The Washington times., 1902-03-12
Presented to Commissioners
at Special Meeting.
TEXT OF PROPOSED MEASURE
Was Drafted by the Several Associations
of the District and Is Based Upon One
Framed a Year Ago and Presented to
Congress.


hearing before the Commissioners yes
terday. BY special appointment the cen
tral committee on street railways of all
the citizens associations in the District
appeared before the Beard to present the
street raiIruad bill drafted by them, and
to explain its provisions in detail.
The bin as presented is the joint work
of the several associations based upon
the bill framed by the District Commis-
sioBers a year ago, and recommended 10y
them to Congress for enactment 1t is
the result of three meetings of the gen
eral committee, and of a number of sit
tings by a subcommittee who drafted tie
ILL. .i4
Reviewed History of Bill.
Mr.. W. G. Henderson. chairman If the
committee. presented the bill to the
Board of Commissioners. He reviewed the
history of the bill and explained how it
had grown out CT the unsatisfactory serv-
ice given by the railway companies and
OF the defects in the present laws Mr.
Henderson expressed the opinion that
the bill was as near perfect as human
intelligence could make it. He expressed
probation of the Commissioners and
would be enacted by Congress: then. he
thought, it would be found to work to
the best interests of the railway com
panies, as well as the public.
Mr.. Henderson introduced the follow
Ing speakers. who briefly discussed sep
arate features of the bill: Messrs L. l..
Hooper, w. J. Lambert. Thomas W. Smith,
W. J. Frizzell W. G. Dunn, S. A. Hill. A.
+. Kinnan, J. B. Kinnear and Col James
T. Taite
A fifteen minute schedule on suburban
roads, through cars TO the centre of the
city, transfers at intersecting points, pen
alties fer violations of the provisions of
the bill, and a cross-town railroad for
the northeast section were the principal
subjects discussed.
The full text of the bill follows:
Full Text of the Bill.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House
of Representatives of the United States of
America in Congress assembled, That,
after six months from the approval of
this act, it shall be unlawful for any
street railway company owning or oper-
ating any street railway in the District
of Columbia to place or operate upon
any portion of its line within the limits
h. of the city of Washington any car of a
greater weight than ten tons: provided
that cars weighing more than ten tons
untended wholly for suburban trafic)
may be operated over and upon such
streets and avenues of the city of Wash
ington as the said Commissioners may
approve, but only upon special permits
issued therefor, which permits shall pre-
scribe the weight of such cars to be SO
operated, the rate of speed at which they
shall operate, and any other conditions
necessary for the protection of life and
property which said Commissioners may
see fit to incorporate therein and to
contain special provision that for any
violation of any of the terms of the per-
init the same shall be revoked. And here
after no cars constructed or purchased
after the approval of this act shall be run
or operated on any street railway lines
within the District OF Columbia without
the plans thereof having first been SUBJ
mitted to and approved by the Commits
sioners Of the said District.
Time Schedule
Section 2. That each and every street
railway company operating within the
limits OF the District OF Columbia shall
within thirty days after the passage of
this act and on the first day of January
of each year submit to the Commission
ers OF the District of Columbia time
schedule of the running OF cars. and of
the routes and destination thereof and
OF all TRANSFER arrangements relating
thereto on each and every line or branch
thereof operated by said railway COM
pany within the District OF Columbia.
h. --fn aF ha gfrfn
of Columbia shall approve such schedule,
routes and destination and transfer ar
rangements, said Commissioners having,
however, full power first to tori make
such alterations or changes therein as
they may consider necessary for the in
teTests of the public, and ii shall be
unlawful for any OF the said railway COM
panies to run or operate their cars upon
any other schedule or route or to any
other destination OF upon any other
transfer arrangement than that approved
by the Commissioners Provided, how
ever that from a m. until midnight cars
shall be run on all subuarban lines in the
District of Columbia at least once every
fifteen minutes. except on the lines of
the Brightwood Railway as provided in
section 8 of this act. But nothing in this
act shall be construed to prevent said
railway companies from amending their
schedules, routes, and destinations OF
cars or transfer arrangements, whenever
they consider the interests of the public
require but each such amendment shall
before submission to said Commissioners
be advertised in at least three separate
issues of two daily newspapers published
in the District of Columbia and shall be
approyed by said Commissioners, with or
without alterations or changes as they
may deem proper in the manner aiore-
said before being placed in operation;
provided, however, that before said sched-
nles, routes destinations OF cars or trans
fer arrangements or any other amend
Inents thereof are approved, the said
Commissioners shall set time for pub
lie hearing OF any objections thereto
Neither Cold Nor Noisy.
Section 3. That the cars run upon the
strcet railways OF the District OF Column
bia shall at all times be kept in good
repair and In clean and proper condi-
tion. All tenders must at all times be in
good working condition, and no car shall
be used which by reason OF fiatteDed
wheel broken hange, loosened parts or
any other cause. makes, or Is Liable 10
make, cause or produce unnecessary
noise or annoyance upon the public
street During cold or inclement weather
it shall be unlawful after the first day
of November, 1902 to operate any open
ear. other than trailer. upon any OF the
said lines, or any closed car which shall
not be artificially heated so as 10 preserve
z temperature OF at least go degrees) 80
degrees Fahrenheit (after the first day
of November, l96l). Provided, that when
ever. in the judgement of the said Com
missioners, the public interests require it,
the said street railway companies shall.
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