Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-04-09
The Metropolitan Bill Under Debate
Today.
DISTRICT DAY IN THE HOUSE
Members Who Opposed Granting
the Road Further Privileges.
DEFENSE OF THE BILL


trict day. The measure was the Richard
son bill requiring the Metropolitan Rail-
road Company to equip and operate its
lines with an underground system for pro-
pulsion of its cars: Provided. That the
change shall be completed within one year
after the date Of the approval Of this act
on what is known as the 9th street line
ana That within two years thereafter the
change to an underground system shall he
completed upon all the residue Of the lines
OF said company, including an extension
thereof on East Capitol street from sth
street east to 18th street east around both
sides of Lincoln square.
The bill authorizes the company to issue
lts bonds, secured by a mortgage on It's
franchises and other property, 10 such
amount as may be necessary to pay the cost
OF the work 10 be done and OF the materials
required and the expenses incident to the
change to be made. To this was added
I also as section the provision agreed TO
/ by the committee: THAT nothing in this
act shall be SO construed as to invalidate
or IN anyWlse aneet the suit now pending
/ in any court of the District of Columb bia
against the said company for the forfeit
ure Of its charter for non-performance Of
4 its duty in respect Of paving the spaces
between It's tracks, &c, and that in case a
judgment is rendered against the company
J II may be fully Cancelled and vacated by
/ the payment by SAID company to the Dis
/
within ninety days from the rendition Of
said judgment"
The question pending was the proposed
| amendment providing that the under
ground system provided for in the bill shall
be an electric system. Mr.. Hepburn ad-
vocated the amendment and IL was adopted
| without a division.
MIR. Hepburn Opposes the Bill.
| Mr.. Hepburn then moved TO strike out
the last word and took the floor to oppose
/ ha He cai1 hat
he proposed 10 make a motion to recommit
the bill with instructions TO the committee
to report a bill reserving all the rights the
government had conferred on the Meror.ol-
| itan railroad ana providing for the proper
! use OF the franchises. He said that the Me-
tropolitan road had treated Congress with
| Wanton ana absolute contempt They had
| refused TO pay a just due to the District not
| oc $4,000, but OF s234,000. They had ie-
norei the commands Of Congress and had
| disregarded all their obligs tions. At the
outset, when the road had been given In
1884, exclusive franchise, the company had
I Tor number of years made no move to-
ward giving the public the facilities for
| which their charter was granted.
Mr.. Cobb said that it was understood that
| no part OF this expense should be borne by
| the road. Mr. Hepburn denied this Mr.
Coob retorted that the agreement to that
effect was valid Mr.. Hepburn interrupted
| TO say that courts had held differently, and
! for moment the voices OF the two mem
bers were mingled in unintelligible confu-
| sion Soon afterward Mr.. Kilgore projected
| himself into the debate to ask a few oues-
tons. which Mr. Hepburn readily answered.
! The latter then proceeded with his analy sis
OF tne SITUATION. Mr. Cobb asserted that In
| the trial OF the case the question had been
deftly divided, so as to take the most vul-
nerable point out OF the hands Of the Jury.
10 this Mr. Hepburn declared that the trial
had been prefectly fair.
MIR. Heard Explains.
AT this point Mr. Hanhf,,-n'e ff,,,a rv-
pired and Mr.. Heard asked, in behalf Of
the committee, for ten minutes in order TO
explain the position OF the committee. He
read from the report to point out the prop
ositions OF the company. He said that the
committee had decided to report the bill
10 the House. so that IL might be amended
In the best way. IL Mr.. Hepburn thought
the road was getting too much grace why
did he not move TO amend the bill TO make
the company pay all the money said 10 be
due? In whose interest" he asked. lis
the gentleman working? IL in the interest
of the people OF the District why don't he
make the road do all he claims il ought to
do?"
Mr.. Coombs OF New York took the
floor next TO oppose the bill.
lie read some statistics of the financial
status Of the local railroads. The WASH
ington and Georgetown railroad in ten
years had. he said, paid 80 PER cent profits
and the Metropolitan company, with s745.-
600 worth OF stock issued, and 500. 600 less
than that paid in, pays over u 1-2 per cent
We have come TO the dividing line in the
determination Of this question" he said.
Congress owes il to the District TO listen
to the voice Of the people and the Commits
sior'ers that the great wrong contemplated
by this bill should not be perpetrated.
hope the House Will adopt my amendment
70 make the company pay its honest debts
These charters will soon be of immense
value, and We should preserve them"
Mr.. Aliens Speech.
H.
fact that there was no amendment pending.
but Mr.. Allen OF Mississippi secured the
floor to move that the last word OF the sec
ton be stricken out in order that he might
make a speech against the committees
proposition. He said: II have been here
several years and have been watching
Washington street railroad legislation with
interest / remember when 1 first came Il
was proposed to Incorporate an important
l.ne and tremendous influence was brought
to bear by the existing lines to prevent the
passage Of The bill. There was a hot heht
and a great deal Of filibustering Then fol-
lowed TIE bill to make this railroad give
the people better facilities. This road 10
here now for the second or third time ask
ing for extra time and yet has done
nothing TO carry out the provisions OF the
bill. We hear a great deal about the
squeezing process / think that process 10
on the other side.
''Street railways all over the country have
adopted that process whenever they get
valuable franchises, squeezing the people
dry. This railroad has got into a hole
and must have further legislation TO pre-
serve the franchise They are very willing
to do the right thing nOw-'Nhcn the devil
was sick, the devil saint was he -"
A loud mUrmur Of amused protest against
Mr. Aliens form Of quotation interrupted
his speech for a moment but he went on
They went into court and PLEADED the
statute OF limitations. 1 nave no DISPOSE
ton. as one member % Congress- 10 hu-t
this road but / am unwilling TO see this
bill passed / don care about the tech
nicalities-the road has taken advantage OF
a great many.
They have got a franchise worth a great
deal more money than they owe the Dis
trict. They have forfeited IL. and now they
want TO save Il. The just thing is that the
matter should be adjusted with conditions
You may call ii squeezing process n you
| want to, but # is the business OF this Con-
gress. before any further privileges are given
the company, to make II do what IL should
do
Mr.. johnson for the Bill.
Mr.. Johnson Of Indiana said he hoped the
correctness of Mr.. Aliens facts was better
| than his quotation. He attributed his an
| tagonistic attitude to his general antipathy
| to corporations. The company. he said,
| was faced with the impossibility OF using
two of three systems. and now asked to be
chs ~ th.a fr1 NJ