Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-23
RAILROADS ON L STREET
A Petition Presented in the Senate From
Property Owners
The Action of the House Committee
Criticised-Senator Hale Makes a
Few FOrcible Remarks.

Senator Proctor today presented to the
Senate a memorial from a number of citi-
zens owning property on L street protest.
Ing against the passage OF Senate bill 1880
and House bill $3.50, extending the Belt
Railway Company's tracks along L street
The petition set forth that on the 5th of
April the signers and others made an ap-
peal for a hearing before the House COM
mittee on the District, and on the next day
at about O'Clock in the morning one of
them received by mail a notification that
a hearing would be granted at 10:30 on the
same morning. Owing to the sho-tness of
the interval, it was impossible to notify
the persons who were to appear. IAN ap-
plication for postpoaement and for a hear
ing on one or two days notice" continues
the petitioners, received no notice. In
fact, the House committees report is dated
on the same day, April g. on which We
were invited to be present, and il seems
that the report must have been prepared
prior to the invitation. We understand that
quite number Of the members of the
COMMITTEES were not present when the re-
port was authorized, although the bill deals
with such important interests OF property
and principles of legislation
The petitioners also state that they were
given no opportunity to appear before the
district committee, on whose authority
the route Of the proposed extension was
SiohSCu lEOIil N 10 L. street. 'lhe bills in
question:, the petition goes on, have not
been put on their passage in response to
any demand from the residents of the
streets In the northwest which il is pro-
posed to surrender to the said company for
It's railway. This is clear from the fact
that the residents and owners of lots on
the various cross streets from r to L have
protested against any such invasion Of the
quiet and repose of this residential part
of the city. Capitalists and spectators
naturally wish to develop and extend
the enterprises in which they are pecun-
iarily interested, but Congress should not
allow them to do this at the expense OF
those citizens who have spent their means
In improving their property and establish.
ing their homes as your petitioners have
done, which the proposed legislation would
destroy without compensation.
Compensation 10 Citizens.
when the time comes for a cross-town
railway In the northwest, 1t should be laid
out on the most direct and central avail
able route and provision should be made
for compensation to those citizens whose
property will be damaged so that the bur.
oen as well as the benefit of great public
convenience shall be distributed as equi.
tably as may be. Such a franchise, honest.
iy and efficiently administered, would be O.
great value and IL should be sold TO the
hlgnest responsible bidder or granted on
such conditions Of compensation in damages
and OF thoroughness OF construction eouip.
ment and service as might reasonably be
demanded and could undoubtedly be Sc.
cured"
The petitioners then proceed to STATE
the objections to the proposed route which
have been already published in The Star. and
crfticise the bill The petition is signed by
II. Clay Stewart, L. p. Graham, II. A VIII.
ltams, II. *. Willard, James NJ. Green ant
over seventy others
In presenting the petition Senator Procto,
said that 1t represented the views of a verS
large class OF citizens on a very important
matter, and he. therefore. asked the unani
NOUS consent that IL be printed as a docu
ment which was ordered. Appended 10 III,
petition are several clippings from tn,
Star.
Before the matter was finally disposed of
Senator Hale took the floor for a very briei
speech. For one, he said, he would affirm
very heartily any expression that comes
from any one else on the subject of the oc
cupation of the streets of Washington by
street railways. He said IL was a general
view on the part Of the street railway
schemers throughout the country thai
Washington is a very good place for Their
operations, and he hoped that the District
committee, to whom the petition was re-
ferred. would give due attention to tbs
claims and necessities Of the residents sign.
ing the memorial.