The Washington herald., 1912-03-21

That the power to build a subway sta
tion such as is suggested irt the Commits
sioners' report TO the Senate is given in
the public utilities bill was the opinion
Of members Of both the House and SEN
ate District committees yesterday after
noon. Because of this belief. legislation
based on the report will be delayed until
the bill creating a public utilities commits
sion has been enacted into law.
II was positively stated yesterday that
Senator Gallinger will not act on the re-
port until he has again brought the pub
lie utilities bill before the House for adop-
iion. Senator Gallinger will leave Wash
ington this week and will return in time
for the session of the Senate District
Committee. a week from tomorrow. At
that time the committee will lgo over the
Works amendment and the Gallinger bill
in an effort TO reconcile the differences Of
the two and, as Senator Gallinger puts IL,
IAN adjustment is confidently expected"
The particular clause which in the
minds Of members of Congress would
give to the municipality the right to es-
tablish a subway in the business section
OF Washington is that relating to i'm
provements and extensions. The public
utilities commission. under both the
ed to establish such improvements in the
service of public utility corporations as
may be needed for he public betterment.
Therefore, II is argued, IL the commission
decided that a subway was needed to do
away with congestion, they would be
given the right to proceed under the pro-
posed new law without additional legis-
lation.
Report Submitted Yesterday.
The consolidation of the electric rail-
way companies of the District and the
extension of the lines of the companies
in eight different localities. as recon-
mended by the District Commissioners
in a report on railway conditions. was
submitted to the Senate yesterday. The
District officials in the report call the at
tention OF Congress to the advisabillty of
establishing a subway in the vicinity of
Fifteenth street and Pennsylvania ave-
nue. northwest for the purpose OF reiiev
ing the congested traffic of the locality.
The Commissioners express the opinion.
however. that the proposition Is not
economically advisable" at the present
time.
The report was compiled at the request
of the Senate. In connection with the
for the consolidation Of
the railway companies. the Commission
ers suggest that for the purpose Of de-
teEmining the relative values of the two
systems a representative of each COM
pany be appointed, with the privilege OF
selecting a third person, to form a board
of three.
IF our two principal street railway
companies could agree upon the relative
values of theE lines, 1t would seem
that shares in a new company. without
par value. could be distributed equita-
4 l. -
systems, and that thus might be avoid
ed all questions of over-capitalizstion
or under-capitalization between the COM
panies and the public. OF course. an act
of Congress would be required 10 per-
NIT consolidation on this or any other
basis.
"As to the determination of the rela-
tive values of the two systems the Com
missioners can only suggest that In
their view the fairest way would be for
the two companies each to select a rep
Tesentative, these two to select a third.
say an expert of the class OF those
quoted, and of such knowl-
edge and character as TO insure justice
between the contending interests"
Subway Problem Discussed.
Discussing the subway problem, the
say:
''Inasmuch as this is the Capital City.
Il is believed that at an earlier period
In its growth than might be required in
the ordinary city the congestion of
tracks and of cars upon certain Of its
street should be relieved by the pro-
vision of several short lengths of under
ground construction approaching an UNA
derground focal point or union station,
which all metropolitan routes should
traverse. AS tentative suggestion the
Commissioners have in mind, aAd wosld
invite your attention to the desirability
Of an underground station, located in
the vicinity of the corner of Fifteenth
street and Pennsylvania avenue north
west. II is not thought that the con-
5truction Of such station as a focal
point and of the short lengths of un-
1ergrould lines approaching II would be
advisable at the present
time, but the desirability Of this ar
in the future should be borne
n mind. the Commissioners believe,
when other sseet railway problems are
being solvedF
The Commissioners recommend, to-
sether with the consolidation OF the ex-
,eting railway companies. that charters
be refused new companies which may
,rganize. The District officials also
urge the enactment of law similar to
the one now in force in New YORK, pro-
viding for the defrayment Of the ex-
pense of further extensions of railway
lines by the assessment OF property
benefited.
The Commissioners urge the following
On Eighteenth street. west. from oil
street southwark to and into Potomac
Park.
On Seventeenth street. west. from
avenue to u street.
On Kennedy street northwest, from
street to and into Rock
Creek Park.
On L street. south, from Four-and-a-
lalf street west to Eleventh street east. |
From the north end OF Connecticut
venue bridge by meandering line TO |
he, western end Of Massachusetts, ave-
lue.
From the present terminus OF the
Mount Pleasant line to Argyle terrace
Mostly via Eighteenth street northwest.
On Fourteenth and Fifteenth streets
northeast. from H street to East Capitol
Itreet. and one and ID streets north