The Washington herald., 1908-05-22

/
Washingtons Union Station, one Of ths
| finest buildings Of its kind in the country
will not be without proper street-csr
approaches much longer
The House yesterday. by a vote Of
l64 to 122. agreed to the report If the
eonferees on the trackage bin, and as
the Senate has already certified its ap-
proval OF that report, the question Of
making the bill as amended the law of
the land is up 70 the President.
In few days at most, therefore, 1t is
practically certain that the bill providing
for the extension Of the tracks TO the
station. the invasion Of the companies
into an untouched field in the north
eastern part of the city. and for some
supervision by the Interstate Commerce
Commission will be made binding.
| Under the provisions OF the bill, the
work upon the lines mentioned in It must
begin within thirty days and must be
finished by May !, 1903. the privilege Of
| extending this time six months, however
being vested in the Commissioners of the
District.
Not Passed with Ease.
| The report Of the conferees-two Of
them, rather. Representatives Smith and
Campbell signing it for the House-was
not passed with any great ease. nor
was there any lack OF plain talk upon the
| part OF Representative Sims, the con-
feree who did not sign the report. and
| other members Of the House, Republicans
and Democrats, who were interested IN
| the legislation.
The adoption or rejection OF the report
was the first business OF the morning
One hour was given for debate. and
Representative Sims had half Of this time
and Mr.. Smith the other half.
Mr. Smith led the battle by elucidatlng
the fine work Of the eonferees OF the
+ House in succeeding IN their request that
the Senate not insist on all its amend
ments- Mr.. Smith said that the street
/ car companies do not want to make the
extensions contemplated; that this new
/ construction work will cost the two con
! Germs almost 10000. &c.
| Representative Cushman. OF Washing
| ton, wanted TO know II the Capital Trac-
/ ton Company and the Washington Rail-
way and Electric Company are owned BY
the same parties, When informed that
| they were not, he asked gently how
/ then there could be a provision compelling
| them 10 give interchangeable transfers.
| Mr. Smith said that the question OF the
/ eonstitutionahty OF such a provision was
stiIl in doubt
Madden Objects.
Representative Madden. Of Illinois. one
OF the men who have stood out for uni
versal transfers and regulation Of cor
| porations, started out with such plain
/ talk that Speaker Cannon was forced 10
/ call him 20 order The brazen effront-
cry said he, with which the street
railway companies OF this city dictate
the policy under which they shah oper-
ate. surpasses the impude1ee OF any
street railway corporation I have ever
/ known
Mr.. Madden then began TO quote the
/ utteTances OF a member OF the other
/ House upon the manner in which street
railway companies mingle IN legislation
| but was stopped by AIr. Cannon. after
some effort had been expended IN hitting
! resounding whacks on the Speaker S
| desk
/ Dir. Madden then proceeded 10 give pie
! turesQ;Ie ideas OF the condition IN which
the cars Of Washington are kept, are
/ run. and are managed while IN transit
! He said that they are many Of them a
/ disgrace to the Capital; that they are not
run frequently enough, and that the lack
/ Of air brakes makes voyaging about in
them peHlous, indeed.
AS tG the provision authorizing the In
/ terstete Commerce Commission 10 super
wise the operation of cars. Mr. Madden
! considered 1t a joke. He thought that
they should come within the direction OF
1 those who have charge Of the affairs OF
/ Washington, not under the control Of a
body Ike the commission.
Representative Small, Of North Caro-
lima. thought that II would De great IN
justice and qcite a source OF inconven-
! ience 10 the citizens of the District II
| legislation requiring the construction of
tracks TO the station was longer withheld.
McGavin Against II.
Representative AicGavin. OF Illinois,
favored the rejection Of the report. say
ing that there is too much given TO the
street car companies by Congress. He
said that instead Of such a state of af-
fairs. the corporations should give in to
Congress.
Representative Johnson. Of Kentucky,
said that only the people Of the District
would be benefited by universal trans
fers, while everybody's constituents back
in the home districts would be benefited
by not having to walk two blocks when
they came TO Washington.
Representative Mann stood against the
report. He likened conditions in this
city to those in Chicago years ago. He
said that this was an occasion on which
II was decided whether the street car
| companies owned the city or whether the
people owned it.
Representative Campbell. Of Kansas,
one Of the signers OF the report was the
next speaker. He advocated the adoption
Of the agreement and told OF the touching
! scenes he had witnessed down by the
Union Station last winter when all sorts
Of female persons from young girls car
Tying suit cases to feeble old women. were
compelled to walk a quarter of a mile
to reach the cars.
Representative Cary, Of Wisconsin, op-
posed the adoption OF the report. Repre-
sentative Lands Tidiculed the assertions
| OF Mr.. Mann and Mr. Madden. 10 which
/ conditions in this city and in Chicago
were compared Mr. Lands thought that
/ Chicago has the worst street car system
In the country and that Washington has
about the best
Sims Gets Busy.
After Representative Crumpacker. OF
Indiana, had INDUCED in a few remarks,
advocating the adoption Of the report, Mr.,
Sims arose 10 make the last speech OF
those opposing the motion for adoption.
| AZ Cfr,s v-.sa5 r{rt+ a. h., staffpe 4ha