Evening star., 1901-02-13
SOME LOCAL BILLS
Hearings by the House District Com
mittee Today.
BURIALS ON CATHEDRAL PROPERTY
Removal Of Street Railway Tracks
Discussed.
EXTEN SION OF TIME

The House District committee, at Its
meeting today gave a hearing on House
bill 0293 authorizing the Episcopal Cathe-
dral to make four buriais year on the
| cathedrars property.
| Mr.. James Lowndes, appearing In behalf
OF the bill, said the corporation owns prop
erty on the Woodley lane and Tenleytown
road and the corporation desires authority
| TO make four burials each year on the
property. The ultimate purpose is to trans
| fer the bodies to the crypt of the cathedral
| hereafter to be built.
'"rhe purpose is to make another Pan
theon or Westminster Abbey out of 1t, is 1t
not?' asked Mr.. Pearre.
well, it will be very modest West
Minister" replied Mr.. Lowndes. 1T is pro-
posed to inter only the more distinguished
ecclesiastics and l do not understand that
the laity will participate"
Mr.. Pearre read from a letter from
Bishop Satterlee, in which the following
language is used:
The sole object of the bill is to have the
crypts of the future cathedral used for the
nterment of celebrated persons of our
church, in the same way that Westminster
Abbey is used in England
Mr.. Pearre suggested that an amendment
might be added limiting the burials to the
clergy.
Mr.. Kasson also appeared In favor of the
bill, and Miss Mary E. Mann opposed 1t.
Change of street Railway Tracks.
The committee then took up Senate bill
32O5, for the relocation of certain street
railway tracks. Captain Beach, Engineer
Commissioner, said the purpose was To per
nit the changing of the City and Suburban
railway tracks on the Bunker Hill road and
on the Georgetown and Tenleytown road
on Wisconsin avenue.
Captain Beach said the objection of the
railroad to the bill was that it gave the
Commissioners unlimited power respecting
the relocation of tracks. He concurred In
this view. he said, and would approve limi-
tations He said the cost of removing the
tracks on the Bunker Hill road from the
side to the middle of the road would he
s., coo. and on the Tenleytown road $4,000.
He said 1t would be a hardship on the COM
pany to require the relocation of tracks
on the Tenleytown road. as the company
had recently put down new material
Vice President Harries of the railroad
company said the only people complaining
about the Bunker Hill road tracks were the
Catholic University. officials. The railroad
company had agreed with the university
to contribute financially toward Il new gate
way to the university, upon which the oh
jestions to the location of the tracks We're
to have been dropped The railroad had
contributed. Mr. Harries said the tracks
were in their present location by authority
of law, and it would be dangerous prece-
dent to require their reiocat ton. He said
He thought the full cost should not be
charged to the company. but as the change
was advocated by the District officials the
District should bear half the cost.
On the Bunker Hill Road.
Capt Beach said he thought the removal
of the tracks from the Bunker Hill road
was desirable.
For the company 1t was said there were
more accidents, 10 to 1. where the tracks
lie in the middle of the road than where
they are on the side of the road He said
the requirement of the change of tracks ON
the Tenleytown road would be confscatfon
of the property. as the railroad was not
now paying expenses.
Ex-senator Faulkner, speaking for the
railroad company, said the Tenleytown
tracks have just been reiaid, and IL would
be an exceeding hardship to require their
removal and relaying. At least an equita-
BILE sharing of the cost should be provided.
AS a compromise, he suggested, after con-
ference with Mr.. Harries. to divide the
cost of actual removal, irrespective of cost
of material between the District and the
railroad company.
Chairman Babcock said he would not be
a party to any report proposing such di-
vision of expenses. The committee would
be laughed off the floor.
Mr.. Cowherd laughingly suggested that the
proposition involved the principle that was
applied in the cost-sharing provisions of
the Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylvania
railway bills. Several members of the COM
mittee refuted this suggestion, and some
good-natured discussion followed
The bill was temporarily laid aside TO per-
nit Capt. Beach and the railroad company
to reach an agreement for a compromise.
Size Of Street Cars.
The Commissioners bill relating to the
weight and size of street cars was taken
up Answering a question. the companys
representative said the old green trains
were removed from use because they were
the oldest forms of cars known in the bust
ness while the Introduction of the new cars
was in accord with the best practice in the
principal cities of the country. The
mittee decided that it could not ade-
quately consider at this time the bill to
regulate the size and weight of cars.
The bill to extend for two years the time
for the Introduction of the Washington and
Gettysburg Railroad Company's tracks into
the District was favorably reported.
Mr. Babcock announced to the committee
that the Speaker had told him it is doubtful
whether another day can be given the Dis
trict in the House, certainly not so long as
appropriation bills and national legislation
intervene, but that IL occasion served the
District would not be neglected.
So the committee adjourned, subject to
the call Of the chairman, action being de-
ferred upon the cathedral bill and the bill
for the relocation of the railway tracks.
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