Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-07
Three Urgent Local Measures.

There are three local items on the dock
cts at the Capitol this winter In when the
citizens OF Washington are especially inter-
ested One Is the Joint resolution proposing
an amendment to the Constitution chang
ing the inauguration date. If passed by
both houses at the present session there
will be good chance to get It accepted oy
enough of the state legislatures TO insure
Its formal approval in season to AFFECT the
next change OF administration. II Congress
does not act this winter there will be but
a slight prospect Of the final acceptance Oh
the amendment to insure a safe and Glenn
ent Inauguration day in 1909. Thus there
ia an urgent reason for haste in this case,
which has been thoroughly discussed. and
the merits OF which are in no wise aues-
toned. ID" r''"'''-a' - ~
Another item calling for prompt action Is
the bill which readjusts the street railway
routes so as to bring the electric lines
into connection with the new union station.
This measure has been halted despite the
fact that unless II is approved early In the
present session the public will for months
be compelled to walk considerable dis
lance to reach the station from the street
cars vice versa. Time Is at a high pre-
MUM in this matter inasmuch as the ma
terials necessary for the work of extending
the tracks and revising the routes can not
be ordered until the bill Is finally approved
and can not then be- delivered for some
months after the orders are filed. This bill
should have been passed a year ago, and
there would then have been no doubt what
ever as to the accommodation Of the public
when the new station is finished and placed
in use
The third urgent local item relates also
to the new station. There are now pending
two propositions for the extension of the
smoke law to include railroad locomotives.
One is in the form OF an amendment which
the House adopted last year when it passed
a bill granting certain land acquisition
privileges to the railroad companies. 1t has
been checked in the Senate The other is
to the same effect and has been laid efore
both houses by the Commissioners as a new
proposition. Every consideration of the
public welfare urges the enactment of such
law. The health Of the people Is at stake.
The Terra Gotta collision, which some be-
lieve to have been due in part to the obscu-
ration of lights by dense mixture OF
smoke and fog. suggests that there Is dan
ger to life In the heavy smoke emissions of
the railroad engines. 1t Is needless to urge
again the wisdom OF rendering this termi-
nal smokeless from the artistic point Of
view. Congress Is now In a position to
judge of the desirability of insuring as far
as possible. against the creation of : Joke
nuisance that will chiefly menace the Off
clal colony on Capitol Hill during a large
part of each year. II this bill Is passed
now the railroad companies will have had
period of preparation before the opening
OF the station which will at least serve the
good purpose of permitting the survey Of
the field 1t Is probably too late now to
equip the station on smokeless basis be-
fore Its opening, but that fact should not
be regarded as a reason for postponing &C.
ton on the bill