Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-02-24
DISTRICT RAILROADS
Proposed Consolidation of Suburban
Lines.
NOW RUNNING WITHOUT PROFIT
Favorable Reports Made to the
Senate.
THE LEGISLATION IN VIEW

\ the Capital Railway Company, was IateiS
| considered by the Senate District commit
tee and ordered favorably. reported to the
Senate with certain amendments. In that
! form the bill was subjected to considerable
! criticism by both the Capital Railway and
the Metropolitan Railway companies, in
consequence Of which the bill was further
amended and has been reported to the Sen
ate by Mr.. German. The report accom-
| panying the bill states
| Consolidation Favored.
Within the past year certain persons
have purchased the following railways in
the District of Columbia: The lexington
and Soldiers, Home railway, the Belt rail-
way, the Anacostia and Potomac River rail
way, the Anacostia and Potomac river rail-
road, the Capital railway, the Brigatwood
railway and the Washington, Woodside and
| Forest Glen railway.
| ''Of these properties not has paid
| dividends, at least within recent years, ana
| several of them are operated wholly or IN
part by horses. 1t is believed by the pur-
| chasers that by consolidating the roads un-
| der one mana cement, and by putting in an
| underground electric system within the
| city of Washington, the roads can be made
| to paw So firm is this belief that sufficient
! money has been raisei to effect the pur-
| chase and to make the contemplated i'm
! provements. The work Of installing an
| underground system on the lexington and
| the Belt roads is now well under way, ana
| the bill allows the Anacostia road to eX-
| change its one-horse cars for underground
| electric cars.
| "All extensions Of trac cks provided for in
| no case exceed a half dozen blocks. and
are for the purpose of connecting different
portions of the system of roads. The com
mittee not only can sec no objection to the
| passage of the bill, but. further they COM
| mend the measure to Congress as present
| ing happy solution of the very perpleXing
problem of how to make an Improbable
| street railroad serve the public.
"a further amendment to the bill pro-
poses to allow the newly chartered Wash
| ington and University railway to extend
| from the Tennallytown road across to
Connecticut avenue eXtended-a pan IA
vored by Bishop Hurst and others inter
ested in the new university established by
| the Methodist Episcopal Church and op-
I posed by no one
Consolidation Authorized.
The bill provides:
That the Anacostia and Potomac River
Railroad Company is hereby authorized to
change the name of said company to the
Washington City Railway Company: Pro-
| vided, That such change of name shall
| not in any way affect the existing obliga-
tions of said railway company.
Section 2. That the Anacostia and Po-
| tomac River Railroad Company is hereby
property of the Capital Railway Com
pany,' and that in case of such purchase
the time is hereby extended for twelve
months from the date of the passage c.
this act within which 1t may complete the
said road
Section g. That the Anacostia and Po-
tomac River Railroad Company is also
hereby authorized to purchase or lease the
property and franchise of the Brightwood
Railway Company, Washington, Woodside
and Forest Glen Railway and Power Com
pany Of Montgomery county, Maryland,
and the City and Suburban Railway Com
pany of Washington, and the said COM
panies are hereby authorized to sell or
lease to Ihe said Anacostia and Potomac
River Railroad COMPANY all their property
and franchises. And the Anacostia and
Potomac River Railroad Company is here
by authorized to issue it's bonds. secured
by mortgage of the whole or any part of
property and franchises now owned or to
be acquired. and stock for the purchase
and retirement of the outstanding obliga-
tons and stock of the said companies and
for such improvement in the construction
as the lines of said companies may require
In order to be placed in first-class condi-
ton: Provided, That the bonds and stock
of the Anacostia and Potomac River Rail-
road Company thus to be issued shall not
In the aggregate exceed the sum of $780,
OOo per mile of single track for the tracks
thus purchased and leased
Time Extended a Year
'Sec. 4. That the time for completion of
the tracks authorized to be built by section
of act entitled An act to extend the
routes of the lexington and Soldiers Home
Railway Company and of the Belt Railway
Company of the District of Columbia, and
for other purposes approved June 10, 1896
is hereby extended to one year from the
date of the passage of this act.
Sec. >. That the owners of the property
and franchises of the Belt Railway Com
pany are hereby authorized to construct a
singe-track electric railway from the
northern terminus of the 18th street line
eaStWardly along Grant avenue to a juno
ton with the Brightwood Railway Com
pany: Provided, That the overhead electric
system shall not be installed south of Flor
ida avenue.
River Railroad Company is hereby required
to begin within three months and complete
within twelve months from the date of the
passage of this act the installation on all
its lines within the city of Washington,
now regularly operated by horse cars of
the underground electric system, substan-
tally similar to that used by the Metro
pol1tan Railroad Company.
Through to Congress Heights.
And, provided further, that a through
service of electric cars shall be regularly
operated from Congress Heights at least
as far as 11th and G streets northwest, and
that no more than single fare shall be
Sudi Stu lOI COHttHuUuS TlUe over this
route. and that free transfers shall be given
to any passenger desiring the same for a
continuous ride in the same general direc-
ton over any connecting routes of the An
acostia and Potomac River Railroad Com
pany, the Capital Railway Company and
the routes formerly owned and operated by
the Belt Railway Company.
Sec. Z. That the owners of the property
and franchises Of the Belt Railway Com
pany are hereby authorized to operate their
cars over the tracks of the City and Sub
urban Railway Company from the point of
intersection of the tracks of the two COM
panies at 4th and streets northwest west
wardly on G street to 11th street north
west.
Companies Using the Same Tracks,
Whenever the foregoing route comedies
with the duly authorized route or routes of
any other duly Incorporated street railway
company In the District of Columbia both
companies shall use the same tracks. upon
such fair and equitable terms for such use
of tracks and power as may be agreed upon
by said companies. In the event said com
panies shall fail to agree upon equitable
terms, either of said compa nies may apply
by petition to the Supreme Court of the
fcflr risf nf fys75af ,s.l, 49,