Evening star., 1896-12-21
LEXINGTON RAILWAY
Mr.. Gallinger's New Bill as to Air
Motors.
PENALTY PROVISION INCLUDED
Memorial of Citizens Presented by
Mr.. Morgan.
NJ R. K A n E'S LIT T E r

The lexington and Soldiers Home and
the Belt railway companies controversy
was brought before the attention of the
Senate today. Early In the morning hour
the House bill allowing those companies
an extension of time in which to put in
new motive power was laid before the
House. and at about the same time MIR.
sGallinger, member of the committee of
the District of Columbia, introduced bill
TO amend the charter Of these railway com
panies. which provided that within sixty
days from the passage of the act the Eek
ington and Soldiers Home Railway Com
pany should have in operation one or more
compressed air motors as a part of :he
daily service of that company. The bill
provides that If after a test of two month
the said motor or motors shall not in the
Judgment of the Commissioners prove to
Re In all respects proper and satisfac. .ory
the Commissioners are authorized and di-
rected to issue to the lexington and Sol
diers' Home and the Belt Line railway
companies permits to equip their lires with
such compressed air motors, and within six
months of the passage of this act these
companie5 are to be entirely equipped with
such motors to the satisfaction of the
Commissioners. penalty of 800 per day
Is imposed for failure or neglect to comply
with this act, and the bill further makes
roads within eighteen months.
A Citizens' Memorial.
Mr.. Morgan also introduced memorial
from the North Capitol and lexington Citi-
zens' Association reciting the various in
stances in which the above railroad COM
panies had to act in accordance with the
law.
A committee from the North Capitol and
CirfzenSs consisting
Of W. G. Henderson president; A. r. Ser
ven and p T keane, called on the chair
man of tire Senate committee on the Dis
trlct of Columbia and had private con-
ference regarding the House bill giving
extensions of time to those companies for
the proper equipment of the road
Mr. Knne.s Letter.
Senator Mcmillan today received a com
munication from T. P. Kane of the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens Associa-
ton, regarding the passage in the House
last week of bill granting TO the Ecking-
ion and Belt railway companies additional
time In which to equip their roads with
odern facilities. Mr.. Kane says: The
resolution in question aims to covertly an
rul all of the provisions of the act of June
in, 1896, beneficial to the public
He says the air motor which the Ecking-
ton and Belt management now pretend to
be anxious to test on their lines is what is
krown as the HoadleyKnfght system. He
claims that II was shown to the satisfac-
tiCn of the Equity Court of this District
several weeks ago that this system of air
motors is owned by the people who have
controlling interest in the lexington and
Belt lines, namely, the Elkins- Widener-
Dolan syndicate OF Philadelphia. Motors
o; this system. he says. nave been under
practical test for several weeks on the
Lenox avenue line in New York city, part
OF the Metropolitan system and after fair
trial have been rejected By the officials of
that line. who, by vote of their directors,
have determined to put in the underground
electric system He refers to the explosion
OF the air tanks underneath the floor OF
one of these cars. which occurred in New
York on the evening of the 18th instant