Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-02-12
District Bills Passed by the House
of Representatives.
EXTENSION OF RAILWAY LINES
Discussion of the Control of the
Monopolies.
T II E COLUM MBIA ROAD

| After the transaction Of morning routine
| business in Tie House today Mr. Babcock
obtained the. floor, this being District day.
and called up for consideration the resolu-
lion of NJ Levy asking the Secretary OF
| War for all information and correspondence
| re;ating 10 &bc Long bridge across the Peto-
| mac river.
| The resolution adopted without de-
| bate.
| Extending Capital Traction Tracks.
| Mr.. Babcock then called up House bill
| G2i3, for the eAten>ion- Of the tracks OF the
| Capital Traction Company in Southeast
Washington. which provides as follows:
| That the Capital Traction Company lie.
| and the same is hereby. authorized and
| quired, within six months from the passage
| OF this act. to lay down an underground
! electric railway with the necessary
| switches and turnaut<. in the city OF Wash
| ineton, in the District of Columbia. through
| and along the following streets and ave-
nues, namely: Beginning 1T the main tracks
| at the intersection CT Pennsylvania avenue
| and Sth street southeast. and thence east
| crly along aid p, nHS ylvania avenue with
| double tracks to 18th street east: thence by
| single track south on 18th street TO X street
| south. east On X street to the circle. north
| on the circle to Pennsylvania avenue and
| westerly on Pennsylvania avenue to ltth
| street east: all work Ia be done in accord
| ance with pans acceptable 10 and approved
| by the Commissioners Of the District of
| Columbia
Sec. > That The said Capital Traction
| Company of the District of Columbia shall
! have. over and respecting the route herein
| before provided for. the same rights pow
ers and privileges as ii TOW has. or here
| after may have. by law over and respecting
| its other routes, and he subject in respect
thereto to all The Sther provisions of us
| charter and law.
Sec. g. That Congress reserves the right
\ to alter, amend or repeal this act
| M on irSb in
The Star last Saturday.
The sfiI Passed.
| In ans xer to question from Mr.. Steele,
| Mr.. Babcock said that bill is now pend
/ ing to bring the 14lh street cars nearer to
| the Capitol by loop. and that soon
| the new b. and o. depot is located the
| pll will be acted upon.
Mr.. Hepburn warted to know if this
company didn't build its lines along streets
where it wanted TO go and refuse TO build
on streets where the public demanded it
| Mr.. Babcock said the company had not
| asked for this extension. but the citizens
| demanded it. He doubted whether the
| bill ever become 4 law. but said that the
House committe has done its duty.
Mr.. Steele wanted TO know why it might
not become a Jaw.
Mr.. Babcock laid the House had passed
| it once before, but it did not become law.
He hoped it would this time.
The bill was then passed.
Westward Extension of Tracks.
Mr.. Babcock next called up House bill
| 2s26, for the extension Of the Capital Trac-
| ton Company's tracks west of the State.
War and Navy building. which provides as
follows:
That the Capital Traction Company OF
the District of Columbia be, and it is here
by, authorized and required to construct
the necessary tracks and to make the nee
essary connections for the purpose of op-
Grating its cars by the underground cleo
trio system, and TO operate the same over
and along the following route, namely: Be
ginning at the intersection Of PennsylNd-
MIA avenue and 18th street northwest. south
on 18th street by double tracks to G street
northwest, west on q street by single track
to 18th street, north on 18th street by sin
gle track to Pennsylvania avenue. Also,
beginning with the tracks at the corner OF
18th and G streets northwest, south on 11th
street by single track to F street north
west. west F street by single track to
Goth street northwest. north on 26th street
by single track to Pennsylvania avenue:
Provided, That for the purpose of furnish
ing a loop, for use when necessary, sin
gle track may be extended along G street
northwest from 18th To 2Gth street. con-
meeting with the single track on 25th and
26th streets northwest
'.Sec. 2 That the extensions herein
thorized shall be completed and cars oper-
ated over the same within one year from
the date of the passage Of this act.
Sec. 3. That the extensions herein au-
thorized shall be constructed in accordance
with plans satisfactory to the Commis-
sioners of the District Of Columbia and APP
proved by them.
Sec l. That the said Capital Traction
Company shall have. over and respecting
the routes herein provided for, the same
rights, powers and privileges 1t now has
over and respecting its other routes; and
be subject in respect thereto TO all the
other provisions of its charter and law
Sec 5. That Congress reserves the right
to alter, amend or repeal this act
Regarded as a Public Benefit.
The report on this bill, written by MIR.
Babcock, says:
THE extension provided for in this bill
meets with the approval Of the Commits
sioners of the District OF Columbia, and a
bill directing the company to make such
extension was favorably reported by this
committee to the House during the second
session of the Fifty-fifth Congress. and
passed by the House on March Z, 1s9s but
failed TO pass the Senate.
by the passage of this bill rapid transit
street car facilities will be furnished to the
residents of that portion of the northwest
ern part of the city beyond the State, War
and Navy building who are at the present
time without street car accommodations
other than the herdics.
This committee has been presented with
long petitions, numerously signed by the
residents and property owners of that Sec
tion asking for the passage of this meas
ure, and believes that Congress should al
ford them the same service that nearly
every other section CT the city enjoys.
THE Commissioners have expressed their
approval Of this bill in the following lam
guage:
LIT is believed that the operation of
street railway through this section would
be public benefit. On account of the
narrow width of 18th street. however. IL is
deemed inadvisable to construct a double
track therein single track in 25th and a
single track in 25th streets being prefer
red ="
Mr.. Babcock said that this was also bill
which passed the House in the last Con-
gress. 1t proposes to accommodate 4 sec
tion of the city which has no railway facili-
ties.
Mr.. Berry of Kentucky said st seemed
that two companies are trying to obtain .
all the railroad rights in the city. They
had cleaned out the herdic company. with
its 3-cent fares. He thought that the peo-
pie ought not to be required to pay more
than cents He thought the committee,
should go slowly with railroad extensions
while the 3-cent fare question was pending.
Mr. RahcOck said n