The Washington herald., 1908-01-28

Hepburn Says Local Service
Needs Improvement.
HOUSE LETS BILL DIE EASY
No Vote IS Taken on Measure for
Temporary Tracks TO the Union Sta
tion-iOwa Member Declares Com
panIes Can Only BE COereed Into
Granting Good Service Here.

Granting Good Service Here.
Introduction into the House yesterday
Of the District Committees bin for tenn
pOTary tracks 30 the Union Station was
the signal for a number OF attacks upon
the local street car service and was con-
cluded without a vote being taken on the
proposition. Mr.. Hepburn, OF Iowa, gave
notice that the next time trackage bills
are called up he will present resolution
Ia the form of an amendment giving TO
the Commissioners more power 20 super
wise the local service, with a view 70 its
improvement.
At the start Mr. Smith. chairman Of the
District Committee, asked that the bW
providing for more pension for Mr. Belt
chief of the fire department upon his re-
tirement, be placed upon the calendar
This met with objection from Mr. Mann
/ OF Illinois, who insisted il carried with it
an appropriation, and he was sustained
by the Chair Then the trackage bin was
taken up. Tie bin was introduced By Mr.
tlllstEs anu ~ Gf4AlAAAAu4 WIN tilE HN una
uent trackage bill passed by the SEN
ate, for temporary tracks with the ex-
Ception that the Sims measure provides
for transfers
Sims in Charge of Bill.
Mr.. Sims took the floor In defense of
the bin. and declared that there Is urgent
need for the temporary tracks down
North Capitol street TO the Union Station.
lie answered Ollie James. Of Kentucky,
who wished 10 submit an amendment for
Scent fares. with the announcement that
when the permanent bin is reported viii
be time enough for such amendments
He. In turn. was answered by Republican
Floor Leader Payne with the statement
that he had no patience with the hysteria
Of the people here FOR such tracks
In New YORK" Dee said, many OF US
have walked four blocks TO the station
from the ferry landing aud then climbed
a Night Of stairs. IL seems 10 me this
bin ought 10 provide for permanent track
age and then We would be able TO get
something like what the people here
want"
Mr lands. of Indiana then took 0eea-.
sion 10 say that Of the temporary bin
was passed, the gentleman from Tennes-
see would not live long enough % see
the permanent tracks laid. Minority
Leader Williams Mr. Cooper. of Wis
consln. and others took part in the de-
bate.
smith Explains Bill.
After Mr.. Madden had discussed the
proposition OF transfers, Chairman Smith
got the floor and undertook 20 explain
the action Of the committee in reporting
the bill Re said tna; the companies. 10
put IN underground trolley lines, VIII be
compelled 10 90 down not less than thirty
feet for foundations. and that he thought
the overhead trolley bin would give Con-
gress time 70 pass upon the other ques-
tIons at issue
lie explained that the members Of the
committee. after going over tie ground
had been unable 10 agree as 10 details
of the permanent bill. and said that was
the reason they believed the temporary
bin should 60 through first. so as 10 not
incur q long wait on the part Of the pub
lic Then Mr HUH said that If the tenn
por5rv bill was put through, il would
be 100 years before the other questions
would be settled.
Hepburn Raps Service.
Then Uncle Pete" Hepburn got the
floor. lie lives on East Capitol street,
and he has had occasion 10 wait for cars
ou that lire. lie is not member OF the
committee but he was emphatic in his
statement that what the people want IS
not universal transfer legislation, or q
cent fare legislation, but better service.
7 have been here he said. since the
middle Of November. and never but once
or twice have ] been able 20 get seat on
the east bound cars from the Capitol on
the Washington Railway and Electric
Company line Why, not long since. !
got on a car when there We're II persons
aboard. There were more persons on the
platform than there were seats IN the
car There were more persons hanging
TO straps than there were seats in the
car.
Yet this company has capital OF
$2S. COO OO0. This is almost I,CC0CoJ mile,
and this same company, composed of
other companies which it absorbed, pays
q per cent and more on more than SS,o00.
600 preferred stock Yet / have had to
daily fight my way onto the platform
of the ears.
Counts the Cars.
In q hearing before the District Com.
mittee. the president Of the Capital Trac-
tion Company said that cars were run
every thirty seconds past the Peace
Monument I sent my clerk 10 that
point 10 count those cars OF all cars
those bound for the navy yard those
bound for the New Union Station, and
those bound for the Peace Monument
Ioop-there were but seventy. The presi-
dent Of this same company said that the
dishonest people in the District were re-
sponsible for crowding the cars. He said
they deliberately crowded the cars SD
they would not have to pay fares.
These officials call attention TO the
regulation which prevents them running
cars closer together than poo feet Take
the figures I have given YOU. and you
viii see that in one instance they do not
run cars closer together than 500 feet. on
the East Capitol street line it must be
l,0O0 feet about quarter Of a mile"
Recalls BabcOck's Action.
Then Mir Hepburn paid his compliments
10 the former chairman Of the committee.
Mr.. Bsbcock, of Wisconsin. He said that
whenever the companies wanted anything
Mr.. Bahcock could find a way to get the
matter before the House, but that when
ever the people wanted any concessions.
there were parliamentary reasons inter
posed that always resulted in the death
Of any proposed legislation
He was followed by Mr.. Murphy. OF