Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-29
Much Of It Now in a Far Advanced
State.
some BILLS LIKELY TO Be PASSED
The Street Railroads and the Grade
Crossing Question.
A PRACTICAL HIGHWAY ACT

| Perhaps never in the history of Congress
has there been so much prospective legisla-
| ton of vital Importance to the District of
Columbia before that body. Not only is
this proposed legislation pending, but a
| large part of 1t IS so far advanced that
many of the strongest friends of the Dis
| trict are inclined to believe that before the
| present sessit n is at an end many laws
will be enacted to carry it into effect. Most
| OF the important measures pending before
| Congress have been discussed for years, are
| thoroughly understood, and the time for
| action has now come.
The difficulty that would be encountered
| through any attempt to enact partisan
legislation because of the close balance of
power, only adds to the probability that the
1 District.Cf Columbia will soon secure much
| important legislation that Is generally con-
ceded is necessary.
Practical Highway Act.
| The passage of a practical highway act
| stands to the front in Importance among
necessary measures that should be acted
upon promptly. The opinion is about unan-
imous that such legislation should be dis
posed of SO that the needs of the expand
| ing city can be met for generations to come
and in manner that will preserve its
beauty on lines very close to those ap
proved by Washington and executed by
| l. Enfant.
The Grade Crossing Question.
| The disposition of the question of grade
| crossings by both the Baltimore and Ohio
ard the Baltimore and Potomac railway
| Companies appears to be rearing realiZa-
| ton. This question has been discussed for
! a long time and has been solved quite to
the satisfaction of the companies engi-
| neerS and the engineer commission of the
| District in nearly all its important fea-
| lures. The Pennsylvania system has prac-
| tically approved plan for the depression
| of its tracks within the city. while the Bal
| timOre and Ohio company is agreed that
| the only practical method for abolishing
| grade crossings is by the construction of a
| viaduct for it's tracks.
| Congress was prevailed upon not to push
! such legislation when the business of the
| country was suffering the effects of a panic
| several years ago, because all the COM
! panieS were suffering from this cause to
some extent, while the Baltimore and Ohio
| company had been so completely democrat
| lied that the receivershiD was necessary,
and all the resources of that corporation
| were needed in order to make its income
| equal to its expenses, and there feel
| ing that Improvements in this city might be
| delayed until revival of prosperity.
| The old arguments for delay no longer
| hold in relation to these corporations; the
| volume of paying traffic has increased, the
| general plans have long been considered,
| every possible suggestion in relation to
| them has been discussed and there is no
| apparent cause for further delay in putting
| effective measures into practice that will
| do away with further reretitions of loss of
| life from the deadly grade crossings that
now exist.
! 1t is likely that a vigorous effort will be
made on the part of Congress to secure a
| formal agreement with the companies
whereby they will be given a stated time
| ir which to make the improvements SO
| greatly needed by the city, and which have
hoafn rcIy Nv oil
| izations generally and residents in the
| parts of the city most greatly interested in
them.
Congress is fully Informed on the need of
| the District of Columbia for a complete
system of sewerage, and the matter will
receive further attention.
Street Railroads.
The street railroad question is another
matter that will be given consideration.
There are now on the calendar of the
Senate committee on the District of Co
lumbia fifteen bills relating to street rail-
roads. These bills include extensions de-
| sired by existing lines and new projects
chiefly for suburban enterprises. The Sem
ate committee will take up and consider
these bills as whole with view of per-
fecting the street railroad system of the
District Of Columbia, and placing IT on a
footing that will give satisfactory rapid
transit to all important points for years to
come. In the committee there is a decided
feeling in favor of forcing existing compan-
les to extend their lines rather than to
charter new corporations Of uncertain char
acter.
1t is felt that existing companies with
large resources are more apt to carry out
extensions promptly and to maintain them
in proper style than would likely be done
by new corporations that are apt to be to q
large extent of q speculative nature. The
fact that the underground electric system
has been adopted by the two great street
railroads of the city and the great satisfac-
ton that has been met with in the use of
that system settles this method of rapid
transit as the one to be universally adopted
here. Any other suggestion is not likely to
| meet with approval from any influential
source, and future concessions to companies
will doubtless be accompanied by the re-
quirement that the underground system be
used.
The lexington and Belt Lines.
What will be done with the lexington
and Soldiers Home and the Belt Line Rail-
way Companies if they continue a policy
of doing nothing is a problem. They will
have to equip with the Underground system
or come before Congress for further favors,
AS long as they fail to give visible evil
dence of good faith in making those lines
modern ones, they are not apt to secure
any concessions for extensions, while the
city is being girdled with tracks by other
companies
The Capital Traction Company is likely to
secure about all the extensions it has asked
for in its bill, introduced in the Senate
by Mr. Mcmillan, by request, with the ex-
ceptioE of the desired line eastwardly on
street north from LIST street and across
the Capitol plaza.
The Aqueduct Tunnel.
An effort will also be made to secure an
appropriation for the completion of the
Washington aqueduct tunnel. This appro-
priation was included in the District appro-
priation bill in the last Congress and went
through the Senate, but was finally elm
mated In conference because of a cry of
economy and not because of any opposition
to having the improvement made.
Burying Overhead Wires.
The Senate committee on the District of
Columbia will pay especial attention to de-
terminins upon some system for burying all
the overhead wires in the city, by the adop-
ton of single underground conduit sys-
TEN, in which wires Of all the companies,
as well as those Of the District itself, may
be placed.
Senator Chandler has shown especial in
terest In developing some method for utiliz-
Ing the Great Falls Wafor rOuor for li1tt.