The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1906-12-21
new TRANSFER LAW
Prospect that One Will Be
Passed This Session.
TEMPORARY TRACKS TO PLAZA
No Interest shown in Gas Reduction
Measures, and No Action in That
Direction Likely to Be Had This
Session-The Wiley Street Railway
Transfer Sill Favored.

Evidently the citizens and householders
Of washington and the District of Column
bia take little interest in the subject Of
cheaper gas or improved railroad facili-
ties
Neither Senate nor House Committee
on District Affairs has received a word Of
encouragement for legislation on either
subject The Madden bills for 75-cent gas
and free transfers on all street railroads
in the District al all intersecting points
were discussed among Senator's and menu
bers yesterday in a way that indicates
their estimate of the Indifference in
Washington to local questions that in
other cities are the subjects of general
interest.
II Was the common remark that neither
bin would be heard of this session, and
that there was neither following nor sup
port for them among the people Of Wash
ington. The general opinion was that the
measures We're good ones, and that they
we're framed carefully and in the interest
OF the ReQnie.
we hardly expect those bills 10 get
over. here this session, said Senator Gal
Inger. wHen asked what the prospect
was for The action on gas or transfers
this session. Il doubt if they viii even
be taken Up for consideration by the
House committee. It is a short session.
and two weeks of it viii be given to the
holidays. leaving a short TWO months for
actuM work With the regular appTopTi-
alton bills and other matters to occupy
attention. it is not at all reasonable 20
expect thar the gas question or the sub
ject of street railway facilities can be
squeezed in.
And further-how much interest dc
YOU imagine the people of Washington
would snow in these two matters If we
should take them up2 Two years ago we
had "a bin proposing S0-cent gas. We re-
ferred that bin TO the District Commis-
sioners. and they announced that they
desired TO have an expre ssion of opinion
from citizens and tax payers at hearings
The day SCI for the hearings came. and
how many do you think showed up?
Just three men appeared Il Is a strange
thing that so little interest is shown in
such a matter; but what 1 state is the
fact reported the bill two years ago
adversely On 4bs- statements of the
District Comm ssto7ers and the evidence
We had that Was the only course pos
sible''
Yesterday Chairman Babcock, OF the
House District Committee. gave his views
of the two measures that MT. Madden
has introduced The street railway bill
brings for1srd Something that is bound
10 come sooner or later. The committee
is now At work on that very subject. I
think there VIII be action by the commit
tee very soon after the holidays The
Madden bin viii hardly be one likely 10
receive the support Of the committee.
The WILEY bin, 1 think, is more likely TO
be favored IN the committee It provides
for general transfers
CAS- TO the gas question. there really
does not seem 10 be at this time much in
terest or the part Of the people Of the Dis
trict in the matter When the people ask
Us 10 take Up this question, we shall do
so. I think Mr. Madden's bill was intro
duced more for the entertainment Of the
people of Chicago than for the good Of the
city of Washington. His proposition does
not come from the people here, nor from
the District Commissioners or any sub
stautial or responsible source. 1 don't
know just now what, if any. complaint
could be made as TO the price of gas.
know that the price has been reduced at
my request IN Georgetown from SI-25 10 81.
What it should be produced for do not
know. as il has been some time since I
went over the matter"
The Wiley bill is as follows:
That thirty DAYS after the passage Of
this act the street railway lines in the
District OF Columbia shall issue free
transfers at all junction points inter
changeable from the lines Of one company
to those Of another
Senator Cyl1T5uuar anT Tpar,~acarr q tive
BabcOCk agreed in saying that there
should be legislation this session in re-
gard 10 the street car approaches TO the
Union Station.
The station will be done two months
earlier said Mr.. Gallinger, than the
time fixed by law. which was February,
1905 The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
VIII need 10 have access to the station
or part of it. in October next The peO-
pie of Washington will suffer great deal
of inconvenience if the street cars are
not running TO the station at that time
should the railway company occupy the
station. There seems to be no way out
of the difficulty but to pass some sort OF
a law this session, or provide by some
temporary expedient, for laying street
railway tracks with overhead wires OF
course 1t would not do at ali to allow
anything to be done that would perma-
nently fasten on the plaza, or the streets
approaching the station, such an objec-
tion&ble thing as overhead wires. But
temporarily that might have to be done
tt may be necessary TO put some legisla-
ton Of this sort on the District appro-
priation bill this session
Mr.. Babcock was inclined TO believe
that she best way TO adjust the difficulty
was to provide for temporary approaches