The Washington herald., 1908-05-22
rracks to station-.GoOd LeelsIatIon.


After months of delay. involving serious
hardships upon the public. legislation has
been secured providing for street rail-
way approach to the Union passenger
station. The House did its clear and sim
pie duty in the premises. as The Wash
ington Herald predicted. and this COM
munity and the general public are to be
Congratulated upon the outcome Of the
struggle, so unnecessarily prolonged.
That the street railway companies will
proceed with the laying Of the tracks.
thus completing the magnificent terminal
enterprise, and the carrying out of all
the provisions of the law is to be taken
for granted.
Citizens Of the northeast section of
Washington gain much by this legisla-
tion, for within a few months they
will have the additional street car facili-
ties which they have urgently needed,
and the city will profit largely by the
vast expenditure Of money required.
The bill now about to become a law
imposes upon the Interstate Commerce
Commission the duty Of enforcing certain
regulations relating TO the local street
railways. In addition, the commission IS
empowered TO make such orders and reg
ulations as it may see fit TO carry out
the requirements OF the act. Section is
of the bill reads as follows:
That every street railroad company OF corpora
ton owning. controlling, leasing. or operating one
or street railroads within the District Of 20
lumbis shah on each and ali OF its railroads supply
ard operate sufficient number Of ears. clean, sani-
taTy. in good repair. with proper and safe power.
equipment. appliances and service comfortable and
convenient and operate the same as to give expe-
diti0us passage not to exceed fifteen miles rer hour
within the city limits OF twenty miles per hour IN
the suburbs. TO all persons desrous Of the use Of
said cars without crowdng said cars The Inter
state Commerce Commission is hereby gten power
to require and compel obedence to all Of the poFi-
sions Of this section, and to make, alter. amend
and enforce all needful rules and regulations to
secure said obedience; and said commission is given
power to make all such orders and regulations neces-
sary TO the exercise Of the D0Wes herein granted to
it as may be reasonable and proper; and such rail
road companies or corporations their officers and
employees are hereby required to obey all the proyi-
sions Of this section and such regulations and Or
ders as may be made by said commission. Any such
company corporation. or its officers employees,
violating any provision OF this section, or any Of
the said orders OF regulations made by said commits
son. or permitting such violation. shall be punished
by fine Of not more than slOoo And each day Of
failure OF neglect on the part Of such company or
corporation. lis officers or employees. to obey each
and ali Of the provisions and requirements Of this
section or the orders and regulations Of the com
mission made thereunder, shall be regarded as sep
arats ofense
To the extent Of its provisions. this
section confers on the Commerce Com
mission the powers Of a public utility
commission. It may prove an interest
Ing question to what degree the com
mission will divide responsibility with
the District Commissioners in the mat
ter of street railway regulations since
the present charters confer on the Com
nfssioners a certain amount of regula-
tive authority. There is need, Of
course, OF some tribunal 10 hear and
adjudge complaints against the, street
railways and to determine and enforce
a remedy. but there is no need of two
different tribunals or OF q divided au-
thority. The Commerce Commission is
an overworked body, with multifari0us