The Washington times., 1904-04-19
ARGUMENTS UPON
THE M STREET LINE
lContinued 90 - %. )


faith and that it would build them if
permitted to do so. Notwithstanding the
insinuations TO the contrary. made by
the members of the various citizens
associations. Furthermore. his com
pany, he said. would accommodate more
persons than the new company. or any
new company which might be organ
lied The Capital Traction Company
was willing to make any. reasonable ar
rangement regarding transfers at the
Georgetown union station.
Thomas W. Smith, president Of the
East Washington Citizens Association,
followed. and created somewhat of a
sensation by charging that the citizens
of Washington who ride on street cars
We're Obliged to pay interest upon the
watered stock OF the companies WHICH
were merged into the Washington Pratc-
tlon and Electric Company. lie showed
what the capital stock ard bonds Of
the Capital Traction Company ana the
W ashingIon Traction Company are
twelve million dollars, he said repre-
traction Company and ST. 600 900 and
$40. OOO.OO in bonds, he said, represented
the Washington Traction COMPANY
Opon the basis OF the cost of con-
Smith said either Of the roads could
be duplicated for 100000
Harries Takes Fright.
rs this reasonable and sane bodv
Of men?' Interrupted General Har-
RES. THAT IS the most ridiculous ana
absurd statement l have ever heard.
The statement of the Capital Trac-
ton Company under oath" continued
Mr.. Smith. lis that they have twenty
miles of track, and Mr.. Dunlop has told
US this morning that it can be built for
$4,000 to $4,000 a mile, not including
equipment You can double this amount.
and anyone who can ngure can deter
mine what it would cost to duplicate its
lines
But our company has 40 miles of
track said General Harries.
Mr.. Smith Insisted that when the syn
dicate had purchased the Metropolitan
and other roads IL had paid for Watered
stock. and the patrons Of the system are
now obliged to pay interest upon that
waIered stock.
IN answer 10 a question, Mr. Smith
said he was in favor Of line as laid
down In the proposition of the Capital
Traction ComDany's offer but he did
not favor any line unless it included a
free transfer system. Ee admitted that
Washington had a good system of street
railways, but declared that the COM
panies had not treated the citizens Of
Capitol Hill fairly Ia the matter of
transfers. He added further that the
Capital Traction Company had refused
10 make any move toward the construc-
ton OF a crOSstown line until the Old
Dominion Company came along and Of
fered 20 build one
Universal Transfers.
Mr.. Smith said ne had no complaint
to make against the present rate OF
fare. He was in favor of universal
transfers, but he did not want to go
that far now. What he wanted to urge
at this time. he said. was free trans
fers between the Old Dominion and the
lines which 1t proposes 10 cross in the
city. The citizens Of Capitol Hill. he
said. feel grateful to the Old Dominion
Company for coming in and proposing
TO build a crosstown line: il was some
thing which the two existing companies
persistently refused TO DO until after
the new company had proposed to do IL.
Milford Spohn was the last speaker.
He said he represented the Central La
Dor Union. an organization Of 1900
members. with $1,000 street railway pa
irons who favored the construction Of
( the crosstOwn line by the Old Dominion
I Company. The two existing companies
/ had for years divided up the streets.
and claimed to own them. They
/ spoke Of them as our streets he
/ wanted a competing company. For
I years. he said. the citizens of Wash-
/ ington had been put to Inconvenience
/ by the Washington Traction Company,
I and he did not believe Ar. Dunlop 5
I offer made at this late date to build
/ the NJ Street line and eastern extern
/ sion was made in good faith. He cited
/ Mr.. Dunlop's statement that Il would
The committee took no action. but de-
cided to grant a further hearing on
( Thursday morning.