The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-01-25
AYOIDTRANSFERLAW.
Madden Asks Why Railways
Do Not Obey Congress.
LIKE TO KNOW THEIR REASONS
Illinois Representative Urges the
Enforcement of Existing Transfer
Law, and Its AmeBdment with "a
Penalty, If That BE Necessary to
Execute Its Purpose.

/ Representative Madden, of Illinois. has
taken another step toward securing uni
versal transfers in the District of Column
bia He introduced in the House yester-
day a resolution citing the existing
statutes requiring transfers at intersect-
| ing streets between various lines of street
railways in the District. and asking the
/ District Commissioners to inform Con-
! gress why the law had not been enforced
The resolution is as follows:
Calls for Information.
I Whereas IL is provided in section Of an act 70
amend act 70 incorporate the Capital Railway
Company. approved March 2 1896 that the Capital
Railway Company. thes Metropolitan Railway Com
pany and tho Capital Traction Company are hereby
inquired 10 issue free transfers az the points q IN
tcrsectou q their respective lines that for the
payment OF one fare passenger either road shall
have the privilege Of riding over the lines Of both
and
/ Whereas the Metropolitan Railway Company Is now
affiliated with the Washington Railway and Electric
Company and iis lines intCFscct al vsriGss points
/ the lines Of the Capital Traction Company; and
/ WheIas reciprocal transfers between THESE lines
/ are not given, be II
Resolved That the Commissioners Of the District
OF Columbia he requested and instructed 20 inform
tine House Of Representatives Why the provisions OF
the act herein referred % are not now and have not
been IN force and eject
should Emulate the President.
! Discussing the purpose of the rosolu-
/ ton. Mr. Madden said that he was not
| familiar with the history of the legisia-
ton mentioned or the procedure that may
/ have been had under it on the part of the
/ District government The law however,
/ was on the statute books, he said. and he
! 81 grsra..f
railway traffic in Washington made it
Imperative to show how the railways de-
/ fed the act Of Congress. He realized
/ that there was no penalty imposed for
/ disobedience Of the law. but that seemed
! 20 him 10 excuse whatever for public Of
fCials who were sworn TO execute the law
and had the power of their positions 70
call attention to the matter, and, If the
/ law was defective, ask Congress TO
/ further amend the street railway legis-
/ lation applicable 10 the District and en-
/ able them to act in the interest Of the
people of Washington and the District
/ for whom they stand and 10 whom they
/ ought TO be responsible in public opinion,
at least
/ THE Commissioners" said Mr.. Mad
/ den. in conclusion, hold their positions
/ on the appointment of President Roose-
welt They might. it seems to me, emu
! late his example and try To enforce a law
1 that is for the interests OF the people
/ whose servants they are in theory. if not
| in fact To my mind this is a matter to
/ which President Roosevelt might well give
/ some attention and when his appOintees
are not doing their duty, suggest it 70
I them. if in his Judgment he did not fee
( it is his duty 20 60 farther than that"
/ Efforts TO Enforce Law.
THE bin to which Mr.. Madden refers,
said Commissioner Mcfarland yesterday
J was enacted four years before any of tn,
present Board of Commissioners were ap
pointed. The section relating to the issu-
ing of universal transfers was not en-
forced. as the act carried no penalty, and
there was no way of compelling the stree
| railway companies to comply with thi.
provision Both the Wiley and Nader
/ bills carry with them a penalty for non
| enforcement and if they are favorabIy
acted upon by Congress the street cal
companies can be compelled 20 issue uni
| versaI transfers
It is stated by officials who were con-
nected with the District government al
| the time the act I'm question was passed
that the Board Of Commissioners then il
office made several efforts to have the Law
/ amended so as to include a penalty, bu
were unsuccessful A report on the reso-
/ luton will be submitted by the Commits
/ sioners 10 Congress.