Evening star., 1915-05-26
VOICE THEIR VIEWS
0NR..R. EXTENSION
Property Owners Discuss
Pending Application of Cap
ltaI Traction Company.
; PUBLIC HEARING GIVEN
! BY THE UTILITIES BOARD
Prospect of Municipal Ownership
and Effect of Jitney Bus In
troduced by Speakers.


day as considerations against action
by that body permitting the Capital
Trantion Company to establish a new
rous1e in 18th street between U and I
streets northwest
The hearing. which had been sched
uled. for several weeks. was largely at
tended. among the protestants being
many property owners on 18th street
Jackson H. Ra1ston, who appeared for
several owners, brought up the jitney
bus and municipal ownership questions
He declared that the transportation
business in the District is in a transi-
tion stage and that the commission. be-
fore authorizing the building of a new
line. should wait to see what effect
jitneys will have in relieving congested
traffic conditions
Predicts Municipal Ownership.
In presenting the municipal owner
ship consideration, Mr.. Ralston stated
that there Is possibility of such a law
being passed by Congress at the COM
ing session and suggested that the COM
mission would not care to authorize
the issuance Of $750,0oo worth Of bonds
for financing the proposed 18th street
line when the city later might have to
buy the line and find 1t useless in any
rerouting arrangement that would
follow the taking over and operating
of street car service by the city itself.
Mr.. Ralston also criticised the COM
pany for it's alleged failure to lay be-
fore the commission data tending to
show the public need Of line on 18th
street
Preceding Mr.. Ralston, Clarence r.
Wilson. former United States District
attorney, called the commissions at
tention to what he considered practi-
rcally insurmountable legal obstacles in
the way of granting the company's
application.
AS representative OF John F. wilkins,
0 vner of property at 18th street and
NJ. massachusetts, avenue. Attorney Wilson
de. bared that before the line could be
wild sned and that authority to widen
the thoroughfare could not be granted
by the commission, but would have to
be sp ecifca1y granted by Congress.
Says It Would Be New Line.
In a, ldnSon to this, Mr.. Wilson con-
tended t hats the proposed 18th street line
would NOT be an extension. as con-
by the law empowering the
to authorize extensions. but
would be AL new hne. and that its build
Ing would fn volve tho taking Of property
owned by tia, United States without OBJ
THY view ,of tho legal aspect Of the
case was subsl ribed to by Henry P. Blair,
president Of the board Of education, who
a prd test against the proposed
ton Club, at II. h and K streets
Speaks tsor federation Of Citizens.
William NICK. Clayton. on behalf Of
the Federal Son sof Citizens Associations,
urged the commission to authorize no
extensions wtaich would develop com
petition with Tines Of other companies
He suggested thak action should be
taken with a view to possible CONSOLE
dation OF the lines, Of the various trac-
tion concerns.
Among other in terests. in addition to
those Of individ, val property owners.
Chamber of Comm. tree. Army and Navy
Club, New York 4Avenue Presbyterian
Calvary B pptist Church. Uni
vensity Club and Yo ung Women's Chris
tian Association
Both protestants :lnd those who ia
vored the company p application took
the position. that tn commissions de-
cision should be ba sed on the public
need.
MI. Hamilton Explains.
Following the ol>ening of the meet
Ing by Engineer KLtz, chairman of the
George 2. Hamilton. presi-
dent Of the Capital iSraction. explained
the purpose of the coLoDany in applying
for permission to bull d the 18th street
line. He said that the suggestion came
from the District Engineer Commits
sioner four years ago, and that plans
for the Improvement we Se discussed at
the time between officials of the COM
pany and the District engineer depart
ment.
AS a result Of this preliminary in
the petition fov permission
10 build a line on 18th street was filed
with the commission, Mn Hamilton
said, and when 1t was foupd that the
proposed improvement meg with OBJ
lection from number Gu properly
owners alternate routes werte proposed.
Three Routes Outlined.
Tho three routes outlined. aresthe follow
nss
i From 18th and q along 18th to I.
"a NJ onI to 18th, south on 18th ITO H and
,ast on h to 3th, connecting with the
h-esent Tine at that point.
3. From 18th and U along 18th to ].
hence south on Connecticut avenue and
jackson place to pennsylvania avenue to
connect with existing tracks sssn at Tnas I5ss pont
hence by single track to 18th street. Con-
,ecticut avenue and Jackson place to
avenue, single track cas-
erly along 18th sweet from nth to 14th
street, together WIN double track eX-
ension from 14th alm H streets. easteriy
along H street to 7ht street and terini-
lal loop at the intern ect1on or TN street,
louisiana avenue ana street. and
lngle track extension on 18th street be-
.ween and G streetA
Provision for single track extensions
@ make satisfactory A-outing systems
n connection with the flrst two lines
proposed Is contained NJ the appiica-
lion.
Mr.. Hamilton said that. the company
g convinced the transport alton needs
81 the public require line TO Pennsyi-
yania avenue through the sch tlon south
,f street, west OF 14th sheet and
sast and west line out Fl streel from
lath street to 7th street
President Hamilton said many owAe
~ property on 17th street favored the
line over that thoroughfarA
Among the objectors was Col. Myron !
-Iub. who stated that If the club alone
stood in the way of the suggested i'm
,royement he would be loath to enter
IL protest, but that the club would (
prefer the I street section of the route T
being abandoned il some alternate
-oute could be found
A. N. Fisher and Albert Schulteis ap-
,eared for the Cha mber of Commerce
n support of the oompanys petition.
rhey said that this organization has
nnroved the project because it be-
ieyes it would afford the greatest good
pointed out that the operation would
mean work for large number of the
.ity's unemployed
TONER Guerry, a property iowner on