
Belgian, vitrified brick or asphalt, accord
| ing to the judgment of the Commissioners.
"The idea, them" interjected Mr.. Hale.
is gradually to cause the cobblestones
between the railroad tracks to disappear
| from the face OF the city"
Mr.. Mcmillan assented to this, and Mr..
Hale asked him II railroads are now violat-
ing this principle. How can they do this
Senator believe that the District Commits
| sioners have In any case authorized the
| laying of cobblestones?"
1T seems to have been DONE" was Mr..
Mr.. Hale then pointed out that II this
were the case 1t would be a farce and
absurdity for the Senate to pass any meas
ure regulating the matter, while the Com
missioners might nulhfy all the good in
| tention OF the law by their discretionary
power.
Mr.. Harris explained that the Commits
sioners are only to exercise discretion as
between asphalt, Belgian block and vitrified
brick.
1T Is only fair for me to say" Mr.. Nc
MILAN continued that these cobble stones
| are being laid on a road now operated by
horses. on branch of the road where the
Commissioners have allowed the substitu-
ton Of horses for electricity"
Mr.. Hale's Amendment Accepted.
Mr.. Hale insisted upon an amendment to
be added to the end Of the bill in these
words: But In no case shall the repairs be
made by the use Of cobblc stones" This
amendment vas accepted by Mr.. Mcmillan.
Senator German asked Mr.. Mcmillan not
to press this bill. as there Is now In the Dis
| trict appropriation bill a somewhat similar
provision. The members of the commit
| tee on appropriations. he added are very
much interested in this matter, and he
asked Mr.. Mcmillan to allow the bill to be
laid aside for the present, so that II could
be compared with the District appropria-
| ton bill in order that there should be no
conflict between the two.
Il have no objection to this proposition"
| assented Mr.. Mcmillan. but as they are
laying these cobble stones now, the Senator
will see that 1t Is necessary to act very
promptly in the matter"
Accordingly, the bill was laid aside tenn
pOrarily.