Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-06-09
RAILWAY LEGISLATION
General satidactien Expressed at Action Of
the Senate Yesterday.
Important, Local Measures Disposed
.s-EckiaE.oas and Belt Line. and
contemplnSfd improvements.

friday in disposing oof several of the most
important street Railroad bills pending be-
fore that body; These measures had been
under consideration, there for many weeks,
having previously passed the House, and
as the new legislat ton was a condition. in
two cases at least, of replacing horse cars
with the underground electric system, there
has been naturally much Impotence at the
delivery on the part of the citizens who
live along the roads in question.
1t was at one time suggested that the
members Of the Senate ought to be taken
in delegations over the lexington and the
Belt roads, in order that they might have
a practical experience of the daily annoy
ance and delays which the patrons Of the
roads have been enduring for months.
Both roads, as Is we'll known, are now in
the hands OF a receiver, and an application
Is pending in court for the sale of the Belt
road at public auction. The Belt bill, which
passed the Senate yesterday, and which,
like the lexington bill. must go to a con-
ference committee of the two houses, gives
authority to the purchasers of the road to
obtain the rights and privileges of a corpo-
ration, and there was also inserted clause,
which created some opposition, which was
to the effect that any street railroad COM
pany In the District has the right to ac-
quire by purchase the franchises of anoth-
er railroad company.
A Side Issue.
However. that was, so to speak, a side
issue, the main interest in the bill being the
right which is conferred upon the pur-
chaser. under the pending court proceed
ings. to operate the road as a corporation.
Without such legislation, 1t was claimed,
1t would be impossible to sell the property,
and, of course, no improvement in the
method of its operation could be expected
Now, however, the prospective purchasers
are expected and required as soon as they
gain possession of the property, and it is
expected that a decree can be obtained
from the court at once, to install on the
Belt line the underground system. d"
A similar welcome and important change
is to be made in the equipment of the Eek
ir gton road when the bill which passed the
Senate yesterday becomes law. These
who own a controlling interest in that
pl Operty stand It ady they assert to spend
over a million Of dollars in equipping not
OILY the entire line within the limits # the
city, but, in addition building an overhead
trolley road from the bounds of the city to
Laurel, Md. They have arranged to get
the money to carry out these extensive
plans, they assert, and If Congress had
taken earlier action they claim the work
would have been under good Roadway by
this time =
The Columbia Company.
A bill was also passed by the Senate yes
tcrday which gives to the Columbia Rail
road Company authority to build an east
crn extension ofhits line along Renning
read to thesbouf ds Of the District. To the
Capital Railway Company is granted the
privilege Of ,Stripg pg overhead trolley wires
on the Navy Yard bridge. and the time for
the construction Of the road is extended
one year from the, passage of the act.
1t Is understood that as soon as these
measures or rather the lexington and :he
Belt bills, become Jaws the pending bill al
lowing the Capital Traction Company to
h,.tl1 Loo 1,y,er md or yncf, lf
18th street will be taken up for action in
the Senate. There, is also bill granting to
the METROPOLITAN y Railroad Company the
right TO build an extension of the road from
Columbia road aud 18th street north 20
Howard avenue.
Independent of the money that will be
spent here'iin making the improvements
Above referred ta;. all this legislation is re-
garded as SOf. the greatest Importance 10
this city, for the reason that it will conf
plete the system of modern transit street
railroads, which has been begun with so
much success, and, by experimenting the
between the different parts Of the city
quick and easy. 1t is thought that all this
will tend to stimulate improvements of
all kinds and enhance the value of prop
erty.
Money Promised.
AS stated above the money sufficient for
the contemplated improvements on the Eek
iEgton road has been arranged for and
while 1t is not known who will become the
owner of the Belt road when that property
is offered for SALE yet 1t is generally under
stood that the improvements will be made
as required in the bill. 1t Is possible that
the property may pass into the possession
Of the bondhoiders at whose motion the
present proceedings in court were begun.
and then again the syndicate controlling
the lexington and allied properties, and
IL - p,1t
conclude to acquire the road.
1t Is understood, Of course. that the CO.
lumbia railroad will have no difficulty in
raising the funds needed to build the pro-
posed extension. and so from the point of
view alone of the expenditure of a large
sum of money in this city, the legislation
which was enacted yesterday by the Sen
ate may be considered the most important,
locally, that has been had in the course of
a good many years.