Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-01-07
TO UNION STATION
MATTER SOON TO BE GIVEN
CONSIDERATION.
First Subject to Be Taken Up by the
House District Committee-Uni-
versal Transfers Proposition.

The House District committee will hold
it's first meeting of the session Thursday,
when the new chairman, Representative
Samuel w. Smith of Michigan, will an
nounce the makeup Of the various sub
committees. The committee will then get
down to business without delay.
The Sims bill for permanent track ex-
tension to the Union station. with pro-
viso for temporary overhead trolley serv-
ice during the continuance of the perma-
nent construction work, will be the first
matter given consideration. 1t Is possible,
in this connection. that the District COM
mittee may decide to report, as an
amendment to the permanent trackage
bill. provision for universal transfers.
There appears to have been a consider
able growth of sentiment in favor of uni
versal transfers in the District among the
membership of the House since last ses-
sion. Representative Madden Of Illinois,
a member of the appropriations commit
tee, and who Is much interested in local
affairs, reintroduced his universal trans
fer bill soon after the SiXtieth Congress
convened. and he says that from some
talks he has had with members of the
House he is confident that a universal
transfer provision would be passed by
that body if reported from the District
committee, so far as the House is con-
cerned.
Sentiment Favoring Transfers.
Mr.. Madden is optimistic and believes
that his provision has good chance Of
being placed on the permanent trackage
extension bill as an amendment. The
members of the District committee have
taken heed of the experience of last year
when this measure was brought before
the House in, the last days of the ses-
sion. At that time there was consider
able talk about three-cent fares and
other radical propositions which had no
chance of favorable consideration. There
was not and there will not be any seri-
Gus attempt to make a three-cent rate
for passengers on LOCAL street cars, but
there does seem to be some sentiment in
of members of the District committee
being heartily in favor of the PROPOSE
ton. All the members of the District
committee realize. however. that unless
a universal transfer amendment is placed
upon the Sims bill there will be a bitter
fight in the House against it's adoption.
They realize, too, that this would be par
ticularly unfortunate just at this time
when legislation to permit the street
railway companies to reach the Union
station is imperatively needed.
Chairman Smith of the District COM
mittee told Star reporter today that it
was impossible to foretell at this time
whether or not the committee would re-
port the universal transfer bill introduced
by Mr. Madden. He did indicate, how
ever that there was considerable Sent!-
ment for the measure and that at the
earliest opportunity the District COM
mittee would give the bill earnest consid-
GRAFTON.
Representative Madden said today that
he had been working hard in an educa-
tional way on the universal transfer bill
introduced by him and that he expected
to see 1t pass the House. 1t entailed no
i,ar oh on fhe local street railway com.
ma MES he insisted, and in truth and JUS
tice the people of the District were enti-
tied to this much consideration He
thought the companies here should have
got together and made an arrangement
between themselves for universal trans
fers at all intersecting points, but as long
as they had not done SO he thought 1t was
nm 10 Congress to bring them to time.