Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-05-03


to Berlin. The railroads, as well as the
public, will profit by this Improvement OF
their service and broadening or their
functions. The most important improve
ment remaining to be accomplished IN
the District street railroads is one which
will bind closer together by absorption OF
by universal transfers or by common use
of tracks the suburban and urban trunk
lines, so that one may travel cheap!y,
quickly and conveniently wherever In the
District the network of steel tracks ex'
tends"
Railway Conditions Today.
In striking contrast with these condi-
tons Of the past are those existing today.
The steam railroad urban grade crossings
have all been eliminated. wonderfully
attractive as well as practically service
able Union station, architecturally a clas-
sic structure as striking as the best OF
the public buildings, one Of the largest,
finest and most convenient stations in the
world, has been substituted for the dis
creditable rattle-traps of the past. For
the Long bridge dam two useful and non
obstructive, If not beautiful, structures
have been substituted. one a highway
and the other a railroad bridge. The rail-
road tracks have been cleared from the
Mall and the peoples park, no longer di-
vided mutilated and disf1gured is develop
connection as part Of Potomac Park with
Rock Creek Park becomes an important
section in one of the worlds finest park
systems. From control of Congress by
the railroads we have advanced to control
of the railroads by the people through
Congress and the interstate commerce
commission.
The street railways have developed
from. projecting, understanding Trails
to grooved rails; from horses to under
- Al <tv~& of t1n
Budapest type with improvements. with
out passing through the intermediate
stage of use of the ugly and dangerous
overhead trolley in the urban section;
from division into many weak and impov-
erished lines to consolidation into two
management Of tramways by Congress
with unlimited free franchises for the
asking to appreciation by both public and
railroad that these franchises represent
substantial grants by the public of valu-
able privileges for which consideration
must be rendered to the public. either di-
rectly or indirectly in cheaper fares and
in improved service; from almost un..
checked control by private interests OF
these important semi-public functions to
stringent, wholesome regulation by the
people, first through the national inter
state commerce commission and now
through an Independent local public utili-
ties commission with enlarged powers
The latest evidence that Congress.
though discouragingly sluggish and hard
to move as Washington's local legislature,
may be relied upon to meet wisely In the
end the crises and emergencies OF the ma
tons city is the recent enactment in re-
Spouse to the popular demand of the well
considered law above referred to. creating
a public utilities commission for the Dis
trict to regulate in the public interest the
local public service corporations. The
evils which might drive an American
community OF the nation to government
ownership of railways are no longer con-
spieuously in evidence in the nation S
city.