Evening star., 1894-03-06
STREET CAR LINES
Some Information Wanted From the
District Commissioners.
4 DOZEN BILLS Fer new CHARTERS
Senator Mcmillan Asks if Any
More Roads Are Needed.
HIS OPINION Ms GIVEN

resolution of considerable Importance
to the street railway interests of the city
was introduced today in the Senate by Mr..
Mcmillan. chairman of the subcommittee
on railroads Of the Senate District commit
tee. The resolution reads as follows:
"Wheras, There are now before the
Senate twelve or more bills to charter lew
street railroad companies or to extend
existing lines in the District of Columbia;
Resolved. That the Commissioners of the
District of Columbia be, and they hereby
are. directed to inform the Senate:
First Whether any considerable number
Of the citizens of the District have repre-
sented to the Commissioners that there
Is need of increased street railway facilities
to accommodate the public, or have re-
monstrated against any new line;
second, Whether any new lines of street
railways are needed in the District for
public accommodat ton;
Third. Whether. in case such facilities
are required, such facilities can best be
obtained by chartering new companies or
Dy requiring the extension of existing lines;
Fourth, Whether 1t is feasible to require
a transfer OF passengers between city aud
SUBURBAN lines, so that by the payment Of
a single fare person may secure transpor-
tation from any point on one line of rail-
way to any point on a connecting railway
within the District of Columbia"
1t was at the suggestion of Senator Hale
that in the first question was inserted the
Senator Mcmillan asked for immediate con-
sideration of his resolution, but Senator
Allen objected, and 1t went over until to
morrow.
To Systematixe street Railway Char
Senator Mcmillan said to a Star reporter
that the object of his resolution was to
systematize, If possible, this matter Of
street railway charters.
LAS 1 stated in the resolution" he said
there are now at least twelve applications
for charters of railroads in the District
and l doubt il half of them in any way
represent the needs of the people. 1t was
noteworthy that two years ago there were
twenty-five franchises Of this character
asked for. and after thorough inveStiga-
ton by the committee Congress granted
only two charters. These were said to be
applied for In the interests of people living
in the outlying districts demanding addi-
tional roads. 1t was represented to Us that
the money for the building OF these roads
was all ready. and that all we had to do
was to grant the charter and that the roads
would be built without delay. Yet there has
not been a single spade turned on the con-
struction of either of these lines frora that
day to this. To my mind that demon stra tes
very clearly the character Of many II not
most of these applications. They are in
many cases merely made for speculative
purposes and their projectors have no idea
of building the roads, but seem to think
they can obtain concessions. from other
roads now existing by applying for OBJ
tanning these charters. Congress has no
objection to chartering street railway COM
panies in this city If they are really needed
by the people. but the problem is how to
reach the real wishes of the citizeus. 1t
seems to me that this resolution will come
as near to testing the actual demand as
anything else. The Commissioners of the
District must surely feel better than we
do here the pressure for or against street
railway extensions, and l think that full,
frank answer to this inquiry will give the
committee much valuable Information.
Little Need for New Roads.
'"rhere appears to be little need now for
any new roads except perhaps a cross town
line in the northwest. This project has
been advanced and fought many times and
is still unsettled. owing, 1 really think, to
the uncertainty of the fate of the Metro
politan company, which. as You know, is
now under investigation by the House CON-
mittee 1t is probable that after this ques-
ton has been settled we can take up the
matter and get to decision about cross
town lines 1 am really in favor of al
lowing this line to be constructed by one
of the already existing companies. and par
ticularly by one making profits. l have no
ticed that during the last few years a num-
ber Of lines have been constructed into the
suburbs that are not making a cent today,
and are really losing money on the invest
ment. There can be but one cause for this,
and that is the lack of patronage. That
means nothing if IL does not mean that
the roads were not really needed in the first
place. I think it would be better to allow
these suburban or semi-suburban charters
to be granted to the roads that now are
able to exist without a loss that are
making money. They would be able to give
the people better service without continual
ly asking for relief and without being in
constant danger of collapse"