Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-17

Another OF the Denencent efIectS OF the
clam" system of municipal government
such as Is now in vogue in the District is
being demonstrated by the experience Of
residents in the nsighborhooi of Eleventh
and streets, some Of whom have been on
record for nearly a week in protest against
the occupation of that corner by the Belt
Railway Company for the storage Of hold
over cars and resting place for horses.
More of these residents would doubtless
have Joined in this protest had the exist
ence of the complaint been made public.
1t has just now leaked out, however. and
an astonishing state of affairs is devel-
oped. The Belt company, so-called, has re-
Gently violated the provisions of its charter
by ceasing to be a belt railway and by
establishing two distinct lines neither of
which has the elements Of the continuous
route except at q small part Of one end of
one Of these lines, where a loop q few
blocks In length and one block in width has
been established. The trunk line on Elev
enth street has termini at the south and
north ends of the line. 1t was thought per-
haps that with the o and, 2 street loop the
other line would have but one terminus
that at Eleventh and E streets northwest.
But 1t now appears that the company, de-
termined to get rs far from its original
character as possible, seeks to establish a
new terminus at Eleventh and o streets;
necessitating a change Of horses and an
accumulation of cars. Both of these per-
formances have become nuisance to the
residents in that neishborhood and the re-
suit is that the street. which is a consider
able thoroughfare for that section. is
blocked and traffic is impedsd. The STALL
ing of ten or fifteen horses in the streets
hlf ho Of
annoyance to the citizens through the &C
emulation Of filth, which during the sum-
mer months will be very offensive. 1t Is
stated that negotiations are pending for
the purchase Of corner property whereon
1t is suspected, stable will he erected,
thus making The really useless and GER
tainfy disseminating terminal arrange
ments more permanent and injurious to the
surrounding property. 1t cannot he posi-
BILE that the Commissioners have deliber-
ately granted a request from the railway
company for the establishment Of this sta
ton, presuming that such q. request has
been made. As a matter OF fact, nothing
SO far as known justihes the assumption
that this request was made at all. In the
midst Of the great secrecy that Is thrown
around all official matters at tho District
building there is every reason to believe
that the railway company simply assumed
the right to establish this terminal station
and now holds the privilege through a sort
Of 'squatter Sovereignty" There have
been quite enough Of these Entertainments
on public rights and privileges In the past
on the part of street and steam railroad
corporations and 1t Is pity that the pro-
cess is to be aided by the methods of silent
government that have been pu. in force at
the District building. Doubtless If the
complaint had been made public when re-
ceived 1t would have been seconded ere
this by thousands Of citizens, both resi-
dents In that locality and others who have
no sympathy with the steady tendency of
the street railroads to increase at the pub
lie expense the value Of the franchises
which they hold so cheaply. Such a terminal
station as that which the Belt company
now seeks to establish is undoubtedly of
great value to that corporation, else 1t
would not be undertaken. But where in
the transaction does the public come in?