The times., 1898-05-12
Street RAILWAY BILLS
They viii Be Put Through as
Speedily as Possible.
THE PETTIGREW AMENDMENTS
The South Dakota Senator Advo-
Gates Municipal Owncrship-There
Are Ten Bills, Authorizing an Ex-
pcnditure of Five Million Dollars
for improvements.

The District of Columbia street railway
legislation, which has been hanging fire
for SO long, came up in the Senate yes
terday.
Immediately after the consideration of
morning business, Mr.. Mcmillan obtained
consent 10 bring up House bill 6l4s,
amending the charter Of the lexington
and Soldiers Home Railway Company.
Mr. Pettigrcw again called up his
amendment. providing that the District
Commissioners, or the Government of the
United States. could, after five years, buy
the road without paying anything for the
franchise, and also limiting the fran
chise to twenty years. He declared that
the lexington bill was oppressive and
vicious in that it granted that company
the right 10 issue stock without limit.
This was a new departure, he said, as
heretofore the amount of stock to be
issued by such companies was carefully
limited. The bill also allowed the Eek
ington road to purchase the Belt Line
road. He declared that the words in the
bin, Congress reserves the right to repeal
this act" were simply idle words, and
meant nothing.
Mr. German opposed the amendment
and declared that these companies ought
not TO be hampered at this time when
they were Improving the railroad systems
of the city He urged the withdrawal of
the amendment.
Mr.. Pettisrew declared that the roads in
this city were bonded higher per mile
than any roads in the world, except per-
haps. a few in the heart of the city OF
New York He cited the city OF Toronto,
which, ne said, had purchased the street
railroads and reduced the fares.
In 1894 Glasgow, Scotland, purchased
| her street car roads. Since then London
had purchased many Of the lines in that
! city. Liverpool, Manchester Leeds, Bell
! fast and many other cities have purchas-
1 ed their street car lines. This shows,
! said Mr.. Pettigrew. that this is no mere
/ experiment, but an established fact. This
| city ought to own every street car .hhe
within its limits" He stated that they
could be operated al proht on Two ana
one-half-cent fare.
Senator Stewart in speaking Of the cost
Of construction of the Chevy Chase branch
! Of the Capital Traction Company, said
| that the company gave the city SlV0,GV In
! land for streets: and had spent in grad
! ing and building bridges $i000o0 more and
! that the stock of the company was not
worth more llA.i4l - PEI Nc44A VI t4AC tSNNAsN
money paid out.
| Mr. Pettigrew replied that the matter OF
| giving and grading streets was nothing
more than a real estate speculation and
| had nothing to DO with the road.
/ Mr. Stewart said the situation was
! simply that we had several roads here
/ that We're bankrupt, and II is proposed
/ here to let them combine in order that
/ they may build extensions and give the
people the accommodation they are cry
I ing for.
Mr. Butler also spoke on the amend
/ ment He said when we granted these
valuable franchises we created a power
! greater than we reserved. and conse-
duently the legislative power was never
/ able 10 regulate the prices or in any
! way control these private monopolies.
Senator GaIlinger spoke briefly in op-
/ position to the amendment and in favor
Of the bill
! At the hour Of o'clock the railway
! bills were laid over and Mr.. Mcmillan
/ gave notice that he would bring the bills
/ up again.
There are ten Of these street railway
bills TO be acted on, and it IS the desire
Of those in charge to get them through
as speedily as possible, so that work on
/ the extensions can be begun at once.
1 II these bills go through it will result
| in about s.. 600 worth of improvements
! and extensions IN the roads OF the Dis
/ trict- Of Columbia
Mr. Pettigrew viii propose the same
1 amendment 10 ali Of the bills.