Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-07-03
The Crosser Bill.


Crosser bill is that the District tax
payers shall incur heavy bonded debt
possibly $4,000. 00o) In order to buy
the local street railways: that the
United States shall repudiate all re-
sponsibility for this debt, abrogating
in respect to II the half-and half pro-
vision of the act of 1878. and that the
District taxpayers. as the sole own
ers of the roads, shall turn over their
management and control absolutely to
the District Commissioners. officials
who are responsible to them in no re-
spect whatsoever. and in whose selec-
rion they have no voice.
Not a step should be taken in the di-
rection of enacting this proposition
into law unless and until it Is directed
by the referendum vote of the District
taxpayers. Those who are to be bur-
dened with this debt. and they alone,
should decide whether they wish to
incur it,
The Crosser bill in its present shape
is as vicious a stab at the act of 1878
as any which have caused anxiety and
distress in the community during the
battle of the last few months for a
square deal for the District While
defending the act of 1878 against the
assaults of others we are invited by
the Crosser bill to give it a mortal
wound ourselves.
To justify assent to a fifty million
debt solely on the District taxpayers
in violation of the act of 1878. some
mortal danger to the community must
be thereby avoided some gigantic evil
corrected or some supreme benefit
gained.
Municipal ownership of Washington
street railways should not now be con-
sidered. for the reason that govern
ment regulation through an independ-
ent and impartial public utilities COM
mission. which has recently been wisely
created by Congress. has not yet been
thoroughly tested. and resort to munic-
ipal ownership should be had only in
the event that government regulation
through commission proves a failure.
While regulation by utilities COM
mission is thus under earnest and
searching test, municipal ownership,
with its responsibilities and dangers of
loss. is premature and unnecessary.
The advocates of municipal owner
ship on principle who believe that the
people of the community should direct
~ control public utilities should be un-
alterabIy hostile to the Crosser propo-
sition; for it violates fagrantly the
principle that the people of the COM
munity, as taxpayers buying the roads.
should absolutely control them. The
Crosser bill proposes that after the peo-
pie of the community have burdened
themselves with millions of debt to buy
the roads the absolute control of the
railways shall be turned over to the
District Commissioners. who are not
chosen by the people OF the District,
who cannot be discharged by the people
IL they fail to give satisfaction as rail-
way managers. and who are respon-
sible in no manner or degree whatso-
ever to the local community for any
Encouragement and loss on their part
through the blunders of inexperience
There results the paradox that pub
lie ownership of the local railroads
as proposed by Mr.. Crosser means ar
absolute reduction of the public contro
of those utilities. This result SHOULD
offend and ALLEVIATE every sincere be
lever in the principle that the people
of a community should control through
ownership the public utilities.
The Crosser proposition, premature
and unnecessary at this time, wantonly
stabs the half-and-half provision of tn.
act of 1878, saddles a heavy debt anC
taxation burden upon taxpayers al
ready harassed, violates the principl,
of control by the people upon which
the whole argument for municipal
ownership is based, and proposes
transaction which is either foolish O.
dishonest with the faint which attache
to the confiscation of private propert,
to public uses without due compensa
tion.
These contentious concerning tn,
municipal ownership of Washington
street railways as proposed by tn
Crosser bill are elaborated in editoria
correspondence printed elsewhere ii
today's Star.