The evening times., 1896-04-18

Rapid transit and the lexington and
Soldiers Home Railroad was the bone -Of
contention over which the North Capitol
and lexington Citizens Association wrestled
last night at its regular monthly meeting.
held at the usual meeting place, corner of
Lincoln avenue and K street northeast.
The subject, like the temperature, was
rather heated, necessitating the free use
OF fans. .---.s--.f
There was a large attendance Of men,
bers, and several new names were added
to the list of membership. President w
u. Henderson presided over the meeting.
| Apart from The attention of the assOcia-
tion being called by Messrs. W. +. Fowler
and w. 3. Chase to the existence OF
nuisances in the way of a manure pile in
the hillImore & Ohio freight yard, and
the emptying OF an open sewer into the
low grounds south OF lexington and in
close proximity thereto, the ra ilroad ques-
tioh was the principal subject for dis
| cussioh. The nuisances complained OF
were referred to the proper committee for
| attention, and for such action as would
| BEST tend to secure their abatement
/ ME- w. s. Leitzell, chairman OF the com
mittee on streets side walks and lights, re-
| ported that the streets of lexington and
| west lexington were still in darkness-a
fact which was well known to the members
or the association-aDd would probably re-
| mann so until after the st OF July at least,
owing to the failure of the item in the urg-
| eDcy deficiency bill.
LIGHT Is WANTED.
He expressed the hope, however. that
after the lst of July some provision would
be made for light. Attention was called
by several members to the number Of uD-
I used lanipposts on various streets through
out the city, which were formerly lighted
by gas, but are now lighted by electricity,
| and the suggestion was made that suf-
ficient number of them could be taken up
by the District authorities and planted III
these suburbs to light the principal streets
| on which gas mains are laid.
|. Mr.. W. 5. Chase called attention to the
! fact that at the time the lexington and
| Soldiers Home Railway Company tore UP
| the asphalt between its tracks running
through Eckin gton. permit was given them
| 10 put down temporary pavement OF
| cobbestoEes between tire tracks for a
stated time. with the understanding that
the street should te restored to its former
| condition.
IiethouGhtit was time the company should
be required 10 .repaSe tie streets, the
cohblestoncs had disfieurcd them long
enough, with the pnsightly weeds and
grass shooting through them in the middle
of the street. This, matter was also re-
ferred to the proper committee for at
| tention, 1t was stIied in this connection
that IT was an outrage in the first place
| to permit the lobhlcstones TO he laid in
place OF the sfaG 9th pavement which they
| displaced. and doubly SO because OF the
fact that this pavement was not put down
| at the expense of the District, but was
paid for by the property owners of the
| suburb. g. an
DR.. NJ W. Mopre, chairman q of the sewers
and water com4nAtee; L. b. Nixon. of the
fire and police committee. and en- ID,
| Browne. of the city limits committee, and
a. o. TipgieY,, Of the committee on mail
| facilities, also made report of the doings
OF their, respective Quantities since the
| last meeting of the association. ..-
| THE RAILROAD QUESTION.
| In. the absence of the chairman OF the
| committee on raiiway ys the report of that
committee was made by Mr.. T. p. Kane
| who stated in detail the efforts that had
| been made during the month To favor
| legislation the railroad question. He
| said that five bills ana TWO joint resolutions
| had already been introduced during the
| present Congress to amend the charters
| OF the lexington and Belt Line Compa MES
| none of which appeared to be in satisfac-
| tory shape to meet the approval of the
committees in Congress and the conflict
| ing interests involved. and that, as a
| result, no legislation had yet been shaped
| respective houses.
He stated that If the railroad company
| had shown disposition to meet the asso-
| citation halfway on TINS matter, n Coml
promise measure might have been fixed up
at the outset that would have been salts
| factory to all. and could have by this
| time enacted into law, but the difficulty
| WIS that the representatives OF the rail
| road started out to ignore the Importance
of the association as n factor in any legis-
| lation which they desired to get through
Congress, nd the result is that nothing has
been done. and the outlook at this time is
not at all favorable to legislation during
| the few remaining weeks of the session,
unless all concerned can get together. quit
pulling aud hauling and agree upon some
! thing.
| This the association, he stated, was will
| ing TO do, nd the railroad company ought
| for its own interests to do. All the asso-
| citation wants. he stated. is to have in
| cOrporated in any act that may be agreed
| upon by the committee proper limitations
and penalties. 1t wants Il time fixed with
| in which the company shall be required to
| dispense with the use OF horses on all its
| lines. and not on all or any part Of them,
| as is proposed by some Of these bills.
THANKS THE TIMES.
1t wants a provision in the bill requir-
ing them to run cars on their tracks after
| they are laid, and not leave it to their
option to do so appears to be the case
with the North Capitol street tracks, which
never have had a car run over them, al
though having been laid for about two
years The association, he said. wanted
a penalty fixed in the bill for any failure on
the part of the company to comply with the
requirements of any act thai ma be passed,
and that it also be made to forfeit its
charter in case of such failure.
Mr. Kane further stated that the chair
man of the House District Committee had
agreed to give the representatives of the
association a hearing on the railroad bills
on Monday next at so O'Clock. and he
urged upon the members present to be
present at that hearing. The president OF
the association. Mr.. Henderson. also urged
such members as could spare the time to be
present at the hearing to look after the
interests of the sections which they repre-
sent.
On motion of Mr.. Kane. chairman of the
press committee. n vote of thanks was una n
imously passed by the association to The
Times for the editorial support which it
gave the bill prepared by the associa-
ton and introduced at its request. for rapid
transit on the lexington line. b.. r..... g.
Attention was called to the editorial in
the issue OF The Times of March 80. and
in putting the motion to the meeting Prcsi-
dent Henderson paid tribute TO the press
of Washington for the readiness it has al
WAYS displa yed to come to the aid of the
people in their effort to improve the cOndi-
tions OF the sections in which they live.
nlaoo,o RON rjue ,Iury DtSafrrpe