The times., 1899-01-08
STREET RAILWAY BILLS.
The District Commissioners Subml
Two Reports to Congress.

The District COmmissiOners submit
Two Reports to Congress.
Two street railway bills were reported
on by the Commissioners yesterday, and
the reports were sent to the District
Committees OF the Senate and House, re-
spectiyely.
The first related to the proposed amend
ment to the charter of the Capital Trac-
tion Company TO prohibit that company
from purchasing and operating street car
lines that intersect its various branches.
In connection with this report the Com
missioners said:
The Commissioners recommended that
an adverse report be made on the bill
The right TO consolidate with other railway
lines is believed TO be one which can he used at
times with great advantage to the public as
well as to the companies themselves.
An amendment 10 the acquiring power TO the
effect that the amount of stock bonds issued
at the time Of the consolidation should be rcgu-
lated by some competent authority; might be adj
vis;b!c, but il is believed that the power TO con-
solida;e should not be abridged and might be
advantageOusly extended 10 the other lines OF the
District.
Attention is invited to the fact that under the
'Iw in question the Washington and Georgetown
Railroad Company and the Rock Creek Railway
Company consolidated into the Capital
Traction Company. resulting in greatly improved
service the Rock Greek road and only one
fare has since been charged over the entire length
Of the two lines within the District instead OF two
fares, as Heretofore.
The second report related to the pro-
posed extension of the Metropolitan Rail-
road along Seventh Street northwest from
Florida Avenue to the Rock Greek Church
Road. This bill is now before the District
Committee of tie House and was sent
from there to the Commissioners for their
opinion.
The bill provides that the tracks of the
Metropolitan Railroad Company shall be
entirely separate and distinct from the
tracks of the Brightwood road, which
now operates line of cars over the route
proposed for the Metropolitan line. The
system proposed would place the tracks
Of the new road six inches from the rails
of the present road. This would take up
a great deal more space than the present
road occupies, il is claimed, and would
seriously Inconvenience the persons driv-
ing along Seventh Street. \ great many
farmers use this road to come into the
city with their produce, and at times there
is an almost continuous procession Of
teams coming into and going out of the
city. These, il is claimed. would be put
to great inconvenience 10 avoid the cars
and each other in case the two companies
operate separate trackage. This is the
uily ItdNuIt "! tllt DI!i litsL ElttlS WIN
any opposition. The report of the District
Commissioners is rather noncommittal,
inasmuch as it does not state whether they
are in favor of the passage OF the bill
with the amendments suggested by them
or not. In part their report is as follows:
As the Metropolitan Company, ii permitted to
occupy this route, would at shorter in
teIyals than the Brightwood Company, and would
take its PATRONS into the heart OF the city without
transfer and for fare, the extension wOuld
amount practically 20 a coniscation cf the
Brighiwood Company line within the limits
stated. although such extension would unques-
tionably give a greatly improved and cheaper
rapid transit service. The adVisability OF the
measure. however, IS left 10 the wisdom Of Con
grcss. The prnviso in the second paragraph Of the
bill that the tracks Of the Metropolitan Company
shall be independent Of those OF the BrightwoOd
Company. is believed to be highly Objectionable
Ii the tracks are located named in the bill the
roadway available for driving purposes would be
narrowed hy foot. IA prevent the interference
of cars with each other il would he necessary to
lay the rails outside Of those OF the Brightwood
Company. and not inside
one OF the objections made bv the Metropolitan
Comrany to a common set Of tracks is that the
hanges Of the wheels Of the Brghtwood cars are