Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-29
INCREASE OF 100000
Spirited Colloquy Over Local Street
Railway Facilities.
FOR BR1GHTw00D
Dispute Between Messrs. Gallinger
and Burkett-A Number of Com
mittee Items Stricken Out.

appropriation bill. Most of the time was
taken up by the clerks reading. but there
occurred to break the monOtony one lively
dialogue between Senator Gallinger, chair
man of the subcommittee that reported
the bill, and Senator Burkett of Nebraska.
a member of the District committee. Few
| changes were made in the bill as 1t came
| from the committee and it went through
with approximately a $2,OOOOOO increase
over the House bill.
The subjects upon which Mr.. Burkett
made some remarks were the street rail-
way facilities of this city and the alleged
difficulty in securing legislation for their
control. He offered an amendment to the
bill to require the Brightwood Railway
Company to run cars all the way to the
Center market by way of 9th street in
stead of giving transfers at Florida ave
| nue., as at present. In opposition to this
Mr. uallnger had the following letter
| from the Commissioners read:
Letter From Commissioners.
They are not possessed with the neces-
sary data to be able to state in the limit
ed time at their disposal on this matter
whether at si-minute Roadway for cars of
the Brightwood railway from this point
on Brightwood avenue (which is about
\
proper Roadway to give satisfactory serv-
| ice at the hours of greatest traffic. 1t
| would certainly be unreasonable to re-
| Quire these cars to run on this Roadway
at all times as Is provided by the pro
posed amendment. which. it should be
noted. makes no allowance whatever for
any suspension during any of the night
| hoursA
The Commissioners believe that legisla-
| ton such as this should not be attached to
an appropriation act nor should it ever be
| enacted without a careful investigations
| the means for which are not at present at
| the disposal Of the Commissioners, to de-
termine the amount of traffic concerned
and the hours of the day at which the
| Roadway should be lessened and at which
| an entirely satisfactory service could be
given with longer intervals between sue
| cessive cars. all of which could be ac-
complished by the passage Of Senate bill
$3.50, providing for regulating public serv-
| ice corporations, which was introduced at
| the request of the Commissioners with
i recommendation for its enactment.
Attention is further invited to the fact
that this proposed amendment contains no
| penalty clause, without which the Com
| missiOners would be possessed OF no more
| authority to secure its enforcement than
they now have under their general
| authority contained in the charter of the
road to regulate its schedule. which they
l have found themselves unable to enforce
by reason of this same fact"
/ Calls It an Outrage.
! THE letter which has been read is
| characteristic Of what the people of the
| District have been receiving in matters of
this importance ever since I have been a
member of Congress-" declared Mr..
! Burkeft. IF there is any place in the
| District where people are being outraged.
! 1t is out here at 18th street and Florida
| aventle where these street car companies
4 he
into the rain and mud and make them
| take another car to go out to the borders
of the District. There are sixty-seveN
square miles in the District. and yet these
street car companies are doing thing
/ which such companies are not permitted
/ to do, / dare say, in any other town In
! the United States. within similar territory.
i and that is to compel the people to get
their cars through TO the end of the line.
Many Petitions for Relief.
1.-THE District Commissioners come in
with that letter and say they have not
| had time to consider it. I want to hurl 1t
back at them that they have had oppor-
tunities by the score to consider that
same thing in the last few years. There
have been no less, by the record, than
500 people before the Commissioners, peo
pie who live out in that part of the DIS
trict of Columbia, hamnerirg at their
door. trying to get recognition. that they
might be heard and their rights given
I some attention. They have not only done
that. but they have come with petitions
and visits and personal interviews be-
fore the committee on the District of Co.
lumbia and interviewed senator's individ-
ually for year in an effort to compel
the street car companies to run their cars
out to the District line-and it is only
four or five miles out to the District
line-and yet all those people in Takoma
Park and all up in that section of the
4 country are compelled to change cars out
here at Florida avenue.
/ 1.-The amendment may not be exactly IN
proper form. 1 will say, however. it was
drawn by an attorney in the District who
has large practice. and who. think.
stands very well at the bar. 1t may not
be in proper form. However. in confer
ence it can be adjusted. But this shows
exactly what trouble the District has
You Gan not get any legislation through
here that controls or touches anything
with reference to the street car system
that the managers Of those companies do
not o. K. We are in the ridiculous con-
i dition today of a town of $4,000 people
walking quarter of mile to get to the
depot because the general manages of the
street car companies will not agree as TO
what particular kind Of bill we shall
pass"
i THE senator has no right to make a
statement which impeaches the commit
tee on the District of Columbia and i'm
i peaches Congress" replied Mr.. Galiinger,
land L think he will see the propriety OF
| Withdrawing his language now or at
some future time"
If the senator will point out any legis-
lation which has passed here within the
last ten years against the consent Of the
railway managers l will retract that l
want to know some legislation which has
been passed." said Mr.. Burkett
How much legislation has been passed
through here on this subject, l will ask
the senator. during the last five years."
asked MIR. Gallinger.
There has been a great deal asked
for was the reply.
Very little" said Mr.. Gallnger.
/ Il remember when had tax bill
with respect to these companies and it
was reported from the committee and 1t
was withdrawn on the floor of the SEN
ate," continued MIR. Burkett.
THAT Is a very unfortunate Illustration
II the senator will make an examination
of the case he will find that the street
railway companies OF Washington are
taxed quite as much as other utility cor
poratiOns and more than such corpora
tions are in other cities OF the country"
declared Mr.. Gallinger.
+ Union Station Trackage Bill.
! Senator Culberson of Texas asked for
Information with regard to the status of
the Union station trackage bill Mr. Bur-
kett made reply as follows: