Evening star., 1898-08-16
STREET RAILROADS
The Vacation Season Interferes With
oadyingout Plans.
ADDITIONAL RlGHlS OF COMPANIES
improvements Will Probably Com
merhe i the Fall.
THE CONDITIONS AT PRESENT

The absence from, the city Of those who
are actively identified with the street rail-
roads in this District. as well as those who
are prominent In other lines. results in a
postponement of the work of beginning i'm
provements until some time in the fall. No
date is fixed for the general resumption
OF business this year, and, in fact, that is
never done, but somehow everybody essen
tai to the carrying on of transactions final
ly appears at his place of business, and
then something is done. During the last
session of Congress laws were enacted in
regard to street railroads which are not
only important in themselves and to the
interests of the corporations affected, but
are likely to have a far-reaching influence
on the development of the city and it's ma
terial future.
Preliminaries Arranged.
Where railroad corporations have re-
celVed additional rights and privileges from
congress-, and even when corporations have
oeen created, nothing so far has been done
TO carry out the new legislation except to
arrange some preliminary matters and get
afairs In such shape that it is probable
in the fall the work can be pushed ahead
"lthout delay. AS nearly all the street
rallroad bills were enacted by Congress
curing the closing days of the last session,
SO that the measures did not become laws
until the latter part of June the holiday
season mad already begun when the author
ity was given to go ahead and it is not
beiieVed that this Iull in the prepara ton
WI wil materially retard the final completion
VI she work Of course, what the public
heeds and what is of most interest to the
Puoic IS 10 enjoy at the earliest practical
moment the facilities which Coneress has
~ ~aulnorlzed the various companies to make
hn
OF the roads
The Present Situation,
The present situation in regard to tho
various railroad enterprises authorized ar
the last session of Congress is as follows.
IN the case of the City and the Suburban
iaiiroao corporation, created by Congress
Win authority to consolidate the Ecking-
toh ana the allied roads, the purpose being
10 unite the three lines which were in on
er era.ioI n, and which were projected to run
from Inc Treasury Department to a point
IN Maryland near Laurel all the preljm-
mary arrangements, it is stated for the
regal transfer of the properties to the new
coiPoration and ALSO to procure the funds
needed to re-equip the lines have been
made. " ~
II 1t We're p9ssibleI to find everybody at
nome at this time Off the year attending to
business contractS may have been made
ana perhaps some portion of the street
work begun. gt,But human machines are
Obliged to have some relief from toiI and
SO the president of the company, Mr.. O. T.
Crosby, mas been taking a few days since
the adjournmeft of Congress to get a little
rest and change. which he is said to need
after the work of the last winter, which
was unusually trying owing to the DELAYS al
bill. ~'>'iie 'oii
1t is said that. the affairs of the new
company are now IN excellent shape and
that when the work of -reconstructing the
present road y begim that it will be pos
sible to push il forward rapidly to an early
completion. so,,
The Columbia Extension
Some progress has ibeen made by the
Columbia railroad people in preparing to
avail themselves of the right granted by
Congress to build an extension of the line
east along the Benning road to the bounds
of the District. 1t is understood that the
right of way has practically been secured
from the property holders and as soon as
that is completed then plans can be made
for the issue of bonds as authorized by the
law and the contracts for the work can be
made. The company has a year in which
to build the extension and it is expected
that active work can be begun early in the
fall.
Probable Sale of the Belt
AS to the Belt railroad, nothing has been
done by those in control Of that property
to avail themselves of the powers granted
by new legislation, for the reason that
when the bill became law the season had
so far advanced that it was not considered
q favorable time to offer the property for
sale. 1t Is expected that the court will be
asked to direct the sale of the road to be
made early in October. The new bill con-
fers on tie purchasers of the property all
the rights and privileges of a corporation,
and it further requires that within a year
from the sale of the road it be equipped
with the underground system.
Thu East Washington Heights Railroad
Company, one of the two roads created by
the last Congress. has already formed an
organization by the election of a board of
directors. The other road the University
Heights road. has not yet effected an or
ganiZation