Evening star., 1894-03-24
On Monday the House of Representatives

On Monday the House OF Representatives
will in the ordinary course of events. be
called upon tc consider legislation In which
the District OF Columbia is deeply interested.
First among the measures on the calendar
Is the bill which in effect authorizes the
Metropolitan Railroad Company TO continue
TO live on condition that II changes the char
aeter OF Its car-propelling motive power 10
q modern and understandable rapid transit
system This bill has already been the sub
3ect Of much discussion and should by this
time be thoroughly understood. Were there
po such thing in existence as that organiza-
lion which is frequently referred to as the
strolley-combine." 1t Is quite likely that the
measure would ere this have become law in
, shape satisfactory to the public. but Ii
eas pleased that powerful monopoly to in
lerfere In it's own behalf and to endeavor so
10 amend the bin as to put money in Its
own pockets at the expense Of the people
OF the capital Effort on that same line Is
10 be made on Monday, and the advocates
OF the least desirable Of all forms OF the
electric motor boast, through their lobby,
that they will control the House The people
OF the District of Columbia, however, are
not willing to believe the House capable of
q deliberate attempt to wrong the national
capital and to damage its material inter-
has stated most positively it's opposition to
the overhead trolley and Its willingness to
adopt a much more modern and In every
respect more desirable electrical system.
The residents OF Washington are practically
a unit in opposition to the overhead trolley
and will surely continue In their opposition
until the wisdom of their stuboornaess will
be admitted even by those who today are
pledged to support the cheap anil nasty
street-car motor. In view. therefore. OF the
double barreled fact that the parties most
Immediately interested-the railroad COM
pany AMI the citizens of Washington-are
opposed to the erection OF obstruc:ing poles
and the stringins of dangerous wires. it is
only natural 10 suppose that Congress will
refuse TO be the creature OF the greedy
monopoly now intent upon capturing and
dlsfiguring many OF the city's most prom
inent and beautiful thoEoughfares. The
Metropolitan company has. after rluch In
yestigation, come to the conclusion that an
underground electric system bearing gen.
eral resemblance to the systems so success
fully operated in Buda-Pesth and on the L
street branch OF the Rock Creek road is
just what II needs in place OF horsefiesh,
and it Is prepared to go ahead with the
work of reconstruction as soon as Congress
shall say the word. Yet there are members
of Congress who will insist upon the adop-
ton by the company of a primitive and
dangerous method Of propulsion. inferior
In every respect to that which is desired by
the company and by the people who patron
izs It's cars.
There can be no question as to the sat
isfactOry manner in which at least two
OF these underground systems work; both
have gone far beyond the experimental
hv to
the overhead trolley will almost surely re-
suit In continuance OF the present un-
satisfactory state OF affairs, and an indef-
mite lengthening of the period during which
horses may be used to move the cars, for
the Senate is decidedly opposed to the troll
ley in Washington. Several of the indi-
vidual Senators look leniently upon the
trolley in the suburbs and in other cities.
but the great majority Of the Senate is on
record opposed to the overhead trolley
on the streets of the national capital. There
Is no reason why valuable time should be
wasted in either branch of Congress In an
effort to give the Metropolitan Company a
privilege it does not want. nor to impose upon
= community that has no voice in its legis-
lature a great and grievous burden. And
no abstract opinion to the effect that the
trolley is not SO black it is painted ought
10 lnuuce a congressman, WnlIe actlnS as q
legislator for the capital to deliberately
and gratutously force this nuisance upon
the community which, for the time being.
he represents-a community which would
view such legislation as an outrage. The
trolley is not in question in this bill. unless
IL is forced in through the lobby. No one
should declare himself an enemy to the
capital By voting for a trolley amendment
which is not asked By any of the visible
parties in interest, unless he sees clearly
that he will be thereby pecuniarily bene-
tted either directly through the lobby OF
individually through the increased value OF
his trolley Investments; and disinterested
legislators should make a point OF seeing
to 1t that the votes OF those who are to
profit financially by the trolley amendment
do not prevail.