Evening star., 1897-01-25
ECKINGTON = RAILWAY
Citizens Given Hearing On the Extension Of
Time.
Joint Resolution to he Presented
Containing Penalty for Delay
Statistics as to Patronage.


at the Capitol this morning from the North
Capitol and lexington Citizens AssocfaT
ton, with whom he held a conference for
over an hour regarding proposed legisla-
ton to extend the time In which the Eek
ington and Soldiers Home Railway Com
pany may introduce rapid transit on its
lines.
The committee calling on Mr.. Mcmillan
consisted of William G. Henderson. presi-
dent of the association; T. p. Kane, A. H.
Serven and ]. II. Lane. The committee pre-
sented reasons why the railroad company
should he hurried up in its efforts to give
the people of lexington rapid transit, ana
favored the passage of some SUCH measure
as Senate bill 1850, introduced Dy Mr. Gai-
linger Mr.. Mcmillan, after careIully gums
over the matter, concluded to report 10 the
Senate the joint resolution to grant an eA
tension of charter to the railroad, "hich
time ago. provided the receiver OF the COM
many should agree to improve the railway
service now being given on tnat me ny ni
Producing schedule by whlch IL Wouiu
run cars perhaps. every five minutes pc
tween and 8 o'clock am. and 4 ana .
o'clock pm, which was the schedule adopt
ed by the Commissioners and compneo WIN
by the railroad company Tor a rev weens
nreyious to the appointment OF MI Schoepi
as receiver. ,,,u,,
will report provided the railroad company
changes its schedule to improve the service
on its lines, provides as follows:
.s,rhat the time granted by the act ap
proved June 10. 1896, within Whcn tne sai9 u
lexington and Soldiers Home Raliroaa
Comnany of the District OF ColumDla anu
the Belt Railway Company OF the District
of Columbia shall begin to equip those por-
tions of their respective lines wnlcn are
situated within the boundary Oh .ne e,.s
of Washington with compressed air motors
be- and it is hereby, extended TO July l.
1897. ,
tors shall be adopted, said companies snahi nan
completely equip their respective lines WIN
such motive power on or before july l.
| 1895.
"Sec. 3. That If said compressed air mo-
| tive power shall not be adopted on OF s ne-
| fore July L. 1897 then said railway com
panies shall. within one year after Juiy l,
1897. equip the respective lines In the CITY
Of Washington with an Underground elec-
| said companies shall fail to comply with
| all the requirements of this act by the
| time therein fixed the said companies, ana
| each of them, shall forfeit and pay 10 the
| Commissioners of the District of Column
| bia the sum of 500 for each day Of fail
ure and provided further, That If said
| companies shall fail to operate the whole
! of their respective lines as provided by an
act entitled an Act TO extend the routes o!
| said railway companies etc, approved
| June 10, 1896, in such manner and on such
| schedules as the Commissioners shall ap-
| prove then said companies and each OF
| Them shall forfeit and pay to the District
| Commissioners the sum of 800 for each
| day of such failure.
| The above Joint resolution passed the
| House Of Representatives December ~
| Mr. McMillan's decision to report this
| Joint resolution to the Senate, which Will
| doubtless result in its passage In that body
| simply means that the company VIII be
| given another opportunity to prove
| whet her or not the air motor which II
i claims to be able to put upon its lines Is
| practicable, but in the meantime the rail-
| road company will have to give the resi-
| dents of lexington a street railway ser
| than the present service, under which car:
| during the busy portions of the day art
| run ten minutes apart.
| Mr. Mcmillan. had placed before him a
| this hearing some interesting StatlStlc:
| showing the amount of patronage that thu
| lexington and Soldiers Home Railroad
| Company would receive, provided 1t should
give to the residents In the territor!
| through which it passes a first-class ser
vice. 1t was shown that the people livin,
| on the line and in the immediate vicinit!
| OF this road numbered over 1900 twt
| years ago, according to the official polio
| census of December 10, 1894. 1t was als'
shown that the railroads patronage at tn
| Catholic University numbers nearly ~
persons, 1I5 of whom. being professors AM
students make average OF one rOun'
trip over the road daily. In addition t.
this patronage, according to statemen
| by the registrar of the Catholic University
that institution is visited on Sunday b.
from 300 to 1,OO persons. and on occasion
| of lectures, delivered twice a week, sew
eral hundred people go over the line.