Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-09
Not in Sympathy With Opposition.

while the steam railroad station as it is
now presented to us is not in accord with
all that the members of this association and
what the majority of the citizens of the
District would like, l believe the conditions
as they now exist should be allowed to
stand and that each and every one of us
should prevent any attempt to change the
legislation under which these improvements
haye been commenced. The street railroad
situation has not changed. There is prom
ised a new line from Great Falls to George
town, and thence through the city east
ward. This association is in favor of the in
crease of the street railway facilities for
our citizens. In the opinion OF your presi-
dent. however, more good be accom-
pliShed, the greatest number of citizens can
be accommodated by "a crosstown railroad
in Washington along any of the streets
from 4th street east to 10th street, than can
be accomplished by the building of a line
paralleling and using largely the tracks of
the two principal railway companies from
Georgetown eastward.
1T is my opinion that the company pro-
jecting this latter line has no care for Capt.
tol Hill They simply want TO force their
way through the heart of the city to the site
OF the new union station. What is needed
in the eastern section of the city is a street
railway that will start at the passenger and
freight station of the new local station of
the Baltimore and Ohio and Pennsylva MIA
railroads at Florida avenue and I'd street
east, running along Florida avenue to a
cross street which will connect up all of the
railroads running east and west, both in
northeast and southeast Washington. end
ing possibly at the navy yard gate or, better
still, extending along M street southeast and
M street southwest to the wharves at the
foot of 9Th street. A crosstown railroad is
imperatively needed. In my opinion no cap
italiSt would attempt to build this line for
the reason that a company would have to
divide the amounts received from each pas
senger with one or the other of the roads
running east and west, so that it would be
practically a half fare road. Therefore
legislation should be asked for requiring
either or the other of the two large rail
road companies to construct a crosstown
road along such streets rs they may deem
best.
Your street railway committee should
take up the question of cars. their size and
weight. The Washington Railway and Elec-
trio Company are using winter cars now on
their road which are too heavy. They make
entirely too much noise, and their weight
shakes the earth. The vibra tion shakes
three and four-story houses on both sides
of a street to such an extent as to be an
roying to their occupants. This conditivr
ought not exist in a city like Washington.
The Filtration Plant.
lone great enterprise commenced this year
and one which will do more in the preven-
ton of disease and give pure water to our
citizens is the great filtration plant. Work
upon this enterprise has been going along
steadily-large numbers of men and horses
are employed. and engines and cars also.
1t is promised that the work will be COM
pleted within the next eighteen months lis
completion will give us pure water and low
err death rates, less typhoid fever and will
take away from the good name of Washing
ton one of the biots upon it. and which has
been referred to in the great daily newspa-
pers of the country as one of the objections
to our District. The sewer situation is grad
ually but thoroughly reaching that poin,
where the completion of the sewage pump
ing plant at the foot of New Jersey avenue
southeast will give to Washington one of
the best sewer systems in the world The
attention of the Commissioners is called to
the one essential fact, and that is that the
completion of the trunk sewer and the