Evening star., 1902-03-25
RAN-VAhIRAASFERS
Lively Hearing Before a Sen
ate Subcommittee.
CITIZENS REQUEST
APPROVE BILL FOR COMMISSION
ERS TO REGULATE TRANSFERS.
Methods of Bookkeeping Questioned
and Charge Promptly Resented
by Gen. Harries.
CITIZENS REQUEST

! py Gen. darr1es.
There was a lively debate yesterday after
noon before the subcommittee on railroads
OF the Senate District committee, when a
nearing was given to representatives of the
Mount Pleasant Citizens Association and
| others on the bill to authorize the Commits
sioners to determine the giving Of transfers
on street railroad companies Among hose
| present were F. W. Watson, F. L. Camp
| bell, Chaplin Brown, Amos I,adley. Thomas
| w. Smith, Prof G. A. Hill of the naval OBJ
! servatory and Herman j. Schulteis, chair
man OF the legislative committee of the
knights of Labor. all in support of the bill.
! commissioner Biddle was present, but took
no part I'M the discussion. Mr.. George T.
| Dunlop, president of the Capital Traction
| Company, and Gen. George H. Harries, vice
president of the Washington Traction and
Electric Company, both spoke in opposition
| to the bill and gave numerous reasons why,
from their point of view, 1t should not be-
| come law. Prof Hill questioned the cor
| rectness of the reports Of the railroads to
| congress, and referred especially to certain
statements in the report of the Washington
| Traction and Electric Company. He read a
| statement of a dividend In one Of these re-
! ports and a statement of no dividend paid
| IN another part of it. and declared that that
/ constituted a false showing. Gen: Harries
was quickly on his feet and suggested that
| the witness keep within the bounds of par
| iamentary language. AS soon as Mr.. Hill
| had declared the reports were not true Gen
| Harr1es was quick to retort.
Gen. Harries' Retort
| Il will not stand that 1 will not take
| that from anybody
| Gen. Harries explained to the committee
that the report showed plainly that the
| dividend in question was not paid the stock
| holders. but was spent for betterments. He
said the reports were absolutely true in
every respect as they would be even if
| they were not sworn to. Prof. Hill asked
question concerning the roads but Gen
| Harries stated to the committee that until
| the witness had apOogiZed for his Ian
guage he could have no conversation with
him and could not reply to his questions.
Mr.. Hill Apologies
IF have said anything re fl citing on your
veracity l withdraw it, said Prof. Hill
He added that he had had no intention to
| reflect on General Harries personally and
| apologized for anything he had said that
might be regarded as rejecting on General
| Harries
The first speaker in favor OF the passage
! OF the bill giving the Commissioners au-
| thority to regulate the giving of transfers
was Mr. E, w. Watson Senator Mcmillan
presided and Senator Gallinger was present
| Mr.. Watson exhibited a map of the city,
showing the systems Of the two railroad
| companies; and explained that transfers be-
| tween the Capital Traction and the Wash
1ngton Traction and Electric companies
| were necessary in order that passengers
| could be properly accommodated. He be-
| lieved that such q general system of trans
| fers would result in an increased traffic
| for the railroad companies and would in
| the long run be benefit to them. He
also thought that transfers in many casts
hn ORR nrfo
passenger on a single fare could go where
he wanted. AS the system is now regulat t ed
| there are numerous annoyances for pas
! sengers. Mr.. Watson pointed out on the
map he had placed before the committee
! instances in which two fares are necessary
| in order to travel over comparatively short
| distances.
Mr.. Chaplin Browns Remarks.
| The next speaker was Mr. Chaplin Brown,
who said he did not wish to combat the opin-
| ion of the companies that a liberal transfer
system would not be a benefit to them,
| but still he hoped the committee would
consider whether they might not be mis-
taken in that view. He spoke generally in
| fay or of giving the Commissioners the au-
| thority asked for under the bill and did
| not fear that passengers would be able 20
take advantage of any regulation they
should make to get a round trip on single
| fare.
NIL. Ouu1opS OppOS1Ilon.
Mr.. Dunlop, president Of the Capitol Trac-
| ton. then addressed the committee He
said that the difference in the receipts of
his company charging at the rate of six
| tickets for twenty-five cents and what it
would get IL it charged a straight fve-cent
| fare would be $1SOOO0 annually This was
a saving to the people of this city of that
| amount of money which people In most
| other large cities did not have an advantaKe
l,a xl>-k L
!, been liberal with its transfers He did not
| believe the giving Of transfers really in
creases traffic. He cited the case Of the
Chevy Chase road, which he said earned a
| gross revenue of $4,000 annually before 1t
| was consolidated with the Washington and
Georgetown system. After that consolida-
| tion transfers were given. the road was i'm
| vided at Chevy Chase lake to add to the
| traffic. and yet the road now earns but
$4,000 with the natural increase of its
| traffic from the building up Of the COM
| munity. He thought that was demon
stration that transfers from that road had
| not added to its income.
| Before Mr.. Dunlop arose to speak Prof
Hill had Interrupted a speaker with the
| suggestion that the reports to Congress of
| the railroad companies were not correct
This Mr.. Dunlop strongly denied. He also
said he was satisfied transfer system such
as the bill contemplates would utterly ruin
| the lines of the Washington Traction and
Electric Company.
Gen. Harries Also Opposed the Bill.
Gen. Harries followed Mr.. Dunlop and
said that so far as his company was con-
| cerned the reports were absolutely truth
! full. He hoped that municipal management
Of the railroads would not be resorted to
until there was municipal ownership. His
company had already suffered from legis-
lation of that nature. Congress had au-
| thorized special policemen at such cross
| ings az might be designated by the Com
company had been placed at an expense
amounting to tax Of 1.48 per cent of its
| gross receipts. in addition to the per cent
| 1t pays ASA tax He had demonstrated
| that UNDER their formerly "foolishly lib
eral" system, xs 1t had been called by
Chairman l3abcock. he said, that 6,OOO peo-
pie rode UP town from East WASHINGTON
and back again Oh one fare.
Senator Galinaer asked how he could