Evening star., 1908-01-17
Railway Extension Considered
by District Committee.
GEN. HARRIES GIVES VIEWS
Wouldn't Undertake to Build Cross.
Town Line.
SAYS IT WOULD COST TOO MUCH
Universal Transfers, Five-Cent Fares
UP Next Wednesday.

Gen. George II. Harries. vice president
of the Washington Railway and Electric
Company. appeared this morning again
before the House District committee,
which resumed consideration of the per-
manent trackage bill, the cross-town ex-
tension and the Madden universal trans
fer measure.
When adjournment was taken at noon
Chairman Smith announced that the per-
manent trackage extension bill would be
considered by the District committee at
a meeting next Wednesday morning.
rs your company prepared to build
this track extension TO the Union station?"
inquired Representative Moore of Penn
sylvania.
Yes" Gen. Harries replied. I'VE will
proceed at once as soon as given the au-
thority
The Cross-Town Line
Representative Taylor of Ohio called
Gen. Harries attention to the arguments
presented TO the committee yesterday
afternoon by representa- tives of citizens
association in East and Northeast Wash
ington in regard to the necessity of addi-
tional facilities for those sections of the
city
IL want to ask" said Mr.. Taylor,
whether your company. If given author
1ty by Congress, would be willing to build
line from 7th street northwest on Flor
ida avenue to 8th street northeast, down
Sth street to F, and thence to the Union
station, and also from Sth and F streets
northeast to intersect Pennsylvania ave-
nue."
Eleventh street would be better than
Sth." suggested Gen. Harries
Well queried Mr.. Taylor. would you
be willing to build on 11th?''
NO. the general replied; that would
be impossible a this time. The company
could not consider it, The cost would be
too great for any possible return within
reasonable period
II understood President Dunlop to say
when before the committee last year."
continued Mr.. Taylor, that his company
was willing to make the extension if di-
rected to do so by Congress"
THAT is our position. too. when the
work is within our means" replied Gen.
Harries.
In reply to question by Represent
ative Kahn, Gen. Harries said the four
teen mile ride for four and a sixth cents
of which he spoke yesterday was from
Congress Heights to the District line on
the Georgetown and Tenleytown railway.
nine-mile ride for the same amount
was possible over the lines of the Capt.
tol Traction Company-from the navy
yard to Chevy Chase circle
Tracks to Union Station
Representative Coudrey of Missouri
new member of the committee, wanted to
know how long it would take the Capital
Traction Company and the Washington
Railway and Electric Company 10 finish
the work of extending their tracks to the
Union station.
Gen. Harries said il would be no trou-
BILE TO complete the temporary tracks with
In sixty days, but the periods which would
be required 10 do the permanent work de-
pended almost entirely upon the celerity
with which rail and special work orders
were filed at the mills.
Mr.. Coudrey asked number of other
questions, but was handica pped somewhat
by the fact that he had not read any of
the bills before the committee and had
not full comprehension of what was GO
ing on.
Chairman Smith announced that Repre-.
sentative Hepburn of Iowa, who has
taken a deep interest in local street rail-
wav conditions with respect to the service
given the public by the two corpora tions
had filed with the committee statement
of the numbers of Capital Traction cars
which passed the Peace monument, east
and west, between certain hours last
night and the number of cars on the Fast
Capitol street branch of the Washington
Railway and Electric Company which
were operated both ways at the same
hour.
After some more general discussion of
minor points. the committee adjourned
Cen Harries remarking that the local
companies were tired of being crucjfied
for all sorts of high crimes and misde-
meanors. when in reality they conducted
their business decently fairly and i'm ac-
cordance with the law
At the meeting next Wednesday il is
probable that the proposition Of report
ing an amendment permitting the rail-
roads TO charge a straight fve-cent fare
and compelling the exchange of universal
transfers. will be discussed. Several
members of the committee are favorahly
inclined toward this plan