Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-07-02
.THECOMPREsSED AIR MOTOR
Commissioners and Congress Hoodwinked by
the Railways.
Attorney Thomas Decides the EclxinR.
ton and Belt Lines Have Six
Months for Equipment.

The Commissioners are very much cha
grined over the discovery that the Eek
ington rail1 DAD completely hoodwinked
them and Congress In the joint resolution
extending the time within which expert
ments upon the compressed air motors
were to have been made.
According to their Interpretation of the
law. and the opinion of the attorney for
the District, the company has until jan
uary 1. 1897, to completely equip the road
with air motors. If at that time the mo-
tors fail to work another year will be al
lowed for the construction of an under
ground electric system.
One Of these days the Commissioners
hope to see the road equipped with a sat
isfactory system Of rapid transit, but then
there is always possibility of loosely
drawn legislation, which somehow or other
gets through, prolonging the agony indefi-
nitely.
Attorneys Opinion Invited.
At the last meeting of the board of Com
missioners Engineer Commissioner Black
moved that the attorney for the District
be directed to state when. under the law,
the time for the trial of the compressed
air motor mentioned In the act of Congress
of June 10, 1895, will expire. His opinion
was submitted today.
After quoting the respective laws re-
ferring to the subject Attorney Thomas
sGys:
by the act Of June 10, 1890, these two
railway companies were required within
three months from that date to begin to
equip their respective lines in the city Of
Washington with compressed air motors
that Is TO say, they were required to begin
to experiment with compressed air motors
as a mode of propellinE their cars, and
indy
ment of the Commissioners Of the District
of Columbia, such motors proved to be IN
all respects proper and satisfactory mo-
tive power for the speedy and convenient
propulsion of street cara then the Com
misstoners were authorized to issue to said
railway companies permits to equip their
lines with them, and that within six
months from the passafe Of said act the
horse power on any of their respective
lines. In other words their lines were
to be entirely equipped within six months
from June 10, 1897, with air. motors II
satisfactory to the Commissioners.
| ''1he companies failed to comply with the
provisions of the act of June ~. 1895. and
went to Congress and procured the joint
resolution of February s, 169I extending
the time for such compliance 20 July ],
~ Eject of Joint ae.olation.
"But the joint rssoiutisn did more than
extend the time. 1t provided that if COM
pressed air motors should notsbe adopted
on or before July !, 1891, then said rail-
way companies should. within one year
from that date. equip their respective lines
in the city of Washington with an under
ground electric system.
1.-The effect of the joint resolution, which
is somewhat obsc.lre. Is to extend the pro-
visions Of the act of June 10. 1895, In ref
erencc to three months experiment with
air motors, and an additional three months
to complete the equipment with such mo-
tors. from September 49, 1885. to July l.
1897.
I'm my opinion the provisions Of the act
Of June 10, 1896, requiring the lexington
and Soldiers Home Railway Company and
the Belt Railway Company to begin to
equip the portions of their respective lines
In the city of Washington with compressed
air motors within three months from June
10, 1886 has not expired, but was ex-
tended from September 10. 1885, to July l,
1897, and that the companies have Six
months from the latter date to complete
their equipment -