The Washington times., 1906-12-27
No Penalty Provided.

OF TWO.
No Penalty Provided.
The recommendation Of the Commits
sioners that some action be taken by
Congress to better the facilities offered
by the street car companies here Will be
in line with communications that they
have sent to the House and Senate for
the past flVe years. They have been
hampered all along by the fact that
while the charters granted the car com
panies by Congress gave the COmmls-
sloners the right to make certain re
quirementS of the company. they failed
to provide for any penalties 10 be Inn
posed on the companies should they fail
to meet the requirements.
This fault IT. '~~islatIon is what the
Commissioners want remedied They
would like 10 put stop to the present
rule. which is that the companies do as
they please in the matter OF schedules
and the kinds OF cars that they operate.
Ia their report. which will be sent TO
Congress a few days after the holidays
they VIII want legislation passed allow
ing the Commissioners To fix a standard
Of the car To be operated In the Dis
tT1Ct. TO control absolutely the sChed-
ules on which cars are operated, and 70
have the authority and the means to
compel obedience of their orders.
Control of Transfers.
That the Commissioners viii want
the power to regulate the transfer mat
ter themselves seems tolerably certain.
This Is the point which viii be taken
up by the Board of Commissioners for
the purpose OF deciding whether they
will ask the passage Of the Wiley bill,
which demands IN law that the universal
4Far zfa h
II, however. they see later that such
authority viii not be delegated TO them
by Congress. they may. according to
to those familiar with the situation. con-
sent to the passage of the Wiley bill
rather than lose all chance Of any legIs-
latiou on the subject
How this report OF the Commissioners
will affect Congress in general and the
House District Committee Is easily
realized In whatever terms it may be
couched. its general tenor and conclU-
sion will be that the present service of
the car companies needs Improvement,
a compulsory improvement prompt and
/ thorough.
This viii give an impetus to the a.
ready fixed purpose of the House 10
pass some legislation making the ira
prOvement fact.
Has Two Champions.
Moreover, Mr.. Wiley and Mr.. Madden.
authors OF th,4 transfer bills. will ad-
vocate the enactment into law of their
proposition. contendlng that there is no
necessity for deIegating the power to
the Commissioners. and that the reform
/ should be made a fact at once by an
act of Congress. thus doing away with
the machinery of an intermediate party.
I the Commissioners.
/ Mr.. Madden and Mr.. Wiley continue to
/ receive hundreds of letters recommend
/ ing their bills and urging them to make
every endeavOr to secure for the people
of the District the universal transfer
/ system.
Consequently when the District Com
mittee takes up the proposition for Anal
adjustment, 10 Will have 70 consider the
following things in its favor,
/ The move is championed by strong
/ men Ia Congress,
/ Il is recommended, directly and in
/ directly. by the District Commissioners.
/ Il is demanded by the voice of tie peO-
/ pie OF the city and District
viii Hold Committee,
| These things, it would seem. viii do
away with the slightest possibility of
/ the committees renouncing its present
/ determination to report the bill to the
House for speedy passage
Whether the other reforms. schedules.
standards OF cars, as requested by the
/ Commissioners and provided for In the
/ Madden bill, win be enacted into law,
! is somewhat more problematical. but the
| chances in their favor are great
G. T. Dunlop, president of the Cap
| ital Traction Company. was in q phlIo-
/ sophical mood today when he was ques-
/ toned about the proposal for universal
/ transfers in the District
] "Oh." he said calmly, II suppose
| they'll go on up there and do the thing
as they want tc. l have received no
notice OF a public hearing on the sub
/ ject | know nothing of the matter
However. this Is Christmas, and I'm
! not worrying D, yll,i