Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-06
-CROSSER BILL HAS
ONE VOTE MARGIN
AFTER HARD FIGHT
Measure Providing Public
Ownership of Street Railways
Reported to House.
LONG ABSENT MEMBERS
PRESENT FOR ROLL CALL
Nine Men on the District Committee
Favor and Eight 0p-
pose Project.
BITTER STRUGGLE Is AHEAD
Opponents Argue That 1t Would Be
Unfair to Unload Heavy
Bonded Debt on the
Capital.

The Crosser bill. providing for
the acquisition and ownership and
the operation by the Commission
ers of the District of Columbia of
all street railways located in the
District of Columbia, was ordered
favorably reported to the House
today by the District committee
by vote of 9 to8.
Hard Committee Fight.
The margin of one vote was
obtained after one of the most
grueling committee fights the
House has seen for years, as far
as District legislation is con-
cerned, and interest in the bill in
the committee ran SO high today
that Representative Aiken of
South Carolina, who had not been
inside the District committee
room for at least two years, came
in to vote in favor of the bill
How Members Voted.
The vote for the bill was cast BY
Representatives Aiken. Igoe. German
Hart. Thompson, Crosser. Cary. Mapes
and Walters.
Against the bill were Caraway.
Reed. Prouty, wallin. iwinslow.
Keister. johnson and Coady.
Just before the vote was announced
Representative Igoe arose and remind
ed the committee that Representative
George. before sailing for Europe, had
placed himself on record as favortng
the bill. and asked that Mr.. George be
SO recorded in the vote. After con-
siderable discussion. this was not done.
but the minutes of the meeting at
which Mr.. George had so expressed
himself will be placed in the forthcom-
ing report by Mr.. Crosser.
First Stage of Struggle.
This marks the end of the first part Of
a great struggle. The victorious Crosser
faction contend that the bill has been ad-
vocated by the clamor of the people.
while the opponents. including Chairman
Johnson, claim that the committee has
not one whit of evidence that there is
the slightest public opinion in favor CT
the bill
Chairman Johnson is against the bill.
he said today. for several reasons. but
one of the weightiest with him regards
the financing Of the proposed municipal
railway, involving, perhaps. fifty million
dollars worth of bonds. which might be-
come tax on the United States, and
would certainly be tax on the people
of the District. who would have nothing
to say about them.
There is no doubt that the bill VIII
be as bitterly fought in the House as
it has been in the committee. and Rep
resentatives Johnson and WinSlow, who
were on opposite sides in the taxation
and assessment fight. will join hands in
the coming battle to down Represent
ative Crosser, if possible. Mr.. Crosser
will write the report.
The meeting today opened with long
statement from James /. Coles. and Rep
German moved the bill he
reported Representative Walters second
ed the motion. Representative Proutl
arose to explain why he would vote in
opposition to the bill:
Heavy Burden to District.
members of Congress, none of whom will
be charged with the responsibility of the
proposed bonds, to vote upon the District
this big burden.
He said the people of the District should
settle the matter for themselves, and
that the $50 600 people here might not be
willing to stand the burden of from $50
900 900 to SO 0OOO9o of bonds voted upon
them by men who do not live in the Dis
trict. He also pointed out that II the
District should not be able to take care
of the bonds the United States would
have to come to the rescue.
Representative Walters progressive,
Pennsy lvania. told the committee he be-
lieved the members had 40 right to vote
down the bill III committee. but that IL
should be reported out to allow the full
of the House to decide the
question. Representative Winslow. who
has been recognized as THE opposition
TO the bill, announced that the news
1a per criticism directed against him as
an ..uncompromising opponent" of the
,rosser bill was incorrect in a sense, as
ne was not prepared to stand uncom-
for or against municipal
ownership in view of his experiences.
Tells of His Experience.
For nineteen years have been trus-
ZEE and part of the time president Of the
Worcester Mass. Municipal Hospital"
le said. He spoke at length of the trou-
,les of the municipality owned water
works of his city. the conclusion being
hat it is in private ownership that the
public at large gets the benefit of a con-
tructive policy based on foresight. He
aid that the municipality owned water
works had suffered from the freakish
yhims of political parties.
..Ail the arguments in favor OF prog
,ess and the needs of the people," he
said, ARE on the side of the private
1t is in private corpora
ions that you find the greatest ef-
iciency. and at no greater cost than in
municipal ownership" Mr.. Winslow
rave a list of cities and towns in Mas
;achusetts which had experiences in
municipal ownership. successful and
otherwise This list, Mr. Winslow said.
vas the only concrete list ever pre-
,ented to the committee
I'VE have had the experiences Of cities