Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-07-01
How the District Railroad Legis-
lation Was Accomplished.
HEARD OF NO LABOR MEN TAKING PART
More Letters From Congressman
Received at Headquarters.
FED GRAFTON OF LABOR

Metropolitan Railroad Company have re-
ce.ved no information IS to when the pro-
posed meeting of the board of directors,
which President Phillips said he would CALL
as stated in The Star of yesterday, will
take place, and the men are quietly await
ing developments.
Meanwhile letters from members of Con-
gress. who are at their homes in every
section of the country, are pouring into the
headquarters of the Knights of Labor, ex-
pressing the warmest sympathy for the
men, and in many Instances 1t is stated that
the writer will do all in his power to pre-
vent by law discharges of members of labor
organizations simply because they are such
after Congress again meets
The letter received at the knights of
Labor headquarters is in each case a dupli-
cate. the original, as was requested by
the general secretary-treasurer in his letter,
which has ELECTED these replies having
been sent to President Phillips
Interview With Mr.. Kane,
Mr. T. p. Kane, who visited the Capitol
on numerous occasions during the recent
session of Congress in regard to railroad
following is correct statement of the af-
fair for which it is said the Metropolitan
company made the discharges so much
spoken of within the last few days and
that the men referred to had nothing what
ever to do with IT.:
The Metropolitan and the Capital Trac-
ton companies said Mr.. Kane were
given to understand by the Senate District
committee at the commencement of the
last session that neither of them should
nave any legislation during that session of
Congress. as 1t was the purpose of the
committee to devote all attention to gen.
eral District legislation. 1t was concluded
however, because of the great leeds of the
people of Anacostia and those dependent
upon the lexington and Belt lines that
something would be done toward authoriz-
ing and requiring rapid transit in place of
horse power on these lines. Accordingly
the lexington and Belt line bill was re-
ported and passed the Senate.
In reporting the bill to the House on the
18th of May. Mr.. Babcock offered the Met
ropolitan amendment. which was not in the
bill as 1t was agreed to by the House Dis
trict committee. The bill was not reported
that day until about o'clock, and after
agreeing to the amendment offered by Mr.
Babcock. Mr.. Baker of New Hampshire
called for the reading of the bill by sec
tions for amendment. Mr.. Dingley of Maine
called attention to the lateness of the hour
and said that as the bill could not be dis
posed of that day he moved an adjourn
ment, and the House adjourned which
threw the matter over until next District
tdS, tic ~Jtll VI MAY. his Jay was so
near the close of Congress that the Speaker
determined the District should not have
another day. In order. therefore, to get
the bill passed with the Metropolitan sec
ton in it the representatives of the Metro
politan road. consisting of Messrs Phillips,
Nathaniel Wilson and Gov. Kellogg, pre-
vailed upon Speaker Reed to let the Dis
trtct have an hour or two en- the 25th of
May for the purpose of putting that bill
through This was done, and the bill was
passed as late as o'clock that evening.
An Act of Bad Faith.
THE Senate committee looked upon the
action of the representatives of the Metro
politan road. in causing that section to be
ir serted in the lexington bill. as an act of
bad faith, In view Of the understanding at
the commencement of the session that
neither that road nor the Capital Traction
Company should have any legislation, and
considered their action as an effort to CO.
cree the Senate committees, through the
House. to give them this legislation. The
representatives of the Capital Traction
Company, learning that the Metropolitan
section was in the bill, called at the Senate
committee rooms and insisted that that
section be either stricken out Of the bill
or that the Capital Traction Company be
given equivalent legislation. They were in
formed that they would not be given any
legislation. and that the lexington bill
would not be permitted to pass the Senate
with Lie AhclEOpOAldu SeCllOu III mus
the bill hung IN conference until the 9th
of June. without any hope of an agree
ment. The House conferees claimed that
in view of the understanding that was had
by which the Speaker gave the committee
an opportunity to put the bill through the
House. they were in honor bound to keep
the Metropolitan section in it, claiming fur
tner that if they struck it out the friends
of the Metropolitan company would defeat
the bill in the House. The Senate con-
ferees determined to adhere to the posi-
ton they assumed at the outset of the
session with regard to both these roads.
A few days before the adjournment of Con-
gress those who were interested in the
lexington bill labored with the Metropoli-
tan people to get them to consent to the
withdrawal of that section, but without
effect. until day or two before final adj
journment, when The Star published
ating what the people interested in the
lexington bill had told the representatives
of the Metropolitan company, giving them
to understand that If the lexington bill
In insisting upon that section, the defeat
would be charged to them, and would
place them In very bad light before the
Senate committee at the next session Of
Congress, probably resulting in their get
ting no legislation at all.
This brought them to realization of
their position, and on the morning of the
9th of June Messrs. Phillips, Nathaniel
wilson ana GOV. heuOSS Welt 10 the Capl-
toll and consented to a withdrawal of that
section, Mr.. Wilson remarking to a repre-
sentative Of the citizens interested in the
lexington BILL as he came out of the COM
mittee room, that they had consented to
withdraw and not defeat the bill by in
sisting on that section. as there was no
possibility Of the bill going through with
that section In it, and it appeared that an
agreement could be reached on all the
other disagreeing provisions"
Saw No knights Of Labor.
Mr.. Kane is familiar with every move
ment made In connection with the bill from
the time 1t was introduced until 1t became
a law, and was one of those who labored
with the Metropolitan people to induce
them to withdraw from the bill, and The
Star reporter was Informed by him that he
never saw a Knight Of Labor at the COM
mittee room of either the House or Senate
in connection with that bill during the
whole session. and never heard Of their
taking any part for or against its passage.
In all his conversations with members Of
the House and Senate committees and
others inter ested in the lexington bill in
regard to the causes which tied 1t up in
conference, the Knights of Labor were not
mentioned, and no one was more surprised
than he was to read the statement that
these employees of the Metropolitan road
were charged with the defeat of that Sec
ton in the bill as the grounds for their dis
missal. The Capitol Traction Company
alone opposed that section in the hill and