Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-05-21

tracks to the Union station were the prin-
cipal thing to be made certain, and he
thought. moreover. that outside o. TINS
the House conferees should be congratu-
lated for securing some concessions.
Il believe if the House holds out long,
er 1t will be doing an injustice to the
people of the District of Columbia. he
declared. Conditions were very bad
during the Indictment weather of the past
winter as all of you know. and / do not
think we should take any chances on a
repetition o. them next winter or curing
the Inauguration. when there will be so
many thousand visitors fro mall over the
United States in Washington
Representative McGavin of Illinois.
member of the House District committee.
denounced the action of the conferees In
receding on the universal transfer pro-
vision.
Il am opposed to the adoption of this
conference report" said he. And he went
on to assert that officials of the local
show. when before the District commit
tee at hearings on the Union station
trackage bill. that they could not give
universal transfers and still live and pros
per He was for the principle involved.
he said. and he wanted to know If the
House would indorse the proposition of
having the District of Columbia run by
the street railway companies and the
Commissioners. with Congress doing moth
ing more than appropristng the necessary
money.
The gentleman from North Carolina.
Mr. Small. put it very truly" cried Mr..
McGavin when he said that these were
all the concessions that the conferees
could get from the railway companies.
Just think of the Congress of the United
States getting concessions. If the local
newspapers would quit throwing darts at
members of Congress and would throw
a few at the local street railway cor
porations they might get a few cOnceS-
sions' themselves
Mr.. Small Jumped 10 his feet and pro-
tested that he had meant concessions
from the Senate and not from the local
street railway companies.
"Oh." replied Mr.. McGavin. airily. III
the gentleman made an error. accept his
apology.
People Elsewhere Considered.
Representative Johnson of Kentucky
then took the floor and defended the ac-
ton of the conferees. He called attention
to the remark of a previous. speaker that
the people of the District were willing
to walk between the Union station and
the nearest available street car point, and
said that it made no difference to him
whether the people of the District were
willing to walk or not. They use the
Union station comparatively little. He
thought the travelling public. the people
from away from here. the people from
all over the country. the people who
were the constituents of the various
members on the floor should he taken
care of. Universal transfers would bene-
fit practically only the people of the Dis
trict while tracks to the Union station
would benefit the people of the whole
United States.
Il don't stand for the street railways.
but for the people," cried Mr.. Johnson.
and we can do the most for the people
by adopting this conference report"
Representative Mann of Illinois said the
question before the House today was very
similar to the question that vexed the
people of Chicago for many years-it was
simply TO ascertain whether the street
cars owned the city or whether the people
were in control In Chicago. he said. the
fight had resulted in universal transfers
and 81 per cent of the net receipts of the
traction lines of Chicago going into the
city treasury.
At this point Representative Campbell
of Kansas got up and tried to interrupt
Mr.. Mann. who had only a couple of
minutes OF time.
"sit down" roared the great objector
to Mr.. Campbell. 'St down. you are
only trying to use up my time" And
upon this being disclaimed by Mr.. Camp
bell. Mr.. Mann roared sit down. any
ing with the statement that We can do
- much here as in the city of Chicago"
Last Winters Experienc.
Mr.. Campbell then obtained a few
moments and defending the action of the
House conferees. declared that it was of
some Importance. as the members OF the
House should appreciate. that the confer
ence report provided not only for tracks
to the Union station. but for other extern
sions that In all would cost nearly $1,000
600. extensions. too. that the railway COM
panies had not asked for and did not
want. He said that any member OF the
House would vote for the conference re-
port If he would merely recollect the
scenes he had viewed during the past
winter. when every one who could not af
ford to hire a cab had to tramp. often
through the rain. carrying children. bag
gage and everything else. from the Union
blocks away.
Mr.. Cary of Wisconsin, member of
the District committee, opposed the
adoption Of the conference report unless
sluded. and Representative Lands Of In
diana took just the opposite view
visit Chicago frequently cried Mr..
Lands. and must say it is spectacle
TO see two men-Messrs. Madden and
Man1-who hail from that city which
for years had the most VIGOROUSLY bad
street car system in the world. heaping
maiedictions on the street car system of
Washington. D. c., which is pretty
nearly the best
Mr. Crumpacker of Indiana favored the
adoption of the report and called atten-
ton TO the fact that probably any univer-
sal transfer legislation that the House
might enact would be unconstitutional.
Sims Gets the Floor.
.hen Mr.. Sims took the floor and his
trst remark was a hot one right of the
bat.
Il thank Cod said he, that there are
some men on this floor who do not bow
and cringe every time corporation
cracks its whip in our presence" After
he had stated his reasons for not signing
the report. in other words that he be-
heved the conference report should have
included the universal transfer provision
Mr.. Sims was interrupted by nepresenta-
tive Henry of Texas
Il have heard it said" remarked Mr.
Henry. that the giving of universal
transfers by congressional enactment
would bankrupt one of the two traction
companies in the District"
ne man who says that and pretends
to know what he is talking about" re-
piled Mr.. Sims. is already bankrupt In
his veracity.'' This sally evoked con-
siderable laughter and applause.
Representative Nye of Minnesota an
nouneed that he would support the con-
ferees report, not daring To take the
responsibility Of killing all track legis-
!ation. and he was followed by Rep
resentative Sherman of New York
who insisted that even if Congress should
enact universal transfer legislation It
would probably be declared unconstitu-
tional by the courts.
Representative Payne of New York, the
majority leader, called attention to the
fact that the House must not ignore the
vr-ar mil coi fvnv, foe,