The Washington times., 1912-03-29
TRANSFER BILL IS
. FAVORED BY THE .
HOUSE COMMITTEE
Attorneys Will Prepare
Statute and Transmit 1t
to the Body.

The House District Committee will re-
port favorably a universal transfer bill
drawn by the citizens of the District.
This is the result of the hearing on
the two bills now before Congress held
before the committee last night. With
in a week the lawyers connected with
the Citizens Conference on Universal
Transfers and those who argued the
transfer suit of the Baltimore and
Washington Transit Company in the SUI
preme Court of the District OF Column
bia last fall will get together and re-
port to the House eommitte their corr
clusions upon the provisions of bill.
This action Is to be taken at the sug-
gestion of the District Committee whose
members after hearing over dozen
fer measure declared their desire that
the bill be drawn for them. The com
mitteeInen were uncertain Whetner
either of the two bills before them,
that passed by the Senate and the other
submitted by the officers of the Citi-
gems Conference, would stand the test
Of the courts and actually. get trans
fers for the people Of the District. Ihls
was agreeable to all concerned.
1t was decidedly the citizens day IN
court before the committee. Fully htty
persons were crowded in the rooms,
among them a sprinkling OF women.
tee that he had been attracted by the
statement made at the last nearing Dy
q Georgetown citizen that there was no
agitation or sentiment for universal
transfers in the District and had come
to the hearing to refute the statement
Woman Testifies.
Mrs. Catherine NJ. MacLennan testi-
fed that she had been induced to at
tend the hearing for the same purpose.
h. NA1 - home
the southeastern section of the city she
frequently had occasion to go to Mt.
Olivet Cemetery. and that 1t was neces-
sary for her TO pay four fares each
way in order to make the journey by
the most direct route. The citizens in
her section of the city, she said, were a
Unit in favor Of transfer facilities. Mrs;
MacLennan drew the applause and
laughter Of those in the room when she
told of having written to the president
of the Washington Railway and Electric
Company, complaining against the
necessity of paying four fares to make
the trip of a mile-and- half to the
cemetery, and was told in reply that
she could avoid that necessity by travel
Ing to Ninth street northwest and COM
ing back over circuitous trip.
Now, when l go to the cemetery"
she said, ! am not out for recreation
or a pleasure ride on the street cars,
and l think l should be entitled to
use the street car facilities in one gen.
eral direction between two points a mile
and half distant without paying four
fares"
George f. Hamilton, president of the
Capital Traction Company, told the
committee at the opening of the session
that he desired to make full presenta-
ton of the subject but did not con-
slider 1t fair to address only four men,
bers of the committee. He withdrew
before the citizens commenced their
testimony. Congressman johnson, ko-
mig, Lobeci, and O'ShaLnessy were
the only members OF the committee
present. Chairman Johnson presented
excuses for a large number.
Charles Selden, the new owner of the
Baltimore and Washington Transit Com
pany's line, which went into bankruptcy
because 1t failed to get transfers with
the Capital Traction Company, urged