Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-06-09

Inc unfortunate feature OF the dinerence
OF opinion in the board Of Commissioners
concerning the merits Of street railway mo-
tors 10 that, IL the question of the best
motor were left to the board for decision.
the result would be paralytic inaction in
making a change. and the horses and over
head trolley would be left In undisturbed
control
Congress and the people Of the city have
not. however. imposed It as a condition
upon the street railways that In changing
their motive power they shall adopt the
motor which Is thought to be best by all or
majority o. the Commissioners or even by
q majority OF the whole community Horses
steam and the overhead trolley are wisely
tabooed. but among other motive powers
not Objectionable on similar grounds. the
widest range of choice Is properly granted.
the railways testing the selected improved
motor at their own expense. The discus
sion, therefore. between the Commissioners
on the subject of street-railway motors
while interesting and in some respects in
structive. should not be permitted to have
practical effect upon legislation in the
erection OF paralyzing action for the pub
he benefit in the speedy modern equipment
Of our street railways.
Congress has directed certain railways,
and authorized others, to substitute a me-
chanical motor. other than the overhead
trolley, for their horses. Prompt and Wig
orous action should be taken by Congress
TO bring about this change as speedily as
possible and over as many miles of track
as possible. for the sake Of the capital and
fits people. The choice between the cable,
the underground electric and the surface
mechanical motor may properly be left, as
already suggested. to the railway stock
holders. whose money Is expended in eff
fecting the change, and who. If any expert
menting is to be done. should be permitted
every discretion. not inconsistent with the
public interest, in the selection Of the SUBJ
3ect-matter of experiment.
If. for instance. the railway wishes to
substitute the cable for its horses, the fact
that the Commissioners unanimously dis
approve of the cable in certain respects
should not cause Congress to interpose the
slightest obstacle in the way Of the accom-
plishment of the change.
The cable, notwithstanding some objec-
tiopable features. Is vast Improvement
over horses and the overhead trolley. and
IS such the public will welcome It, II the
railway desires to use the underground
electric system. though two of the Com
missioners do not consider this system the
best, Congress ought promptly to grant the
road the necessary permission. Washing
ton and Buda-Pesth furnish incontrovertible
evidence that this system can be success
fully operated, and that it is far superior
20 horses or the overhead trolley. II any
railway wishes to test a surface mechani-
cal motor, though Commissioner Truesdell
criticises them on the strength of the re-
suits of the lexington roads experiments
with the storage battery under his presi-
dency, yet permission to try these improved
motors should not be denied. Compressed
air. gas and storage battery motors are
operated successfully in numerous European
cities. and II the trolley chill may be re-
moved in any way from the atmosphere
they ought to flourish equally well at the
American capital.
In short, the people Of Washington are in
favor Of any Of the improved modern
motors which are not. like the trolley, dan
gerous. obstructive. disfguring and destruc-
tive Of gas and water mains, and of COM
bustible property through fire. They well
come every step in undermining the local
street-railway equipment. no matter that
the system selected is not. in their opinion,
the IDEAL one. And they call upon Congress
TO stand firm in opposition to any extension
of the use Of either horses or the trolley in
the city, and to push forward vigorously
and without hesitation in the policy of
street-railway improvement and reform, to
which both the national legislature and the
national capital are thoroughly committed
Monday Is District day In the House of
Representatives.. and reasonable probabili-