The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-01-28
The HOldup of the Union Station Trackage
Bill: An Illustration.

There will now be chorus of denuneation from
tain quarters because the House yesterday after vocazng
It's opinion of the local transit corporations and their
ice, failed to pass the bill giving rghtofway the Union
Station.
Once legislation needed in the public interest has
failed because of the determination of the public utility
corporations to give the public the very measure of its
due.
Let there be misunderstanding about this affair of
yesterday in the House. The gentlemen who prevented the
passage of the temporary trackage bill are fighting the real
battles Of the public and of good administration in this
city.
They are the people on whom reliance must be placed
to the town from domination by the public utility
concerns, working through complaisan Congressional
committees the District of Columbia.
1t is a neverendng marvel that the powerful private
interests of Washington always have vastly more
influence with the District Committees than considerations
of public welfare.
Congress is not a whole, given to preferring the
franchsed corporations to the public interest Congress is
willing to do the fair thing But its agents-the District
ne two houses-seem fated to fall under the
corporations.
Of trackage illustrates the situation per-
ust be legislation before tracks can be built
lvOcates of universal transfers, of better
cars, have aimed to take advantage of the
occasion by forcing consideration of their various propo
sitiOns as amendments to the trackage measure
The controlling influences in the District Committees
have played the game of the street companies They
permitted the depot tracks to remain unbuded and the
public to walk through the mud rather than risk having
the trackage legislation amended provide either
universal transfers anything else the interest of the
public
That was year ago. They are still working in the
same direction A temporary" trackage bill was fixed
up and passed the Senate It the purposes of the
corporations and put the statute books would
stay 1t would stay because the corporations would not be
concerned about change and would want to risk hay
ing universal transfer other legislation hched to the
tail Of permanent trackage measure.
Senator HansbrOugh was right when he declared the
other day that universal transfers would be enacted I'M
less the proposition tied to this trackage bill Every
body who has watched the course of District affairs knows
he was right.
Why should a temporary trackage bill be passedP
Simply because hoped that that plan would give the
corporations to get off without having trans
fer amendment other conditions attached It would be
urged that this is only temporary measures these things
all receive consideration their own merits later It
was the game Of the street companies That game has
been diligently played by the dominating powers in the
Senate Committee for years. and the House Committee
played it to the extent that it fell in with the Senate
scheme.
The men who held up the bill were serving the pub
lie interest They trying force at this timebe
cause there will be other chance-a consideration of
the whole series of questions connected with the street
car service. The plain people Of Washington who under
stand the situation viii not be misled