Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-12-13

penetrated by the line in question. 1t ID
crowded at times, of course; 1t is Impossible
to provide everybody with seats during tho
rusl hours. Such thing was never dono'
Mind and muscle and money cannot do IL.
1t is simply one of the things that is apso'
lutely impossible. .
But the service is as nearly perfect as It
CAT well be. The man who stood nft0eu
minutes In the chilling blast the other night
waiting for car probably didn't know tnat
a coal cart had broken down on the track
that one of dozen other things or IN
animate but active cussedness had broken
loose. But 1 think the company deserves
credit for its work during the recent snow
fall. Chicago. with a storm no worse man
ours had street car tie-up wnicn ias.eu
thirty-seven hours. We hardly lost MN
ute on our lines.
with regard to the flying machines re.
ferred to by Mr.. Yoder | want TO say @ .nas
A Edison, the inventor, recently, ana we
have been promised that the machines
would be ready for trial and test the nrsl
week in February. The machines are apsU-
lutely guaranteed by the company when
makes them, and. 1 believe, will be salts
factory"
With direct reference to the cross-town
project. Gen. Harries said there was aDso-
lutely no general demand for such me
AN artificial demand has been created
he said, but it's artifciality Is very
apparent want to say right here
that the effort being made to secure the
construction of a line paralleling our Z ana
d street lines would If successful work
great injustice. The lines in question were
pushed out into that part of the city before
they were necessary. and before they could
hope to earn satisfactory amount, and
they have contributed largely to the up
building of that part of the city. And now
that they are getting on their feet 1t would
certainly not be fair to put this competing
line parallel with Them
Free Transfers.
no following
section of the bill, providing that And the
said Great Falls and Old Dominion Rail-
road Company, and all other street railroad
companies in the District of Columbia, shall
issue free transfers at all connecting inter-
secting points on their respective lines"
THAT Is little too much,' he remarked.
''The unfairness of free transfers Is APP
parent Should a new company with six
miles of track be given the privilege OF
coming in the District and transferring its
passengers to the 200 miles Of track al
ready operated by the existing companies?
Free transfer systems between unrelated
companies are unheard of. That is one
of the reasons why joining of interests
in street of street railroad corporations,
bringing them all in community Of IN
terest is good thing for the public. But
there is hardly need for argument on
point so manifestly unfair as is this one.
General Harries then called the attention
of the committee to that section of the bill
authorizing the Great Falls and Old Do
minfon road to exercise in the District of
Columbia the same rights, powers and
privileges as it may exercise under the
acts Of the general assembly incorporat-
ing 1t, and acts amendatory to 1t in the
state of Virginia. II only wish to ask this
committee" said Mr.. Harries. whether 1t
proposes to have its course outlined and
dictated by the legislature Of the state
Of Virginia."
Gen. Harries closed his remarks by sum-
ming up the reasons against the granting
of the franchise, and repeating his state
ment that If the road was to be built the
Washington Electric Railway Company
would build it on the order of Congress. He
was opposed. however. to an outside cor
poration coming in and reaping the benefits
of the past work of the established cor
porations.
Want North and South Line.
Thomas W. Smith. president of the East
Washington Citizens Association, spoke IN
favor of the bill. Referring to the COM
plants of NJ street residents that the cars
on that thoroughfare would prove an UNI
mitigated nuisance, Mr.. Smith said that
while he lived near the tracks OF the cleo
trio companys lines, and while snow plow
occasionally went by his house at O'Clock
in the morning ringing bell to keep the
snow OF the track he found 1t possible
to continue peaceful existence. r.
He insisted that the cross north and south
line in East Washington could be construct
ed by the Washington Railway and Electric
Company for less than 100000, and by the
Capital Traction Company for not more
than that sum. Mr.. Smith said that the
one great reason why he and other citizens
of East Washington were urging the pas
sage of the bill was that they might get a
north and south line. They didn't care
about the NJ street part of it in particular.
and they didn't care who built the road.
Personally, he said, he would like to have
seen either one of the existing companies
build the line. but since they had shown no
disposition to do he was an earnest adj
vocate of and wanted to the franchise
go to a corporation that would do SO.
Ex-Secretary Hackett.
Mr. Frank Hackett said that while he
was in favor of north and south line for
East Washington, he was unalterably OPP
posed to the passage of the bill before the
committee. Il take my views from the
conclusions of the Commissioners he said,
'and they have expressed themselves as
believing that the road was not an actual
necessity, but was desirable
Mr.. Hackett pointed out that the Com
missioners believe the road should not go
through the residence section. He insisted
that the demand for the cross-town road
was not actual, but had been fostered and
created by artificial means.
President Dunlop Heard.
President Dunlop of the Capital Traction
Company resented the insinuations of bad
faith on the part of his company. He de-
clared that his road had never been author
lied to extend it's lines north and south in
East Washington, and announced that I'M
der the authorization of Congress the Cap
ital Traction Company stood ready to build
the desired line. And he stated emphat-
ically that If his company did build the
line it would be operated as efficiently and
the schedules would be as satisfactory as
if it did not parallel a portion Of the exist
ing line. He sal Il further that his company
was willing to build a line from M street
to the union station, and would make any
fair and equitable arrangement with any
suburban company with regard to the
hauling of trailer cars and the carriage of
passengers. But he was opposed, he said,
to the free transfer system, on the grounds
advanced by Gen. HarrieS.
What are your views on the proposition
to compel the street railroads of the Dis
trict of Columbia to sell eight tickets for a
quarter" Mr.. Dunlop was asked.
at would put us all in the hands of re-
ceiver" he replied quickly. Il have the fig
ures of last year. showing the number of
passengers carried and the receipts which
will demonstrate that conclusively."
Ex-senator Butler Closes.
Ex-senator Marion Butler of North Car
dina closed the hearing by a Spfrtted arpu-