Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-12
RAILROADS AND GAS
Meeting of the East Washington Associa-
ton.
Satisfo ctiOn Expressed Over the Com
plctfOn of the Cable System-
Report ON Dollar Gas.

Tour years ago, the Improvement IN the
street car service vas one Of the topics dis
cussed At last nights meeting Of the as
ISOLATION some Of the members reported
that they had ridden on the new cable car
Of the Columbia road. and in view Of the
Improvement which had been made in the
motive power of the road. they thought the
occasion worthy of a celebration. Although
there were a small number of members
present the more active ones were there,
and the meeting was an interesting one.
There was only one cable car running on
the road, and when it's loud sounding bir-r
was heard it was almost necessary for the
meeting to take recess, in order 70 give
the members a chance to inspect the i'm
provement. The car having passed soon
after the reading of the minutes, President
Tucker called for the reports of commit
tees.
Secretary Miller of the railroad commit
tee who communicated with the Commits
sioners concerning the alleged failure of
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
to comply with the regulations concerning
headlights on engines when backing, pre-
sented to the association his report, which
comprised the report made to the Commits
sioners by Inspector Beggs of the engineer
department
Chairman Holster of the railroad COM
mittee said that the committee had not
had a meeting since the last meeting of the
association, and he had nothing in addi-
ton to what Secretary Miller had reported.
Sixth Street Crossing.
In connection with the railroad question
Mr.. F'rizzell called attention to the publica-
ton in The Star Of few days ago Of
report made by Attorney Thomas in re-
gard to the 9th street crossing, in which
he told how the company might be indicted
- Vii. 1,~~ 4tI is- tIN
position the association took year ago,
when District Attorney Birney blocked its
efforts. The opinion was given when the
question OF an under crossing was sug-
gested.
President Tucker also spoke of the place
where the railroad tracks pass at 9th
street. and said he thought every effort
should be made to get crossing of some
Kind at this place.
Mr.. Frizzell, resuming, told of his visit to
the Commissioners, where he verified the
publication in The Star, and then he called
on Mr. Thomas and in conversation with
him learned that the company could be
prosecuted for obstructing crossings, and
he also thought that the company could
be prosecuted for parking the cars south
of III street.
MIR. Frizzeil also presented the report of
the committee on Streets avenues and
alleys on the question OF the sweeping of
II street northeast, which referred to the
clouds OF dust made by the sweepers. He
said he had made an examination of the
work, and found that it had been imper-
fectly done. In connection with the COM
plant about the sweeping of II street, Mr..
Frizzell read q report from Superintendent
Mckenzie of the street cleaning depart
ment. When H street was swept after the
snow had disappeared the sweepings he
said. were not removed but were left to
be scattered back over the street!
The report was received and adopted.
About the Last Congress.
Several committees were called, but no
responses were made. and President Tuck
er announced that he would appoint Mr.
D. C. Smith as a member of the school
&C mmittee.
When the committee on proposed legis-
lation was called President Tucker who is
chairman of the committee, said that the
committee always has something to say.
Il am opposed to criticising the dead"
said Mr.. Tucker, i'll opening his remarks,
but It is my duty to say something about
the action of the defunct Fifty-third Con-
gress."
He said it would be much easier to tell
what Congress had not done than to tell
what 1t had done, but the association
would have to make the best of things as
they found them. By way of explanation
he said that Congress had to grapple with
matters of national legislation.
Il won't say they accomplished much"
he said. but they did grapple with the
questions"
During the closing hours of Congress, he
said, some attention was given matters
pertaining to the District, and some meas
ureS of Importance were passed. One spe-
cial subject acted upon was the raising of
the dam at the Great Falls, and for this,
he thought, Congress deserves the greatest
commentator. Certain sections of the
city, he said, had been threatened with a
water famine, but never until the recent
cold weather did the citizens in some sec
tons find that they had to borrow water
from their neighbors or go without it.
He also referred to the appropria ton
bill, the amount of money appropriated for
street improvements and other matters OF
Importance. III connection with the school
question he spoke of the necessity for more
schools in Northeast Washington, and said
that at least two more buildings were
needed, as there were many children un.
able to attend school,
Onc-DoiIar Gas.
Following this President Tucker present
ed a long report Of the action of the
committee and the result of his personal
investigation on the subject of the reduc-
ton in the price of gas to 81 per 1000
cubic feet, an increase in the candle power,
&c.
He stated that the association had been
represented by subcommittee on proposed
legislation at numerous public hearings on
this subject by the Commissioners, the
House District committee, and the Senate
District subcommittee. He then spoke in
detail of the last hearing by the Senate
District subcommittee, held on January
a. He referred to a conversation held with
Senator Faulkner relative to the practi-
cabili.y of the proposed reduction and
gave an analysis OF the figures furnished
by the company of their. receipts and eX-
penditures. He maintained that with the
proposed reduction, the company could pay
dividend of q per cent on the capital
stock and leave q surplus Of $5,999.61. This
surplus, he said, would be materially in
creased by the profit from the street light
ing service, which, owing to the absence
of figures, is not included
The report commented on the extensions
made by the company and said it had been
represented by the company that 1t had
been compelled to go to the expense OF
such extensions, especially in sections
where there were no buildings. The Ia
koma Park extension. the report added,
was not ordered by the Commissioners, and
while it was desired and asked for by some
of the residents of the Park, cit was not
laid for that reason; the obvious reason
for making this costly extension was that
a new company was about to erect plant
to furnish gas to the Park and neighbor-
ing suburbs
It was further stated by Mr.. Tucker that
he was informed by the Engineer Commits
sioner that only one order had been issued
requiring an extension of the mains, and
that had only been partly complied with