Evening star., 1908-01-11
CAR LINE TO STATION
Laying of Tracks Regarded as
Makeshift Plan. "A
LEGISLATORS SHOULD ACT
Overhead Trolley Proposition Re.
calls Early Days.
ADVANTAGE OF UNDERGROUND
Peril Of Allowing a Foothold to
What May Be Difficult to
Abolish. !
LEGISLATORS SHOULD ACT
ADVANTAGE OF UNDERGROUND

While splashlng through the mud and
mire to the Union station. over the route
where the cars ought to be. but are not
one rainy day. recently local attorney
remarked. 'and on another day when II
was warm and dry and the dust was flying
in clouds around my head, these unpleas-
ant antithetical conditions reminded me OF
the old days when il was proposed TO dis
figure our streets with the overhead troll
ley wires and poles. and of the unninch
Ing fight made by The Star against the
desecration of our fine thoroughfares by
these eyesores. q fight in the end success
fully made.
There seems 10 be, however. in some
quarters a misunderstanding as to the
cause Of condition which is relished
neither by resident visitor, and dis
position to place the blame upon the
shoulders of the people of this city and
upon those Of the District Commissioners.
Naturally visitors ask. What is the mat
ter with Washington that n city OF Its
size hadn't provided in ample season Tor
such known contingency?
Last Sessions Bill.
"Of course, we are going TO have the
car lines extended in due time, for ulti-
mately the bills before Congress providing
therefor will be passed. and the present
cause for universal complaint will expire.
by Limitation. but We wish the many thou
sands of visitors now with us. those who
are to come later. and some others who
are already here, to know that there IL
nothing the matter with our own people
regards the unfinished car connections
with the Union station, and that the fault
lies not with them nor with their immedi-
ate executives.
n no yfanc nf In
instances. Ii is not TO be supposed that
every individual concerned can be pleased
along the proposed routes, but there was
a measure introduced in the last Congress
which was satisfactory as the circum-
stances admitted, and this measure would
have ben passed but for the fact that It
was blocked by riders attached thereto
while IT was under consideration. ana
these riders being unsatisfactory, the
measure died the natural death usually
accorded such, bills.
But this measure. minus the riders.
should have been passed. 1t weS an act.
Ii IS my understanding, upon which the
District Commissioners and the railroad
companies had agreed. and 1t provided
for minimum of trackage with a maxi
mum Of convenience. Here was concert
of opinion and an agreement as regard a
difficult situation which might have been
respected by Congress.
Present Measures.
at is my recollection that this agreed
bill passed the House OF Representatives
but when it hit the Senate it was used
as a vehicle to secure passage through
that body of measures entirely foreign
to the purposes of the act itself, favorite
method from time immemorable on the
part of both senators and representatives
to put through pet measures OF their own
which would otherwise fail as single
enactments.
These facts prove therefore, that 50
far as the people OF the District are con-
cerned, and their governing officials, time
ly and reasonable efforts were made TO
forestali just such conditions as regards
street car traffic to the Union station as
now obtain. But since the limitation OF
our efforts lies in petitioning without the
power of enforcement, the capital. as q
city. can do no more than press in this
manner it's just needs.
And this brings up the present meas
ures having to do with relieving this situ-
alton. and one or two may be scrutiniZed
very carefully.
Overhead Trolley Act.
cit will be recalled that when the
fight was made some years ago against
gridironing our streets with the over
head trolley. the exigancies Of that mem-
orable contest were such that rapid tran
sit had of necessity to be delayed for a
couple Of years. but the condition of our
thoroughfares and street car lines today
justified every move in that strongly
fought controversy.
1.-The proposed overhead trolley act as
an individual act, unless made a part OF
the permanent trackage act. may we'll
be viewed with suspicion on the part OF
our citizens The people of the District
are irrevocably committed TO the position
that overhead trolley poles and lines even
when it is asserted that they are for
mere temporary use, are not desired upon
our streets. and from this position there
is not only no desire to recede. but to
make it more emphatic when the occasion
arises.
IF an individual overhead trolley act
can pass Congress in one instance IL may
be passed in another. With the mskeshift
overhead trolley in position. Congress
could dispute session after session on the
question of the permanent trackage meas.
ure and ii is the permanent tr8ckaGe
act which we desire to be passed without
unnecessary delay, we have no assur
ance that these local bills will not be
used as vehicles for side measures in the
future. as with the agreed bill of last
session.
Permanent Trackage. Bill.
There are several of these makeshift
acts before Congress, one of which is that
a covered passageway be built from the
station entrance to the street car lines
on c street.
This proposed arboring OF our streets
ranks>-a close second to the proposed
overhead trolley Disagreement, and 1t is
makeshift proposition which meets with
instant and unanimous disapp-oval on the
part of everybody except. possibly. its
originator. Arbored sidewalks leading to
s5,OOO.OOO building would be incoA-
gruous to say the least.
What the people of this city wish to
see passed is the act known as the perma-
nent trackage act, and makeshift PROPOSE
tions relegated To the obscurity deserved.
temporary overhead trolley permit at
tached to the act would be a makeshift
proposition which could be accepted. but
If it is proposed on the part of Congress
to pass Individual overhead trolley line
acts as affecting the thoroughfares Of the
capital, Congress may rest assured. as In
overhead trolley controversies affecting