Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-01-24
THREE-CENI CAR FARE
Hearing Of House District
Committee.
BITTER OPPOSITION
GEN. HARRIES AND PRESIDENT
DUNLOP BOTH SPEAK.
Ministers Protest Against the Use Of
N Street for the Cross
Town Railroad.

Town ha1lroad.
When the House committee on the Dis
trict Of Columbia was about to open its
hearings this morning on the Cowherd bill
for a three-cent car fare in the District
Of Columbia a delegation of seventy-five
residents of N street appeared on the scene
and asked to be heard in opposition to the
plan approved by the House committee on
the District to change the route of the
proposed Great Falls and Old Dominion
road to N street instead of M street.
Through a misunderstanding the delegation
believed that today had been set aside for
a hearing on that question, so the commit
tee decided to grant them brief time.
The original route Of the road was across
NJ street to Thomas Circle, around Thomas
Circle and down NJ street to New Jersey
avenue. Under the new and approved plan
the route is across NJ street to 10Th street.
UP 18th to N and across N to New Jersey
avenue. The N street delegation was Bit
ter in its opposition.
Objections to N Street.
Rev. DR.. Muir, the first speaker, pointed
out to the committee that there were six
churches on street between 18th street
and New Jersey avenue, and all Of them,
he claimed had been built with the under
standing and in the belief that no street
railroad would ever be built on that thor
oughfare.
Don't you consider that a car line would
be very convenient?' Chairman Babcock
inquired.
There are enough car lines in that vicin-
ity now Mr.. Muir replied.
Rev. Father MARI said he had a parish
school on street between 7th and Sth
CT np6 hn xx-fCh cd tN yicfn tic oh
lection to the proposed road. In view of
the number of children who attended his
school and who also attended the Sunday
schools in the other churches on N street.
he thought the presence of double tracks,
even a single track, on that street would be
extremely dangerous
The Rev DR.. Schneider Of the Church OF
the Incarnation, at 18TH and N streets
told the committee that he had a great
many aged and inf1rm persons in his con-
gregation and many children, and he also
wished to object to the road on the score
of the danger involved.
Admiral Lamberton spoke on behalf OF
the Russian and japanese legations. which
are located on N street. He told the COM
n,ittee he had seen the Japanese minister
several days ago, who expressed himself
street railway on n street. The officials
of the Russian embassy, Admiral Lamber-
ton sid had expressed the same views.
Captain Bell, resident of n street also
spoke in Object He said that the va
rious churches W<lZ1d be interrupted in their
services, Particularly In the summer time,
when the doors and windows must of nee
essty be left open and when the noise of
the cars passing by the doors would be par
ticularly Objectionable.
One of the reasons the committee fixed
on street" Chairman Babcock said.
was because Of a desire to give the
churches the benefit of transportation IA
cilties."
We will forego that privilege with pleas
ure, exclaimed several members of the
delegation simultaneously.
Other members of the delegation claimed
that there was no general desire for such
road, but that the demand had been Gre
ated and fostered by private corporations.
Three-Cent Fare Proposition
The delegation then retired and the COM
mittee began hearings on the three-cent
fare amendment. General Harries was the
first speaker. He told the committee that
when the Great Falls and Old Dominion
bill was up last year something in the ma
ture of threat had been made by the pro-
motors or that road-a pleasantly stated
and appropriately yelled proposition, but a
threat, nevertheless-that if the existing
railway corporations OF the District made
decided stand against the granting of the
Old Dominion franchise by Congress the
three-cent fare amendment would be used
as a club. If the Capital Traction Com
pany and the Washington Railway and
osition for new company entering this
city the three-cent fare amendment would
be pushed. and pushed hard.
General HarrieS said that only last week
one Of the principal promoters Of the
Great Falls and Old Dominion road had re-
peated this threat, and said that If the
companies continued in their opposition to
the Old Dominion concern trouble would be
made for them on the three-cent fare prop
osition.
Representative Wadsworth of New York,
a member of the District of Columbia COM
mittee, asked General Harries, smilingly. If
he meant to insinuate that Representative
Cowherd, who had offered the three-cent
fare amendment was an agent of the Great
Falls and Old Dominion road. General
Harries said he had no such idea, and that
Mr. Cowherd and the other gentlemen Of
the committee certainly should know him
better than to believe he had meant any
such thing
Cost Per Passenger.
1.-THE moment the 3-cent-fare law goes
into effect" General Harries said, 1.-THE
Washington Railway and Electric Company
will go into the hands Of a receiver" He
then quoted from figures showing that sew
eral of the roads in the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company were now car
tt,A