Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-11-20
CONTROL STREET CARS
COMMISSIONERS TO ASK CON.
GREss FOR MORE AUTHORITY.

It Is believed that one of the important
local bills which will come before Congress
for action this winter viii be the bill TO
regulate the operation of street railways
in the District of Columbia. This bill was
UP for discussion last year. but 1t failed
of passage. Inquiry at the District build
ing today developed the fact that the COM
missioners will probably earnestly advocate
the enactment of such legislation early In
the next session.
The charters OF the street railway COM
panies operating in the District OF Column
bia are granted by Congress Most OF
these charters provide for certain powers
and duties to be exercised by the Conn,is-
sioners of the District of Columbia, but In
almost every instance where such powers
are given and duties imposed on means OF
enforcement by penalty or otherwise Is
provided by the charter, and there Is no
general law on the subject.
This is particularly the case where the
charters require the railway companies to
submit time schedules to the COMMISSION
ers for approval; where cars are required
TO be run as often as the public convent
ence may require, where cars are required
10 be furnished of first-class construction
to the satisfaction of the Commissioner 8,
and also where passenger houses are re-
quired to be furnished for the convenience
of the public as the Commissioners may
direct.
AS a consequence, the Commissioners 10
whom many complaints are made as to IN
adequate service and accommodating on
the part of the street railways. are obliged
to plead their inability to cause the same
to be remedied. Such complaints are ire
quently made as to failure of street rail-
way companies to provide satisfactory
schedules to accommodate the traffic, to
provide passenger houses to protect the
travelling public and regarding the mechan-
ical equipment of the cars.
Proposed Law.
The proposed bill is practically identical
with the one prepared by the Commission
ers last year. 1t provides for the reguia-
ton by the Commissioners of the weight of
street cars: the schedules of running the
cars and the routes and destinations there
of; provides that transfer arrangements
shall be approved by said Commissioners;
that the cars run on street railways shall
be kept In condition satisfactory TO the
Commissioners; that properly lighted and
heated waiting rooms shall be provided py
the railway companies at transfer points;
that emergency brakes shall be required
on the cars under certain condltlons, ana
generally gives to the Commissioners au-
thority to regulate the operation OF street
railways. provision being made. upon the
failure of the railway companies 10 comply
with the requirements OF the pill OF those
made by the Commissioners, that the re-
uuirements shall be enforced by proper
penalty.
II makes the officers and directors of the
street railway companies liable to such
penalties. which is not the case in any pros
ecutions which are authorized at present
under any police regulation.
The powers and duties provided for by
the bill to be placed in the hands of the
Commissioners of the District of Columbia
are generally those exercised by street rail
way commissioners, street supervisors and
other such bodies in other cities. Under eX-
listing legislation the responsibility of the
railways Is only to the legislative authority
which gave them charters, namely, Con-
gress, and Ii can be well understood that
no proper supervision can be had over these
companies under such arrangement.