The Washington herald., 1908-02-22

elaporate argument, supported Dy lnnuIn-
erable figures. endeavOTed to show
that the Washington street railway COM
panies pay better dividends than do
number Of the most prosperous railroad
systems of the country. He said he would
! like to see the cars taken off Pennsylva-
MIA avenue, but they had been there so
long that everybody had developed an ar
lfection for them. despite the fact that tie
trains oil that line were composed of "a
little car in front and a little less be-
hind. Mr.. Sims opposed the S-cent fare
proposition, and declared that II the COM
panies did not comply with the bill. 9th
ers. who would take over their franchises,
would
| Mr.. Sims can't get up nowadays with
out talking politics more or less, and he
stated, in reply to a question as 10 the
supervision over the proposed changes,
] that the present Commissioners, "or those
who will be appointed by the next Pres
\ ident of the United States would be per-
fectly competent TO perform such super
visory duties, although he preferred the
provision in the bin which gives that
power TO the Supreme Court OF the Dis
trict as regards the determination Of dis
putes between the companies regarding
JV4"t tlSiltS and priNHSBts'
Madden In Very Polite.
! Representative Madden next got the
floor. and he was feeling right friendly
! toward the District Committee. owing
probably to the fact that the committee
put into the bin, as reported. a universal
transfer amendment, for which he has
| been fighting hard and long.
/ ~ hfe,y, ,or,,rIfr,,ar,f 70 the oor7-
mittee. declaring that the bill under dis
eusslon was the first which had ade-
quately taken into consideration the needs
and desires Of the residents OF the Dis
trict. He declared that statements which
had been made that the people do not
demand universal transfers had been dis
proven. II was impossible, he conceded.
to do everything that ought TO be done
at one fell swoop. and he believed that
The bill made such a good beginning that
it ought to be passed. The committee
ought 10 be encouraged by q vote OF
confidence.
Nevertheless. he had many more re-
I forms up his sleeve, which he believed
must be taken care of in future. These
included the creation OF an adequate
supervisory power over such corporations.
! the abolition of trailers, the prevention
Of the use OF open cars in winter. COM
| peliing the companies TO properly heat
end clean their cars and eventually
the apOtheosis Of the i1reet car patron.
when he would be aaic, owing to q
steady annual reduction or fares, TO
ride anywhere in the District for cents.
Talks of Watered Stock.
! He took several falls out Of the COM
/ panies as regarded alleged water in their
stocks, which he said might be wind,
after all He estimated thar one COM
pany was capitalized at S6d00o0 A double
track mile whereas the highest just cap
italization was, or should be. about $780,
| O00 double-track mile
Mr.. Madden severely excoriated the
officials OF the companies for the atti-
tude which he said they adopted when
( dealing with Congress. and threatened
} all sorts Of dire things II they did not
learn 10 behave better toward that august
/ body. He then had running debate
/ with Representative Hardy. of Texas.
and Representative Littlefeid. OF Maine
/ relating 70 the capitalization, actual, and
as IL should be. OF the companies, and
/ explained TO the latter in detail how the
/ Washington Railway and Electric Com
pany had gobbled up ten or eleven
minor systems.
/ District Revenue Producer.
Col. Hepburn was then granted twenty
minutes by Mr. Smith, and he began his
speech by saying that the District Of
| Columbia was the very best place IN the
/ country. from the standpoint OF the stock
/ holders. for the operation of a street rail-
/ way system. He read statistics TO show
/ that thc only State which in any ap-
! preciable degree approached the District
/ as a street railway revenue producer was
4 New York. and he called attention to the
/ many large cities which that State con
/ tains. The District. he said. provided
! over 10000 more cash fares per mile per
! year than any State in the Union. other
/ than New York There would be no
/ difficulty, he declared. under these cir
| cUmstances, In persuading another cor
! poration TO take over local railway fran
chises In the District
Colonel Has New Plan.
The colonel objected sirenuously to
universal transfers. He believed in a
mans paving for what he got. The
average man in the District rode less
than a mile. but il he rode a mile he
ought TO pay for mile. and if he rode
| ten he ought to pay for ten. ANY other
/ system was not logical or fair. The pro-
| posed legislation relating 10 universal
| transfers would be entirely nugatory he
did not believe that the companies. with
/ their capital and obligations. could af-
/ ford to give universal transfers. At least
one was in that condition. and If the law
were held cOnfscatory as relating TO one
company it would not apply to any, since
! it must be reciprocal and universal He
did not believe that the people really de-
sired such transfer privileges. They
wanted 10 get 10 the station, and they
wanted TO compel the companies to per-
/ form their duties in a capable and proper
manner.
FIays the + Street Line.
Then Col. Hepburn launched into 4
| fierce denunciation OF the F street line
and those responsible for its condition
THE man that authorizes the conditions
which exist on that line" he said. lis
/ guilty OF a crime" The cars were old. di-
lapidated antique He had not seen one on
that line in six months that ought not to
be condemned. The company was always
pleading poverty. but he believed it had
plenty Of money: at least it had enough
''to pay per cent on eight and half
millions. Of watered stock" II had enough
to pay high salaries to its officers. but it
starved many of its employees" And he
| offered drastic amendment to the bill to
cover this and similar cases. but later,
for some reason, allowed the amendment
| to die a natural death.
] The hin thar. taI-ar, ...a..s