Evening star., 1898-06-20
EcKINGIQN RAILWAY BILL
Conference Amendment Ruled Out on q Point
of Order
mr. s.wr.na. Mes,of 10 Extend Con-
solidation to All Roads
Defe.ffsa. fs

l SlAAiAludll odOSOCh ~0uSut UP luS con.
| ference report on the. lexington railway
bill in the House today. Mr.. Hepburn of
Iowa made point Of order against the
provision of the conference report which
repeals the power. heFetofore given the
Capital Traction and Rock Creek Railway
| Companies to combine with other railways.
Mr.. Hepburn said the conference COM
| nittee had exceeded Its authority by going
beyond its legitimate rights and engrafting
| legislation upon q LII which should not be
| done in this fashion.
Mr.. Richardson of Tennessee defended
| the conference committee. He said the
| House had twice refused by yea and nay
votes to give street railways unlimited
privileges of combining. The Senate had
| then insisted that all railroads should
have this privilege or none should have it.,
so the conferees agreed to repeal the pow
ers granted the Capital Traction Com
pany.
Speaker Reed sustained the point of Or
der made by Mr.. Hepburn
To Give Power to All Railways.
Mr.. Newlands of Nevada then moved
that the House adopt the original Senate
proposition to allow all street railways in
the District to purchase or lease connect
ing lines. He said the result of the adop-
ton Of this amendment would be to es-
tablish three or four great street railway
systems, enabling the bankrupt lines to
tie onto the paying lines and give the peo-
pie longer rides for one fare.
Mr.. Babcock, who was one of the con-
ferees, explained the situation. He said
Mr.. Newlands' proposition had been voted
upon by the House twice. In those cir
cumstances the conferees felt they could
not agree to the Senate amendment.
Mr.. Rabcock said that the amendment
authorizing all lines to purchase or lease
opening up wide field. 1t was granting
a power which has not been conferred upon
street railways in any other city.
Mr.. Cannon of Illinois advocated consoli-
dation of the weaker lines with the stronger
ones. He said consolidation had proved a
good thing in the case of three lines, and
he saw no reason why it should not be
beneficial to others.
Opposed Consolidation.
Mr.. Cowherd opposed the consolidation
authorized by the Newlands amendment.
He thought Congress should exercise the
power 1t already possesses and compel
transfers between connecting lines. He
said that If a system is provided by which
all roads may combine 1t will shut off all
extension Of suburban lines. AS long as
there Is active competition there Is good
| service but as soon as roads are combined
the service deteriorates. There are now
three good roads competing, and he did not
want to see them given the authority to
combine into one corporation.
Mr.. Dockery streiuouSly opposed the
amendment. He said he would fight con-
solidation even If it should result in fare
Of 1 cent for all time. Consolidation, he
said, would destroy the element of COM
petition. which he held to be essential to
the public good. He cited the results OF
competition in other enterprises operated
for the public and said the history of local
affairs demonstrated the wisdom of pre-
venting consolidation and monopoly.
Washington now has the best street rail-
way system in the country. but it would
be very different, he said, IL monopoly OF
street railway franchises should be created.
A Point Uncovered.
Mr. Babcock said there was a point In
this proposition which Is covered up. He
said that If this amendment Is adopted,
the door will be thrown wide open for the
issue of stocks and bonds by all these COM
bining railroads. He said Congress hither-
to has jealousy guarded the issue Of stocks
and bonds by street railroads, but all the
previous efforts will go for nothing If this
amendment is adopted.
The Motion Defeated.
By a vote Of 40 to "a Mr.. Newlands' mo-
ton for consolidation was defeated, and
the bill was sent back to conference.